Answer first
A replica IW371652 is a copy of the IWC Portugieser Chronograph reference IW371652. The genuine watch is a 41 mm steel chronograph with a bicompax dial: running seconds at 6 o'clock and a 30 minute totalizer at 12, driven by the in-house 69355 calibre. A good replica reproduces the case profile, the dial printing, the subdial spacing and the pusher feel. A poor one misses on thickness, subdial position and dial texture, and those three faults are visible from across a table.
What defines the reference
The Portugieser Chronograph is a dress chronograph, not a sports watch. The case is slim, the lugs are slender and curved, the bezel is thin, and the dial carries applied numerals with a railway track minute scale. Reference IW371652 sits inside the modern IW3716 family, so the details that matter most on a replica are the ones a buyer sees at arm's length: the vertical brushing on the case flanks, the polish on the bezel edge, the crispness of the printed scale, and the way the hands sit above the dial.
How to evaluate a replica before you buy
- Ask for the case measurement in millimeters across the lug tips and at the widest point, then compare both numbers with the spec sheet.
- Request a straight-on dial photo in daylight and check that the running seconds subdial sits centered on the 6 o'clock axis.
- Look at the subdial distance from the center. A 7750 based copy spreads the two counters wider than the genuine 69355 layout.
- Check the date window position and the font of the numerals inside it.
- Zoom on the applied hour markers and confirm each one sits flush with no glue halo.
- Ask for a side profile shot to judge case thickness and lug curvature.
- Request a photo of the caseback engraving, then compare the reference text and the font weight.
- Have the seller film the chronograph start, stop and reset with the pushers, not just the sweep.
- Confirm the sweep hand returns to zero in one motion and does not creep past 12.
- Ask which movement is inside and whether the rotor is decorated or plain.
- Check the bracelet or strap fit at the lugs for gaps, then check the clasp engraving.
- Verify the crystal has an anti-reflective coating on one side only, as the original does.
Where the money goes
Replica pricing on this reference splits into tiers, and the tier tells you what you are getting before you open the box.
- Entry tier: modified 7750 base, thicker case, softer dial print, working chronograph with a heavier pusher feel.
- Mid tier: improved case profile, better dial texture, sharper printing, decent hand finishing.
- Top tier: clone architecture that follows the 69355 layout, correct subdial spacing, thin case, crisp pushers and a decorated rotor.
The gap between mid and top tier shows up in two places: subdial spacing and case thickness. Everything else is polish.
Flaws that are acceptable and flaws that are not
No replica is perfect, so set a tolerance before you shop. Slight differences in engraving depth on the caseback and a marginally heavier crown are normal. A dial print that looks fuzzy under a loupe is normal at entry tier. What is not acceptable: subdials in the wrong place, a date window that sits off the axis, a chronograph hand that fails to reset, or a case that measures more than a millimeter thicker than the reference. Those are structural, not cosmetic, and no amount of polishing fixes them.
Care and use
Keep the chronograph stopped unless you are timing something, because running the complication wears the movement faster. Wind or wear the watch enough to keep it running if it is automatic. Keep it away from magnets, steam and hard knocks, and have the gaskets checked before you trust it near water, since water resistance on any replica is an estimate, not a guarantee. Service intervals of three to five years are sensible for a Chinese clone chronograph that gets daily wear.