Short answer
The IW371483 is a reference from IWC's Portugieser Chronograph line. It is not a model IWC ever sold as a "first copy." If you are looking at one, two things matter: what the real reference should look like, and which details replicas of it get wrong. Most fakes of the Portugieser Chronograph fail on dial printing, hand finishing, and the view through the display back. The better ones fail only on engraving depth and paperwork.
What the reference actually is
The 3714 family is the classic Portugieser Chronograph. Roughly 41mm across, a clean dial with the 30-minute counter at 12 and small seconds at 6, a date at 3, and a chronograph movement built on a widely used architecture. Leaf-shaped hands, applied numerals, a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both faces, and a display back showing a decorated movement. Because the original sits on a movement platform that is licensed and copied everywhere, replica makers can get the layout right. That is why the tell is rarely the subdial positions.
Reference codes matter. IWC uses six digits after the "IW" prefix, and each suffix maps to one dial and case combination. A seller who cannot say what IW371483 corresponds to, or who shows a stock photo of a different dial colour, is not a seller to trust with a four-figure sum.
Details that give a fake away
- Dial printing. The "IWC" wordmark and "SCHAFFHAUSEN" are printed with fine, crisp strokes. Fakes tend to run heavy, or the letter spacing drifts.
- Hands. Genuine leaf hands are mirror-polished on the flat top with a defined bevel. Replicas look flat or softly rounded. Blued hands should be heat-blued steel, not paint.
- Crystal. Double-sided coating throws a faint blue-violet cast at an angle. Single-sided or uncoated crystals look grey and flat next to it.
- Case finishing. Run a fingernail along the line between brushed and polished surfaces. IWC keeps those edges sharp and even. Replicas soften them.
- Display back. Rotor engraving, perlage, Geneva stripes and the Probus Scafusia mark should all be sharp. Fake decoration looks stamped and shallow, and the rotor rattles.
- Caseback engraving. Look at the depth, the font, and the reference and serial numbers. Laser etching sits on the surface; genuine engraving cuts into it.
- Papers and box. IWC moved to digital warranty records. A card with a handwritten date and no serial match is a flag.
What "first copy" means in the trade
First copy, AAA, and Swiss grade are trade labels, not IWC designations. They describe a tier of replica, usually meaning a clone movement, a sapphire crystal, and closer cosmetic detail. Nothing about the term is regulated, and two sellers can use it for two very different watches. If a listing says "first copy" and "authentic" in the same paragraph, believe the contradiction.
Verifying a genuine one
Ask for a movement photo and a caseback photo with the serial legible before you talk price. Cross-check the reference against IWC's own archive or a reputable dealer listing. On the secondary market, a real Portugieser Chronograph runs into the thousands of dollars. Anything near a few hundred is a replica, whatever the listing calls it. If you are buying in person, have an authorised service centre or an independent watchmaker open the case. That costs far less than being wrong.
Legal reality in the US
Importing counterfeit goods is prohibited and Customs seizes shipments. Selling a replica as genuine is fraud. Buying one for yourself is a different question from passing it off, but the two meet the moment you resell it.