Short answer
A fake IWC Da Vinci IW376039 is a replica of a steel flyback chronograph. The better ones copy the cushion case, the dial layout and the strap hardware well enough to pass at arm's length. What they do not copy is the calibre 89360 inside, the combined hour and minute counter at 12 o'clock, or anything that comes with an IWC warranty card. If you want the look for a few hundred dollars, that is the trade. If you want the watch, this is not it.
What the reference actually is
The IW376039 belongs to the Da Vinci chronograph family, a cushion shaped steel case of roughly 43 mm with a sapphire crystal and a display back. The point of the watch is the movement. IWC's 89360 is a flyback chronograph with a 68 hour power reserve, and it stacks the chronograph hours and minutes onto one totalizer at 12 o'clock with two hands. Running seconds sit at 6, the date window at 3. Once you know that layout, you can spot most replicas from across a table.
What "first copy" means in the trade
There is no grading body and no industry standard. "First copy," "1:1" and "mirror quality" are shop language, not specifications. What you actually get falls into rough bands:
- Under about $150. Usually a quartz or a low grade automatic, printed dial, plated case, no useful water resistance.
- Around $250 to $400. Asian automatic chronograph movement, decent case brushing, dial details close but not equal.
- Around $450 to $700. Better finishing, sapphire, closer hand shapes and caseback engraving. Still not a flyback.
No replica at any price ships with a working calibre 89360. That movement is not sold loose, and the tooling behind it is not something a replica workshop is going to reproduce.
The tells that matter on this reference
- The subdial at 12. Genuine: two hands, one reading minutes and one reading hours, and the flyback resets them together. Replica: a single hand counting 30 minutes, or two hands that reset separately.
- Pusher feel. A genuine 89360 starts, stops and flies back with a crisp click. Most replicas feel spongy or grind at the end of travel.
- Thickness. Stack a replica chronograph module on an automatic base and the case grows. Ask for caliper photos, not measurements in the listing.
- Dial printing. The IWC logotype and the minute track should be sharp under a loupe. Blurry edges on a photo are a bad sign even before you see the watch.
- Caseback. Engraving depth, the movement finish and the rotor decoration are where the money shows, or does not.
- Crystal and lume. Good anti reflective coating goes almost invisible at an angle. Replica lume often fades within an hour.
Questions to ask before you pay
- Which movement is in this specific watch, by name and factory?
- Does the flyback function work? Ask for a video of the reset.
- What is the measured case thickness with calipers in the photo?
- Can you send dated photos of the actual unit, not catalog renders?
- What is the return window, and who pays return shipping?
- Does it ship from inside the country, or from overseas?
The part sellers skip
IWC will not service a replica, and independent watchmakers often refuse them because parts do not exist. Resale value is close to zero the moment it arrives. Importing counterfeit goods into the United States is illegal and shipments get seized, which means the money is gone with no recourse. A replica is a costume, and it should be priced like one.
Bottom line
Buy a fake Da Vinci IW376039 for the shape and the wrist presence, not for the watchmaking. Judge it on the flyback, the thickness and the pusher feel, and pay accordingly. Anyone promising you the real thing at a tenth of the price is selling you a story.