What a fake IW371442 gets wrong

A fake IW371442 is a counterfeit copy of the IWC Portugieser Chronograph from the 3714 reference family, a 40.9 mm two-register watch that runs on the IWC caliber 79350. Copies fail in four places: the travel of the chronograph hands, the sharpness of the dial printing, the case thickness and lug finish, and the feel of the pushers. The checks below take about ten minutes and need a loupe, calipers, and a bright light.

Tools you need

  • 10x jeweler's loupe
  • Digital calipers
  • Bright light you can angle across the dial
  • Phone camera with slow-motion video
  • Reference photos of a genuine 3714-family dial and caseback

Check the chronograph

  1. Confirm the layout: small running seconds at 6 o'clock, 30-minute counter at 12 o'clock, date at 3 o'clock, crown at 3, pushers at 2 and 4. A third subdial or a 24-hour indicator means the watch uses a different movement family.
  2. Start the chronograph and film the 30-minute hand in slow motion. On a genuine 79350 the hand jumps one minute at a time with a firm snap. A slow sweep or a soft glide points to a copy.
  3. Press the reset pusher. Both chronograph hands should fly back to zero in one motion and stop there. A drift of half a second or more is a defect.
  4. Feel the pushers. Genuine pushers have short travel and a defined click. Spongy, grinding, or long travel is a common fault in copies.

Inspect the dial under magnification

  1. Study the IWC and SCHAFFHAUSEN text. Genuine printing has sharp edges, even spacing, and a raised surface. Copies show fuzzy edges and letters that run together.
  2. Check the applied numerals and indices. They should have mirror-polished faces and crisp vertical sides, with no tool marks on the top surface.
  3. Look at the date window. The aperture should be cut with a clean edge and a small bevel, and the date disc should sit close to the dial without a visible gap.
  4. Compare hand lengths. The minute hand should reach the printed minute track, and the hour hand should stop at the inner end of the applied indices.
  5. Look at the subdial rings. They should sit at the same depth as the main dial, with no printing that crosses into the recess.

Measure the case

  1. Measure the diameter across the bezel. The 3714 case is 40.9 mm. Copies often run 41.5 to 42 mm, or come in under 40 mm.
  2. Measure the thickness with the crystal included. A genuine case sits near 12 mm; many copies add 1 to 2 mm to fit a thicker movement.
  3. Measure the lug width. It should be 20 mm between the lugs.
  4. Run a fingertip along the lug edges and the case flanks. Genuine cases hold a sharp line between the brushed and polished surfaces. Copies show a rounded, blended transition.

Inspect the crystal

  1. Tilt the watch under a lamp. Sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides gives a faint blue or violet tint and a low level of reflection.
  2. Look at the dial from a steep angle. Text should stay readable with no distortion or rainbow rings across the center.
  3. Check the crystal edge. A genuine sapphire sits flush with a small, even step in the bezel.

Read the caseback and movement

  1. Check the engraving on the caseback: reference number, serial number, model name, and SWISS MADE. The characters should be cut to a consistent depth with sharp corners.
  2. Compare the reference and serial against IWC records or have a dealer run the number.
  3. On a display back, study the rotor and bridges. A genuine 79350 shows perlage, Geneva stripes, blued screws, and a signed rotor.
  4. Shake the watch near your ear. A Valjoux-based 7750 winds with a distinct wobble from the rotor. A silent rotor or a rattle points to a cheap automatic or a quartz conversion.
  5. Check the water resistance marking. The 3714 is rated to 3 bar. A caseback that claims 10 bar on this reference is a red flag.

Check the strap and clasp

  1. Look at the strap. Genuine alligator has tight, irregular scale patterns and hand-finished edges.
  2. Check the stitching. Look for even spacing from the edge, consistent thread, and no loose ends.
  3. Study the buckle or deployant. The engraving should match the caseback font, with crisp letters and no plating that flakes at the corners.

Confirm provenance and price

  1. Ask for the box, warranty card, and service receipts. Match the serial on the card to the serial on the caseback.
  2. Compare the asking price to recent sales of the same reference. A price far below the market range is the strongest single signal.
  3. Buy from a seller who accepts a return after a watchmaker inspection.

If a watch fails two or more of these checks, treat it as a copy and walk away.