Short answer
"Replica IW371470" is a search phrase for counterfeit copies of an IWC Portugieser Chronograph. The reference number is real. IW371470 belongs to IWC's Portugieser Chronograph line, a two-register chrono that has appeared in several dial and case-metal versions. A replica is a watch built by a third party to imitate it, sold under labels like "first copy," "super clone," or "1:1." It is not an IWC. IWC does not make it, warranty it, or service it.
What the real reference is
Portugieser Chronographs in the IW3714 family share a basic recipe: a 40.9mm case, sapphire crystal front and back, about 12.5mm thick, 30m water resistance, applied Arabic numerals, Feuille hands, and a printed railway minute track. The dial layout is the giveaway. Elapsed chronograph minutes sit at 12, running seconds at 6, and there is no date window. Inside is caliber 79350, a Valjoux 7750 reworked by IWC, with a 44-hour power reserve and a 28,800 vph beat rate.
Dial color, case metal, and strap change with the suffix digits, which is why the number matters. IWC's reference lookup, or a call to an authorized dealer, is the honest way to confirm what any given suffix left the factory with.
Where replica versions break down
- Subdial layout. Cheaper copies run quartz or a stock 7750 clone and get the 12/6 relationship wrong, or sit the subdials too low on the dial.
- Dial printing. The railway track on a real Portugieser is fine and even. On copies it smears under a loupe.
- Case finishing. IWC polishes some surfaces and brushes others, in set directions. Copies tend to do one or the other everywhere.
- Movement. Even the better clones run rough, keep poor time, and often cannot be serviced because spare parts do not exist.
- Water resistance. A 3 bar rating is modest to begin with. Copies rarely have gaskets worth trusting.
Telling a fake from the real thing
Start with the caseback. Real Portugieser Chronographs have a sapphire display back showing a decorated 79350 with Geneva stripes and a signed rotor. Fakes often use a solid back or a printed disc. Then check the crown and pushers for smooth action with no wobble, the weight of the steel case, and the reference engraving between the lugs. Numbers on a fake match nothing in IWC's records.
Paperwork proves less than people think. Boxes, booklets, and cards get copied. Service history cannot be faked at scale. If the price is a tenth of the market, stop hunting for a bargain. That is your answer.
The legal side
In the United States, trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. 2320, and Customs and Border Protection seizes counterfeit watches at the border. Buying one for personal use is not a safe harbor. The import is still unlawful, the shipment can be confiscated, and the seller will not refund you. Sellers of "first copy" watches also tend to have no returns process and no recourse when a package disappears.
Better ways to get the look
If the appeal is the Portugieser look, a pre-owned genuine example trades well below retail and holds value. Homage chronographs from mainstream and microbrand makers give you a mechanical movement, a railway track, and feuille hands for a few hundred dollars. Dress chronos with a similar dial page do the same job on a wrist. None of them say IWC on the dial, and that is the point. They are honest watches that a watchmaker will actually open and service.