A fake Portugieser Annual Calendar copies the IWC Portugieser Annual Calendar ref. IW5035. The case shape, dial layout and the three windows at 12 o'clock match at a glance. The movement does not. The genuine watch runs IWC caliber 52850 with a 7 day power reserve. Most replicas run a modified ETA 7750 or a Seagull ST25 series movement, so the calendar works on a different principle.
Genuine steel examples list near $23,000 USD. Replica examples sell for $250 to $600. That gap is the main fact to keep in mind.
The genuine watch
IWC lists these numbers for the Portugieser Annual Calendar:
- Case diameter 44.2 mm, thickness 15.3 mm
- Caliber 52850, automatic, Pellaton winding, twin barrels
- Power reserve 168 hours (7 days)
- Annual calendar: month, date and day in three apertures below 12 o'clock
- Small seconds at 6 o'clock
- Sapphire crystal front and back, anti-reflective coating on both faces
- Correction needed once a year, at the end of February
An annual calendar tracks 30 and 31 day months. It does not track leap years. A perpetual calendar does. That difference is part of why the annual calendar costs less than the perpetual version.
What replicas change
Replica makers do not reproduce caliber 52850. Three differences show up in most examples.
- Movement: a 7750 base with a calendar module, or an ST25 base with an added plate. Both add height. Case thickness lands at 16.5 mm to 17.5 mm.
- Calendar setting: day, date and month come from pushers or from crown positions. The genuine watch advances the calendar through the movement.
- Power reserve: 38 to 42 hours on the 7750 base. Not 168 hours.
Ask a seller for the movement name and for a photo of the caseback. A 7750 rotor looks different from the IWC rotor. Sweep smoothness is not a test. Both run at 28,800 vibrations per hour.
Dial details to compare
Dial work separates the price points. Check these points with a loupe or a phone macro lens.
- Aperture edges. Genuine windows have beveled, polished edges. Replica windows look flat and stamped.
- Printed discs. Genuine date and day discs use clean type with even spacing. Replica discs show thicker strokes and off-center printing.
- Hands. Genuine leaf hands have sharp polished facets. Replica hands look thin and rounded at the tip.
- Crystal. Genuine sapphire has coating on both faces. A replica crystal often has coating on one face, so reflections differ at an angle.
Order of the three windows varies by reference. Confirm the reference number before you compare.
Service and parts
A replica has no parts catalog. Independent watchmakers charge $80 to $150 for a clean and oil when they can source the module. Many will not take the job. A broken calendar module often means a new movement, and that cost sits near the price of the watch.
Legal status in the US
US law treats a counterfeit watch with a registered trademark as a criminal matter. 18 U.S.C. 2320 covers trafficking in counterfeit goods. Customs can seize shipments. Resale carries more exposure than personal possession.