Short answer
Most watches sold as a "fake IW323708" are not close copies of the real reference. They are generic steel cases with an IWC logo printed on the dial. A real IW323708 is an IWC reference number, and IWC stamps that number into the case between the lugs along with a serial. If the number is missing, painted on, or cut with a laser into the caseback, you are looking at a logo swap, not a replica. Genuine IWC references in this family use a screw-down crown, a signed caseback, and a numbered movement. A high-grade copy tries to match all of that. A cheap copy matches none of it.
What people mean by fake IW323708
Three different products get sold under that search term.
- Logo swap. A generic quartz dive watch with an IWC dial print. Case shape, crown, and bracelet are unrelated to the reference.
- Mid-grade copy. Correct silhouette, mineral or poor sapphire crystal, Asian automatic movement, stamped clasp.
- High-grade 1:1 copy. Correct case dimensions, sapphire with AR coating, engraved caseback, cloned or Swiss ETA-based automatic movement.
Checks you can run without opening the case
- Look between the lugs at 12 and 6 with a loupe. The reference and serial should be engraved into the metal, sharp and even, not printed or dot-peened.
- Measure the case with calipers and compare the diameter and thickness to IWC's published figures for the reference. Copies run thick by half a millimeter or more.
- Angle the crystal under a lamp. Genuine sapphire shows an even anti-reflective tint. Cheap copies look milky or show a strong purple cast.
- Inspect the dial text at 10x magnification. Check stroke weight, letter spacing, and whether the index at 12 lines up with the crown.
- Check the date window. The cut should be crisp, centered between indexes, and the disc should snap at midnight rather than drift.
- Examine the hands under the loupe. Genuine hands have polished bevels and lume that stops at the edge without overflow.
- Turn the bezel and the crown. Count the detents and feel for backlash. A loose, wobbling bezel with uneven clicks is the fastest tell on a cheap copy.
- Weigh the watch. Genuine steel references land in a narrow weight range for their size. Copies come in light because the case walls are thinner.
- Read the clasp and bracelet stamps. Screws should be machined, threads should engage without grit, and the logo should be engraved rather than etched.
Checks that need a watchmaker
- Have the caseback opened by a qualified watchmaker, never by the seller alone.
- Photograph the movement and compare the rotor engraving, jewel count, and finishing to the correct caliber for that reference.
- Check for a clone movement. A rotor that spins freely with a metallic rattle, or a balance that ticks at the wrong frequency, points to a copy.
- Ask IWC or an authorized service center to confirm the serial against their records.
Red flags when buying
- Seller will not send a photo of the engraving between the lugs.
- Serial number is missing, repeated across listings, or looks like a different font from the reference.
- Price sits far below the market range for the reference in that condition.
- Papers and box exist but the serial on the card does not match the case.
- Pressure testing is claimed but never documented.
What a high-grade replica still cannot copy
Even the best 1:1 copy fails in three places. Movement finishing is the first. Genuine IWC calibers show Geneva stripes, blued screws, and perlage that follow the original layout. The second is tolerance. Crown threads, bezel detents, and bracelet end links fit to a tighter spec than any mass-produced copy. The third is service history. A genuine reference has a documented service record and a serial that traces back to IWC. If you are buying, budget for an authentication before you pay, and treat any seller who resists that step as the answer to your question.