The strongest fake IW371422 is the one built on a 7750-derived automatic chronograph inside a steel case that measures close to 40.9 mm wide and 12.3 mm thick, because that single thickness figure decides whether the watch sits on the wrist like a Portugieser or like a hockey puck. Everything below is judged against four things: case geometry, sub-dial depth and spacing, dial furniture (applied numerals, leaf hands, print), and what is actually moving behind the solid caseback.
What the IW371422 reference actually is
The IW371422 belongs to the Portugieser Chronograph family, the reference line IWC built for roughly two decades before replacing it with the 41 mm ref. 3716 generation in 2020. The defining layout is bi-compax: a 30-minute chronograph totalizer at 12 o'clock, running seconds at 6 o'clock, and no date window anywhere on the dial. Applied Arabic numerals, leaf-shaped hands, a slim polished bezel, and a solid engraved caseback are all part of the package.
- Case: stainless steel, about 40.9 mm across, about 12.3 mm thick
- Dial: two sub-dials, vertically stacked, deeply recessed with snailed (concentric) finishing
- Hands: leaf hour and minute hands, thin needle chronograph seconds
- Caseback: solid steel, no exhibition window
- Strap: alligator leather on a signed pin buckle or deployant clasp
Because the reference is discontinued, most replicas on the market are copied from photographs rather than from a watch in hand. That is where the errors show up.
Criterion 1: case proportions and profile
A Portugieser case is a flat cylinder with a narrow, steeply angled bezel and long lugs that curve down toward the strap. Replica cases often get the diameter right and the thickness wrong.
- Works: total thickness at or under about 13 mm, lug curvature that lets a strap fall straight down, crown and pushers that are polished (not brushed) and sit flush against the case flank.
- Fails: a slab-sided case over 13.5 mm, sharp unbeveled lug edges, pushers that wobble or sit proud of the case, a crown with a soft or off-center embossed logo.
Ask the seller for a caliper photo of the caseback-to-crystal measurement. A seller who will not send one is telling you something.
Criterion 2: dial, numerals, and sub-dial depth
This is where cheap fakes collapse under a loupe. On the genuine watch the two sub-dials are cut into the dial and finished with concentric rings, so they read dark at one angle and bright at another. Flat printed sub-dials are the single most common flaw.
- Works: applied numerals with visible polished bevels and correct height, sub-dial apertures that cast a real shadow at the rim, crisp serif-free print with even spacing in the brand text, leaf hands that taper to a point without a flat stamped look.
- Fails: painted-on numerals, sub-dials that sit flush with the main dial, wobbly printing, a chronograph seconds hand that is too thick or sits too high above the dial, luminous material applied unevenly.
Check hand height specifically. On a well-built fake the chronograph seconds hand clears the numerals. On a poor one it sweeps across them.
Criterion 3: what is inside
The caseback is solid, so nobody sees the movement, but the movement still determines how the watch behaves. Three tiers show up in the replica market.
- 7750-derived automatic chronograph, pros: correct sub-dial positions, smooth sweep, real chronograph function, serviceable by a competent watchmaker.
- 7750-derived, cons: thicker than the original movement, so the case grows; rotor noise is audible; the pusher feel is heavier than the genuine column-wheel-adjacent action.
- Quartz or meca-quartz, pros: thin case, low cost, accurate timekeeping.
- Quartz or meca-quartz, cons: ticking running seconds at 6 o'clock, a chronograph seconds hand that steps rather than sweeps, and sub-dial positions that rarely match the reference.
For a closed-caseback watch, the automatic 7750 route is the one that behaves like the thing it copies. A quartz version can look fine in a photo and feel wrong the moment you wind it.
Criterion 4: caseback, engraving, and strap hardware
The engraving on the back is shallow on most replicas, and the reference and serial numbers are frequently laser-etched rather than stamped. Run a fingernail across the text: genuine engraving has a crisp edge you can feel. On the strap side, look for stitching density, edge paint that does not crack when flexed, and a buckle tang that is centered and polished on all faces. Replica alligator is usually embossed calf, which is acceptable at the price but should be described honestly by the seller.
Price tiers and what they buy
Replica pricing moves in bands tied to movement and finishing, not to the brand name on the dial. The entry band buys a quartz watch with a flat dial. The middle band buys an automatic with a decent dial but a thick case. The top band buys the automatic with recessed sub-dials, correct hand height, and a case within half a millimeter of the original. Paying top-band money for a quartz watch is the most common way buyers get burned, so confirm the movement type in writing before paying.
Who this suits, and who should skip it
This watch makes sense for someone who wants the Portugieser look on the wrist for occasional wear and accepts that it is a copy. It does not make sense as an investment, as a gift meant to pass as genuine, or as a daily beater, because replica finishing degrades faster than factory finishing and service options are limited.
One more point worth stating plainly: in the United States, trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal offense under 18 U.S.C. Section 2320, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection can seize shipments of counterfeit watches. Buying one carries real legal and financial exposure, and reselling one carries considerably more.
Pre-purchase checklist
- Get a caliper photo confirming thickness under 13 mm.
- Get a raking-light photo of the dial to confirm the sub-dials are recessed, not printed.
- Confirm the movement type in writing, automatic versus quartz.
- Ask for a close-up of the caseback engraving.
- Ask for a photo of the chronograph running, with the seconds hand at a different position than the time photo.
- Confirm the return policy before paying, and pay by a method that offers recourse.