The best replica IW371473 to buy is the one that gets the dial architecture right before anything else: a two-register Portugieser Chronograph layout with running seconds at 6 o'clock and the 30-minute counter at 12, a 40.9 to 41 mm steel case that sits close to the genuine profile, and a lacquered dial with applied Arabic numerals and feuille hands. Everything else, from the movement decoration to the strap, is secondary to those four checks. This guide walks through each criterion in the order you should evaluate it, with the strong and weak signals to look for and a recommendation on which build suits which buyer.

Subdial layout: the first thing to verify

The Portugieser Chronograph is defined by its symmetric two-register face. Running seconds sit at 6 and the elapsed minutes at 12, and no date window interrupts the dial. That layout is also where most cheap replicas fail, because a stock 7750-family chronograph movement places running seconds at 9 o'clock. Builders who want a low price either leave that layout intact or print subdials that do not function.

• Strong: subdials at 6 and 12 that both work, with the lower one sweeping as running seconds and the upper one jumping in one-minute steps when the chronograph runs.
• Strong: a clean dial with no date aperture at 3.
• Weak: a small seconds hand at 9, a dead subdial, or a pusher that starts a hand which never resets to zero.
• Weak: a date window, which the reference does not have.

Test this in the first minute of handling. Start the chronograph, let it run, then reset. A correct build snaps both chronograph hands back to zero together.

Case size, thickness and lug profile

The genuine case is roughly 41 mm across with a slim, stepped bezel and short lugs that curve toward the wrist. When a replica relocates subdials using an extra module, the caseback grows taller, and that added height is easy to feel even if it is hard to see in photos.

• Strong: a case between about 40.5 and 41.5 mm, a bezel that reads thin from the side, and lugs that angle down rather than sticking straight out.
• Strong: crown and pushers that sit flush with the caseband and line up in a straight row.
• Weak: a slab-sided case that stands well proud of a 12 mm profile, or a caseback that domes noticeably away from the wrist.
• Weak: sharp lug edges and a crown that wobbles when you wind it.

Ask for a straight-on side photograph, not a three-quarter shot. Thickness problems disappear in angled photos and reappear the moment you wear the watch.

Dial finish, printing and applied numerals

A lacquered dial should look flat and deep, with crisp printing and applied numerals that catch light along their edges. On this reference the numerals are applied, not stamped, and the minute track should be fine and continuous.

• Strong: applied Arabic numerals with visible bevelled edges, sharp printing under magnification, and a track that does not fade toward the edges.
• Strong: subdial rings that are recessed slightly below the main dial surface, with concentric snailing visible at an angle.
• Weak: flat printed numerals, blurry text, uneven spacing between the minute marks, or a subdial ring printed on the same plane as the dial.
• Weak: a dial that shifts from white to grey as you tilt it, which points to paint rather than lacquer.

Hands: the feuille shape and finish

Leaf-shaped hands are the visual signature of the model and the cheapest part to get wrong. They should be tapered, symmetrical, and finished so the top surface reflects light in a clean gradient.

• Strong: hands with a pronounced central ridge, identical length on hour and minute hands relative to the numerals, and a seconds hand that reaches the track.
• Weak: paddle-shaped hands, blunt tips, or a chronograph seconds hand that stops short of the minute track.

Movement, caseback and finishing

Most replicas in this family run on a 7750-derived automatic chronograph, sometimes with a relocating module and sometimes with a decorated plate meant to suggest an in-house calibre. Decide what you want from the back of the watch before you compare fronts.

• Strong: a display caseback with a rotor that spins freely, engraving that is legible rather than smeared, and a winding action with no grinding.
• Strong: a solid caseback if the movement is a basic grade, since a plain back hides what a decorated plate cannot fix.
• Weak: perlage applied over a rough surface, printed text instead of engraved text, or a rotor that scrapes the caseback.

Verify the reference details against IWC's own catalogue before you commit, because the 3714 family spans many dial colours, limited editions and caseback engravings, and a replica is often built from a mix of variants.

Which build fits which buyer

• First replica, everyday wear: prioritise correct subdial positions and a comfortable case profile. A well-finished dial on a basic movement beats a decorated back on a badly proportioned case.
• Collector filling a gap: go for correct applied numerals, recessed subdial rings and a display back with clean engraving, and accept a higher price for that combination.
• Occasional dress wear: a solid caseback and a good leather strap matter more than movement decoration, since the watch will mostly be seen from the front.
• Anyone buying remotely: request a short video that shows the chronograph starting, running and resetting, plus a straight side profile. Photos alone hide both movement faults and case thickness.

The short answer: buy the dial layout first, the case profile second, and the movement last. A replica IW371473 with working 6 and 12 subdials in a 41 mm case will read correctly across a table, which is the whole point of the exercise.