A fake IW371648 is a copy of the IWC Portugieser Chronograph in stainless steel, and the fastest way to identify one is to inspect the movement through the caseback and the finishing of the dial furniture. IWC builds this reference around an in-house column-wheel chronograph movement, so a caseback that hides a stock third-party chronograph behind a decorative plate is the clearest sign you are looking at a fake IW371648 rather than the real thing.
Below is what the reference actually is, why it gets copied so often, the specific details to check, and how a low-grade counterfeit differs from a high-end replica or super clone.
What the IW371648 actually is
The IW371648 belongs to the Portugieser Chronograph family, the 3716 generation of IWC's long-running two-register design. It is a clean, legible watch rather than a complicated one, which is part of its appeal and also part of why copies exist.
- Case: stainless steel, roughly 41 mm across, with lugs that curve down toward the wrist instead of sitting flat.
- Dial: two registers, one at 12 o'clock and one at 6, a printed minute track, applied Arabic numerals and leaf-shaped hands.
- Movement: IWC calibre 69355, a column-wheel chronograph, visible through a sapphire caseback.
- Crystal: sapphire front and back, with anti-reflective coating applied to the inside of the glass.
Every one of those features has to be reproduced convincingly for a copy to fool anyone, and that is where most fakes fail.
Why this reference is faked so often
The Portugieser Chronograph is a favourite target for counterfeiters for practical reasons rather than romantic ones:
- The case is steel, so there is no precious metal to match.
- The layout is simple: two subdials, no date, no calendar, no exotic complication.
- A printed dial is cheaper to replicate than a guilloché or enamel one.
- Generic chronograph movements can be fitted into a case of this size.
- The silhouette is recognisable, so the watch reads as expensive from across a table.
How to spot a fake IW371648
Dial printing and numerals
Look at the minute track under magnification. On the genuine watch the lines are uniform in weight and spacing, and they stop at a consistent distance from the numerals. On fakes the track often thickens in places, the spacing drifts near the edges, and the brand lettering can sit slightly too high or too low in relation to the applied numerals.
Subdial hands and finishing
The small chronograph hands are the hardest thing to copy well at low cost. Genuine hands are polished on the top surface and have a crisp edge. Replica hands frequently show a rounded or blunt tip, a matte top surface, or a slight bend where they were pressed onto the pinion.
Case finishing and lug geometry
Run a fingertip along the transition between the brushed case flank and the polished bezel. Genuine examples have a sharp, consistent line. Copies often show a soft or wavy boundary, and the lugs may be slightly thicker or splayed differently than the original profile.
Crystal and reflections
The sapphire on the real watch has internal anti-reflective coating, so the dial stays readable at steep angles. Many fakes use mineral glass or uncoated sapphire, which produces a stronger mirror effect and washes out the dial when light hits it from the side.
Caseback and movement
This is the decisive check. Ask for a clear photo with the caseback off, or at least a sharp image through the display back. The genuine calibre shows a column wheel, an IWC-signed oscillating weight and finishing consistent with a manufacture movement. A decorated rotor bolted onto a generic chronograph, or an engraving that does not match the reference number, points to a fake.
Weight, feel and strap
A steel Portugieser Chronograph has a particular heft and balance on the wrist, and the strap or bracelet hardware is finished to match. Copies frequently feel lighter than expected, and the buckle engraving is shallow or off-centre.
Chronograph behaviour
Start and stop the chronograph, then reset it. The pushers on the real watch have a defined, mechanical click with a clean flyback to zero. A mushy pusher feel or a hand that resets slightly off the 12 position is a common replica flaw.
Counterfeit versus super clone
Not every copy is the same product. A cheap counterfeit mimics the look from a distance and rarely survives close inspection. A high-end replica, sometimes sold as a super clone, copies case architecture, dial printing and movement layout more closely, and some examples photograph well. Even so, no replica uses IWC's manufacture calibre, and the finishing inside the case, the engraving depth and the hand quality remain the areas where the difference shows. Buyers searching for a fake IW371648 should know which category they are being offered, because the price gap between the two is significant and so is the risk of being oversold.
Price reality check
As a rule of thumb, a genuine Portugieser Chronograph trades in the thousands of dollars on the secondary market, while replica versions sell for a small fraction of that. If a listing for an IWC chronograph is far below the prevailing market range, the reference number alone is not proof of anything. Treat the movement, the paperwork and the seller's willingness to show the caseback as the real evidence.
Questions to ask before you buy
- Can you send a sharp photo of the movement through the display back?
- Does the reference number on the caseback match the reference in the listing title?
- Is the chronograph function demonstrated on video, including the reset?
- What is the return policy if an independent watchmaker examines the watch and disagrees?
- Is the watch being described as genuine, or as a replica? Get that in writing.
FAQ
Is IW371648 a real IWC reference?
Yes. It is a genuine reference number within the Portugieser Chronograph line, which is exactly why counterfeiters use it on their products.
Can a watchmaker tell a fake IW371648 from the real thing?
In most cases, yes. A trained eye with a loupe and a look at the movement will usually separate them within a few minutes, and the column-wheel calibre is the strongest piece of evidence.
Why do people search for a fake IW371648?
Usually for one of two reasons: they suspect a watch they have been offered is not genuine, or they are shopping deliberately for a replica and want to know what to expect at each price level. Both cases come down to the same checklist above.