Short answer: the best pick for anyone shopping a watch sold as a fake IW544735 is a high grade first copy that matches the reference on case profile, dial printing and crown feel, and the criteria that decide it are the ones you can test in your hand: case silhouette and finishing, dial typography and hand geometry, the crown and any pushers, the movement visible through the caseback, and whether the seller can explain how this reference differs from the near identical references around it. Anything that fails case, dial or crown is a budget counterfeit, not a first copy.
What the reference number actually tells you
IW544735 is a build code, not a model name. Each block of digits points to a family, a case material, a dial variant and a movement configuration. Two watches that look identical in a phone photo can carry different reference numbers, which is why any serious comparison starts with the number rather than the picture.
Confirm the reference and its factory specification against IWC's own records first, then compare the watch in front of you against that specification. Fakes usually fail on details that never appear in a listing photo: the shape of the case flank, the depth of engraving on the caseback, how the date aperture sits in the dial, the weight of the printing, and the gap between the case and the first link or strap.
Option 1: a genuine IW544735
- Pros: factory service and parts support, documented provenance, resale value that holds, and a movement finished the way the reference was designed to be finished.
- Cons: the highest cost by a wide margin, availability that depends on the secondary market, servicing bills that arrive on a schedule, and a real risk of paying genuine money for a counterfeit if you buy without papers.
Best for: the buyer who wants resale value, brand service and a watch that will outlive the purchase.
Option 2: a high grade first copy
- Pros: correct case proportions and dial layout at a fraction of genuine cost, wearable every day without panic, and it can be opened and compared side by side against reference photos.
- Cons: no brand service, little to no resale value, water resistance that should be treated as unproven, and movement decoration that will not match a genuine movement under a loupe.
Best for: the buyer who wants the look and feel of the reference on the wrist and accepts that it is a wearing watch, not an asset.
Option 3: a budget counterfeit
- Pros: low entry cost and no emotional stake if it gets scratched.
- Cons: wrong case thickness, flat printed dials, plating that wears through, gaskets that fail, and a crown that feels like a bottle cap. It also teaches you nothing about the reference.
Best for: costume use, props and photo shoots. Not for daily wear or water.
Five checks, in order
- Lay the watch flat and look along the case flank. A correct profile tapers; a cheap copy is slab sided.
- Read the dial printing at arm's length, then up close. Crisp, evenly spaced text is the first thing budget fakes lose.
- Wind and set the crown. Smooth resistance and clean date clicks are a good sign; grinding is not.
- Turn the watch over. Engraving should be cut into the metal, not printed on top of it.
- Check the hands under a light. Rough edges and uneven lume application show up immediately.
Questions to ask before you pay
- Which exact reference is this, and what makes it different from the closest sibling reference?
- What is the actual measured case diameter and thickness?
- Which movement is inside, and what decoration pattern shows through the back?
- What is the return policy if the watch does not match the listing photos?
Bottom line
If you want a watch that behaves like the IW544735, buy the best first copy you can find and judge it on case, dial and crown. If you want the reference itself, buy genuine with papers. Skip the budget tier unless the watch is a prop, because the money you save there buys a watch that gives away the game the moment someone holds it.