A fake IW371424 is a watch built to imitate the IWC Portugieser Chronograph reference IW371424, with no connection to IWC Schaffhausen. The term covers two situations: counterfeit watches passed off as genuine, and replica versions sold openly at a fraction of the real price. In both cases the honest tells sit in the movement, the dial printing, the case finish, and the engraving on the back.

What the IW371424 Is

The reference belongs to the Portugieser Chronograph family, IWC's clean two-register design that has stayed in the catalog in one form or another for decades. The layout is easy to read at a glance: a chronograph minutes counter at 12 o'clock, running seconds at 6, a date window at 3, slim leaf-shaped hands, and a narrow bezel that leaves most of the dial open. Steel versions measure close to 41 mm across and come on a leather or alligator strap with a sapphire crystal over the dial.

Why So Many Fakes Exist

Popular, expensive, and visually simple is a difficult combination for buyers. A dial with three elements and a round case is far easier to copy than a skeletonized or highly complicated watch, and the chronograph movement underneath older examples is based on a widely produced architecture. That makes the IW371424 a frequent target for counterfeiters and for replica factories that sell openly.

Movement: The First Place a Fake Gives Itself Away

Earlier IW3714 examples run on IWC caliber 79350, a modified Valjoux 7750 chronograph base. A genuine watch winds with a smooth, dense feel, the pushers travel a short distance against a firm stop, and the reset snaps the chronograph hand back to zero in one motion. Copies often use a stock 7750 clone, a cheaper automatic, or a quartz module hidden behind a decorated plate.

  • Rotor engraving: crisp lettering and correct branding on genuine examples, shallow etching on many copies.
  • Chronograph feel: a spongy pusher or a slow, drifting reset points to a clone movement.
  • Date change: genuine watches snap over cleanly; some fakes drift or sit off-center in the window.
  • Quartz giveaway: a seconds hand that ticks once per second is not a mechanical chronograph.

Dial, Hands, and Printing

The dial rewards close inspection with a loupe or a phone macro lens. On a real Portugieser Chronograph the printing is sharp and evenly weighted, the subdial rings are recessed with fine concentric texture, and the applied indices sit flat with clean polished edges.

  • Font weight on the numerals and the brand text should match across the dial.
  • Subdial rings should be cut into the dial surface, not printed flat on top of it.
  • Hands should reach the correct point on each track without overhang or gaps.
  • Alignment of the 12 and 6 registers against the center line is a common flaw on fakes.

Case, Crown, and Pushers

Case finishing is where production cost shows. Genuine cases have a clear contrast between brushed surfaces and polished bevels, with sharp lug edges and a crown that seats flush. Copies often show rounded lug tips, fuzzy polishing, an oversized or undersized crown, and pushers that sit at slightly different heights. Check the crystal as well: a genuine sapphire with an anti-reflective coating looks nearly invisible at an angle, while a coated mineral glass on a fake shows reflections and a faint blue or purple cast.

Caseback and Engravings

Engraving depth is one of the easiest checks. Genuine reference numbers, serial numbers, and model text are cut with clean walls and consistent depth. On fakes the same text looks laser-etched, shallow, or slightly blurred at the edges. On display-back versions, look at the movement finishing, the shape of the rotor, and whether the caliber marking matches the period of the watch.

Weight, Sound, and Feel

Steel has a cold, dense feel that plated brass does not reproduce. A fake often feels light for its size, warms to skin quickly, and rattles when shaken. The rotor on a cheap automatic also spins with a loose whir instead of the tight, damped movement of a properly built calibre. Strap quality follows the same pattern: soft, even stitching on the real watch, stiff and glossy leather on most copies.

Price Signals That Do Not Add Up

If someone offers an IW371424 at a small fraction of the going rate, the watch is not genuine, no matter how good the photos look. The same applies to a seller who has box and papers for one watch but cannot explain the service history, or who pushes you to complete the deal away from a platform with buyer protection.

Checklist Before You Buy

  • Ask for macro photos of the dial, caseback, and crown at an angle.
  • Request a short video with the chronograph started, stopped, and reset.
  • Confirm the reference and serial numbers match the paperwork.
  • Compare the asking price with several current listings of the same reference.
  • Insist on a return window and pay through a method that can be reversed.

The Bottom Line

A fake IW371424 can look convincing in a single photo, but it rarely survives a movement check, a case inspection, and a price comparison at the same time. Focus on the caliber, the printing, and the engraving, and the difference between a replica and a real Portugieser Chronograph becomes clear quickly.