A fake IW371407 is only worth your money when the case, dial layout and chronograph all match the real Portugieser Chronograph reference. Our top pick is the top-grade steel build with the 40.9 mm case, two subdials stacked at 12 and 6, and a chronograph whose pushers start, stop and reset with a clean snap. Every option below was judged on the same four criteria: case geometry and lug profile, dial printing and subdial spacing, chronograph function and pusher feel, and finish details such as hand shape, crystal clarity and caseback engraving.
What the IW371407 reference actually is
IW371407 sits inside the IWC Portugieser Chronograph 3714 family, the slim dress chronograph that carried the Portugieser name for two decades. The formula barely changed: a round steel case just over 40 mm wide, a narrow bezel, leaf-shaped hands, applied markers with Arabic numerals at 12 and 6, and a printed railway minute track around the outside. Inside is the caliber 79350, a Valjoux 7750 base reworked so the running seconds sit at 6 and the chronograph minutes counter sits at 12.
That two-subdial layout is exactly why the reference gets copied so heavily, and why bad copies are easy to catch. Two subdials leave fewer places to hide sloppy printing, and the thin bezel leaves nothing to distract the eye from a dial that is off by half a millimeter.
Top tier: the close-copy build
This is the version most buyers should target and the one we would pick.
- Pros: correct 40.9 mm diameter and slim side profile, small seconds at 6 and chronograph minutes at 12 with no third subdial, applied markers with real height, leaf hands with a clean curve, chronograph that returns both hands to zero, sapphire crystal with genuine clarity.
- Cons: the most expensive of the three tiers, still a mechanical chronograph that will eventually need servicing, and stock depends on the batch.
Best for: wearing to an office, a dinner or a wedding where the dial will be seen up close and the watch has to hold its own next to real steel pieces.
Mid tier: the reasonable compromise
The middle tier usually gets the case and dial right and cuts cost on the movement finishing and the strap.
- Pros: correct case diameter and subdial positions, clean printing at arm's length, chronograph functions properly, notably better value than the top tier.
- Cons: hands can look slightly flat under angled light, the crystal may show a faint haze around the edges, the strap is usually the weakest part and worth replacing.
Best for: a first Portugieser-style chronograph, or a daily wearer where you accept small compromises in exchange for a lower outlay.
Budget tier: where the flaws show
The cheapest builds are the ones that get caught in the hand.
- Pros: lowest cost, and the overall silhouette still reads as a Portugieser from a distance.
- Cons: a third subdial at 9 o'clock, subdials that sit too close to the center, printed rather than applied markers, minute track ticks that drift, a chronograph seconds hand that stops slightly off zero, and a date window that the reference does not have.
Best for: a costume piece for a single event, or a stand-in on a trip where you would rather not travel with something valuable.
Five checks before you pay
- Count the subdials. Two only, at 12 and 6. A third subdial at 9 is an instant fail.
- Read the printing. The brand line and the town line should be evenly spaced and level with the dial center, and the railway track should be continuous with ticks of equal length.
- Run the chronograph. Start, stop and reset several times. Both hands must snap back to zero together, not drift.
- Measure the case. Around 40.9 mm across, close to 12 mm thick, with lugs that curve down rather than sitting flat.
- Tilt it into the light. Applied markers should cast a small shadow and the leaf hands should have a visible center ridge. Flat, painted shapes are the giveaway.
Realistic expectations
The reference is rated to 3 bar, which means splashes only. Treat any replica the same way or more strictly and keep it away from water. The 79350 base beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour, so a smooth sweeping seconds hand is normal and a ticking one is not. Finally, budget for a strap swap on anything below the top tier, since leather quality is where cost-cutting shows first.