A replica IW3714 is a copy of the IWC Portugieser Chronograph

IW3714 is the reference number for the IWC Portugieser Chronograph. IWC released the reference in 1998. It stayed in the catalog for more than 20 years. A replica of IW3714 copies a steel chronograph with two sub-dials, a 40.9 mm case and a Valjoux-based movement. The copy is not the watch. It carries no IWC movement, no IWC serial and no IWC service.

Genuine reference 3714: the numbers

  • Case: stainless steel, 40.9 mm wide, about 12.3 mm thick
  • Movement: IWC calibre 79350, built on the Valjoux 7750, 31 jewels, 28,800 vph, about 44 hours of power reserve
  • Dial: two sub-dials. Chronograph minutes at 12 o'clock, running seconds at 6 o'clock. No date window.
  • Hands: leaf shape, with applied numerals and a railway minute track
  • Crystal: sapphire, antireflective coating on both faces
  • Water resistance: 30 m
  • Caseback: solid steel, engraved with the reference number and the serial number
  • Strap: alligator leather

Where replicas differ from the original

Factories that build IW3714 copies work from photos. The gaps show up at close range.

  • Sub-dial spacing. The genuine dial sets the two counters close to the center line. Many copies push them outward.
  • Printing. The IWC logo and the minute track sit sharp and thin on the original. Copies show thicker strokes and small gaps in the railway track.
  • Hands. Leaf hands on the original taper to a point. Copies use flat hands with a blunt tip.
  • Caseback. IWC cuts the reference and serial numbers deep into the steel. Copies use shallow laser etching.
  • Movement. Copies run a stock or decorated 7750 clone. The IWC 79350 carries a specific rotor engraving and finishing.
  • Water resistance. No copy is pressure tested to 30 m unless a dealer states a test result.

Legal status in the US

19 U.S.C. § 1526 bars the import of goods that carry a counterfeit mark. US Customs and Border Protection can seize a shipment and destroy it. The Lanham Act lets the trademark owner sue sellers and buyers who resell. A seized parcel is not returned, and the buyer has no claim on the money paid.

What to check on any listing

Ask for the caseback photo and the movement photo. Compare the engraving depth and the rotor text with an IWC service photo. Ask for the case weight. A 40.9 mm steel case with a 7750 base sits at a known weight range. Ask for a timegrapher reading. Rate, amplitude and beat error show the state of the movement. A listing without these three items leaves the buyer with no facts.

Reference numbers that look close

The 3716 replaced the 3714 as the 41 mm Portugieser Chronograph in 2020. It uses an in-house calibre 69355. Sellers sometimes use both numbers for the same copy. The case size and the movement differ, so check which reference the listing names.