Short answer

A fake Top Gun Mission chrono copies the IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph Top Gun. The genuine watch has a zirconium oxide ceramic case, a titanium caseback, a soft-iron inner case, and an in-house 69000-series automatic caliber. A replica copies the outline and the dial layout. It differs in movement, case material, glass, and water resistance. Prices run from about $35 for a quartz model to $600 for one with a Swiss Sellita SW500.

What the genuine watch uses

IWC builds Top Gun chronographs on a black ceramic case. Zirconium oxide resists scratches. It chips on impact. The caseback and the crown are titanium on most references. A soft-iron inner case shields the movement from magnetic fields. Caliber 69380 runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour and holds about 46 hours of power reserve. Water resistance is rated at 6 bar, or 60 meters. The dial has a day window and a date window at 3 o'clock.

Movements in replicas

Three movement families show up in replica Top Gun chronographs.

  1. Quartz. The seconds hand jumps one step per second. Cost is low. The movement has no service schedule. Subdial function varies by factory.
  2. Asia 7750. A copy of the ETA 7750. It runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour with 25 jewels and about 40 hours of reserve. The rotor winds in one direction. Check the rotor screw on arrival.
  3. Sellita SW500 or ETA 7750. Swiss parts. 28,800 vibrations per hour, 25 jewels, 44 to 48 hours of reserve. This group keeps the beat rate and the layout of the original.

The genuine 69380 and the 7750 family share the same 4 Hz beat. A replica with a 7750 base keeps the same pusher feel and the same day-date window at 3 o'clock. A quartz replica does not.

Case, glass, and water resistance

Lower-tier cases are 316L steel with a black PVD or DLC coating. A chip in the coating shows bare metal. Ceramic cases in the upper tiers do not show metal, but they crack under a hard hit. Case sizes are 41 mm and 44.5 mm, based on the reference. Genuine IWC pilot chronographs measure about 15 mm thick.

Genuine glass is sapphire with an anti-reflective coating on the inside. Many replicas use mineral glass with a coating on the outside. That coating rubs off with wear. The genuine rating is 6 bar. Most replicas carry no pressure test. Do not swim with one.

Checks on arrival

  • Start, stop, and reset the chronograph. Pushers should click once. The hands should snap back to 12.
  • Watch the date change. It should flip near midnight, not at noon.
  • Turn the crown. Threads should catch in one turn.
  • Check the lume. Paint should glow after 30 seconds under a lamp.
  • Compare weight. A ceramic and titanium case weighs less than steel at the same size.

Price bands

  • $30 to $80: quartz, mineral glass, coated steel case.
  • $150 to $350: Asia 7750, sapphire glass, steel or ceramic case.
  • $350 to $700: Sellita SW500 or ETA 7750, ceramic case, better dial print.

Genuine IWC Top Gun chronographs list above $7,000 at retail.

Legal note

US law bans the import of goods that carry a counterfeit mark under 19 U.S.C. § 1526. CBP can seize and destroy a shipment. Trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 2320, and penalties include prison time.