The best fake IW371620 copies the 41 mm steel Portugieser Chronograph case, the leaf hands, the recessed counters at 12 and 6, and the look of the in-house calibre 69355. Top-tier replicas sell for about $600 to $1,200 and fix what cheaper builds get wrong: a case that sits too tall, flat dial printing, and a stock movement rotor. Anything under about $250 is a budget build, and the wrist will show it.
What the Fake IW371620 Has to Match
IWC released the ref. 3716 Portugieser Chronograph in 2020 with an in-house calibre 69355. The steel case measures 41 mm across and about 13 mm thick, with a domed sapphire crystal, 30 m water resistance, and a dial built around two counters. A replica that misses the case depth fails the side-profile test at arm's length, before anyone reads the dial.
Case, thickness, and finish
- Diameter 41 mm. Thickness near 13 mm. Replicas that hit 14 or 15 mm sit too tall on the wrist.
- Thin polished bezel with brushed case flanks and crisp transitions between the two finishes.
- Crown and chronograph pushers sit flush, with clean fluting and no side-to-side wobble.
- Long, slim lugs that curve down. Short or stubby lugs are a quick giveaway.
Dial and hands
- Leaf (feuille) hands with a slight downward curve and a clean center boss.
- Applied Arabic numerals at 12 and 6, polished on the edges, with printed indices elsewhere.
- Subdials sit below the main dial surface and carry fine concentric snailing.
- Minute track stays sharp. Fuzzy edges or double printing mean a cheap pad-print job.
- No date window. A date aperture means the maker reused a dial from a different model.
Movement
Most fakes run an Asian 7750 (A7750) with a decorative plate and rotor shaped to suggest the 69355. On versions with a display caseback, check the rotor engraving, the perlage on the plates, and the screw colors. Flat laser etching and painted-on jewels show up fast in a close photo.
Replica Price Tiers and What You Get
- Budget, $80 to $200: stamped dial, mineral glass, thick case, rattly pushers, and a strap that cracks within months.
- Mid, $250 to $500: sapphire crystal, better hands, working A7750, but shallow subdials and soft printing.
- High tier, $600 to $1,200: correct case thickness, snailed counters, engraved movement, anti-reflective coating, and a strap that feels like leather.
Price is a rough proxy for quality, not proof of it. Two sellers can list the same factory build at different prices, and one may ship a lower grade than the photos show.
Fake IW371620 Review: Best Replica Portugieser Picks
How to Spot a Weak Replica in Photos
- Ask for a straight-on side shot. Measure the case height against the 13 mm spec.
- Zoom on the subdials. They should look recessed, not painted flat.
- Look at the hour and minute hands from the side. Thin, flat hands read as fake.
- Check the minute track and text under bright light for blur or bleed.
- Request a video of the chronograph starting, stopping, and resetting to zero.
Checks Before You Pay a Seller
- Timestamped QC photos of the exact watch, not catalog images.
- A short video showing the seconds hand sweep and the reset behavior.
- Payment method with buyer protection. Direct bank transfer leaves you with no recourse.
- A written return policy that covers a dead movement or a wrong item.
- Photos from past buyers, compared against the current listing.
Factory names are marketing labels that change every season. What matters is the specific unit in the photos you approve, so treat the label as background noise.
Legal and Practical Risks
Counterfeit watches are illegal to import into the US, and CBP can seize a parcel at the border. Trafficking in counterfeit goods also falls under 18 U.S.C. § 2320. Beyond the legal side, you get no warranty, no service history, and no resale value.
FAQ
Is a fake IW371620 worth buying?
It depends on what you want. A high-tier replica gives you the Portugieser look for a fraction of the price of the real watch, but it will not hold value and cannot be serviced by IWC.
Which factory makes the best IW371620 replica?
Several workshops produce IWC chronograph replicas, and quality shifts between batches. Judge the watch in the QC photos, not the factory name on the listing.
Can a jeweler tell a fake IW371620 from a real one?
Yes, and fast. Case thickness, hand shape, dial printing, and movement finish give it away under a loupe. The 41 mm profile and the 69355 movement are hard to copy at low cost.
What movement sits inside a fake IW371620?
Most use an Asian 7750 chronograph movement with decorative finishing. A few high-tier builds add a modified column-wheel layout, but the base remains a 7750 derivative.