Top pick for most readers: skip the counterfeit and put the same money into a documented pre-owned IWC Portugieser or a watch from a brand that publishes its own reference numbers. The four criteria that decide this are movement serviceability, whether the case matches a real catalogued reference, lawful import into the United States, and what the watch is worth the day after you buy it. A counterfeit Portugieser 46mm fails at least three of those four, and the one it sometimes passes, looks, is the cheapest part to fake.
What the phrase actually describes
The term pairs a model name from the IWC Portugieser family with a case diameter. Listings built on that phrase borrow the name, copy the dial layout, and attach a 46mm figure because a large number reads as more watch for the money. The diameter is also the easiest spec to invent, so treat any 46mm claim as a question rather than a fact. Before you weigh anything else, pull the manufacturer's published reference data and compare case size, lug width, thickness, and dial configuration. If the numbers do not line up with a real reference, the watch is a design exercise, not a copy of a specific model.
Build and movement: the real trade-off
Counterfeit cases are usually plated rather than solid, and plating wears at the lugs and caseback edge within months of daily wear. The movement is the bigger problem. Most counterfeit watches run on generic or cloned movements with no parts pipeline, which means a watchmaker may refuse the job or quote a repair that costs more than the watch.
- Pro: Low upfront cost, and from three feet away the dial can pass as the real thing.
- Pro: Wide availability of case sizes, including oversized 46mm versions that genuine catalogues may not offer.
- Con: No service network and no parts supply, so the first failure is often terminal.
- Con: Plated finishes, soft screws, and press-fit casebacks that lose sealing after one opening.
- Con: Finishing on hands, indices, and movement bridges rarely survives close inspection under a loupe.
Use case: if you want the look for a photo or a costume, a cheap fashion watch with its own branding does the same job without pretending to be something else.
Legal exposure in the United States
Counterfeit goods carrying a registered trademark are seizable at the border, and shipments are routinely detained and destroyed. Buying one does not create a clean title, and a seller who ships from overseas cannot shield you from that. Reselling a counterfeit watch is a separate and more serious problem, because offering it for sale moves you from buyer to distributor.
- Pro: None that survive contact with a customs letter.
- Con: Detention, loss of the purchase price, and no recourse against a seller in another jurisdiction.
- Con: Payment disputes are hard to win when the transaction itself is the disputed item.
Water resistance, accuracy, and resale
A counterfeit rated 50 meters is a marketing sticker, not a tested seal. Gaskets are often dry or missing, and the caseback threads are cut loosely. Accuracy drifts because the movement is unregulated at the factory. Resale is effectively zero: dealers will not touch it, auction houses will not list it, and the only buyers are people who want the same gamble you took.
- Pro: Sits comfortably on a large wrist if the case is genuinely 46mm.
- Con: Do not swim, shower, or wash your hands carelessly with it.
- Con: No resale market, so the purchase price is a sunk cost from day one.
Legitimate alternatives at three budgets
Entry budget
Look at established entry brands with published movements and a real warranty card. You get a serviceable watch, a serial number on the paperwork, and a resale value that is small but not zero.
Mid budget
A pre-owned genuine Portugieser from a dealer with references and a return window is the closest honest match to the look. Ask for service history, box and papers, and a written description of any polishing.
Upper budget
A new genuine reference from an authorized dealer removes every question on this page. You pay for provenance, service access, and a watch that holds value.
Checklist before money changes hands
- Match the case diameter, thickness, and lug width against the manufacturer's published reference data.
- Ask for the movement calibre and whether an independent watchmaker will service it.
- Request a video of the second hand sweep and the crown operation, not just still photos.
- Confirm the seller's return policy in writing and pay with a method that offers a dispute process.
- Ask what happens if the parcel is detained at customs. A vague answer is your answer.