The short answer: yes, fake IWC Da Vinci IW376045 watches exist, but they are a low-volume problem. The Da Vinci chronograph of the late 2000s is a complicated watch with a movement no counterfeiter can copy at a profit, so most fakes you meet are generic chronographs with Da Vinci dial print rather than true 1:1 clones. Judge any candidate on four things: the movement layout, the case and bracelet finishing, the dial print and hand shape, and the serial and paperwork that tie the watch to the reference. If any of those four fails, the watch is not worth the money being asked.
Why the IW376045 is a thinner replica market
Counterfeiters follow volume and recognition. A steel sports watch with a famous silhouette sells in millions of units, so the tooling cost spreads over a huge run. A round-cased dress chronograph from a single reference family does not offer that math. The IW376045 also sits in an awkward spot for a faker: it looks simple from across the room, but the dial is dense, the case has soft curves that are hard to stamp, and the movement has a chronograph layout that is visible through the back.
- Fewer fakes made means fewer reference photos online, which makes bad fakes easier to spot.
- Mid-size demand means most replicas of this era are old, low-grade stock, not current production.
- The visible movement is the biggest barrier, since a cheap chronograph module cannot mimic the real layout.
Check 1: the movement and its layout
The Da Vinci chronograph uses the calibre 89360 family, an in-house integrated chronograph. Its signature is the combined elapsed hour and minute counter sitting at 12 o'clock instead of two separate registers, with running seconds at 6. Look at the subdial at 12 and count the hands inside it. A fake built on a generic modular movement will show a plain 30-minute counter, or a subdial that does nothing useful.
- Real: two hands stacked in the top counter, one for hours and one for minutes, plus a flyback feel when the pusher is pressed at the stop position.
- Fake: one hand in the top counter, a pusher that feels mushy, or a chronograph second hand that stutters instead of sweeping to zero.
- Fake: a solid caseback on a watch that should show its movement, or a display back with an undecorated rotor and no engraving.
Check 2: case, crystal, and bracelet finishing
IWC finishing on this era is clean but understated. Case flanks are brushed with crisp transitions, the bezel is polished to a soft sheen rather than a mirror, and the bracelet links have even bevels on both sides. Replicas cut corners where the eye does not land first: the inner edges of lugs, the underside of the case, the clasp interior.
- Run a fingernail along the lug edges. Sharp burrs or wavy polishing lines point to a replica.
- Check the crystal for a proper anti-reflective coating. A blue or purple cast at an angle is a bad sign.
- Look at end-link fit. Gaps of a millimeter or more against the case are common on fakes.
Check 3: dial print, hands, and date
Dial work is where cheap fakes fall apart under magnification. Indexes on the real watch are applied and set straight, the print is raised and dense, and the hands have faceted edges that catch light in a single line. On a fake the print sits flat, the indexes can be a hair off center, and the hands look stamped.
- Check that every index points at the center of the dial. One crooked marker is enough to reject the watch.
- Compare the fonts in the date window with reference photos of the same reference, not with a different Da Vinci.
- Look at the seconds hand at 6. A painted tip that flakes or a counterweight that is too thick is a replica cue.
Check 4: serials, box, and service history
The caseback engraving on the real watch is deep, even, and matches the reference and serial format used at the time. Fakes often use laser etching that looks shallow, or they reuse the same serial across an entire production run. Ask for a photo of the caseback and the papers side by side, then check that the numbers agree.
- A service card or invoice from an authorized service center is worth more than a box and a blank card.
- Serial numbers that appear on multiple listings in a search are a hard no.
- Missing paperwork on a modern reference should lower the price, not raise a story about a lost box.
Your three options
Buy the authentic IW376045
- Pros: real calibre 89360, serviceable for decades, holds value against other dress chronographs.
- Cons: higher entry price, and full sets are getting harder to find.
Use case: you want one watch to wear for years and you plan to service it. Buy from a seller who will accept a return after your watchmaker opens it.
Buy a replica, eyes open
- Pros: low cost, the look without the risk of damaging an original.
- Cons: the chronograph layout will not match, resale is near zero, and service is close to impossible.
Use case: a costume piece for photos or a display, where no one will read the subdials. Do not pay a premium for a fake described as 1:1, because this reference does not have one.
Pass and pick a different reference
- Pros: avoids the entire authenticity question and opens up a wider market.
- Cons: you give up the specific Da Vinci case shape you wanted.
Use case: you want a steel chronograph and you are shopping at a price where full sets of this reference do not exist. A different reference with better supply is the cleaner purchase.
Quick checklist before you pay
- Count the hands in the subdial at 12.
- Ask for a caseback photo and compare the serial with the paperwork.
- Confirm the crystal coating at an angle.
- Insist on a return window long enough for a watchmaker to inspect the movement.