Short answer
The IW327013 is the reference number for the IWC Pilot's Watch Mark XVIII Le Petit Prince, a 40 mm stainless steel pilot watch with a blue sunburst dial and the IWC caliber 35111. If you are looking at replica versions, this reference is easy to fake badly because so much of it is flat printing on a plain dial. Judge a copy on four points: dial print alignment, date wheel position and font, case finishing, and movement decoration. A copy that fails any of those is not worth the asking price, no matter how the listing describes it.
Know the genuine watch first
Replica listings borrow the manufacturer's spec sheet, so learn the real numbers before you read any ad copy.
Discovering Fake IW327013 Long Tail Keywords: A Comprehensive Guide
- Case: 40 mm stainless steel, about 11 mm thick, 20 mm lug width.
- Dial: blue with a sunburst finish, white printed minute track and Arabic numerals, date window at 3 o'clock, no day window.
- Hands: sword-shaped hour and minute hands, thin seconds hand with a short counterweight.
- Crystal: sapphire with antireflective coating on both faces.
- Movement: IWC caliber 35111, built on the Sellita SW300-1, 42-hour power reserve, 25 jewels.
- Water resistance: 6 bar, helped by a soft iron inner case that shields the movement from magnetism.
- Caseback: solid steel, engraved with the Little Prince figure and marked with the reference number.
How to inspect a replica before you pay
- Ask for a straight-on dial photo at full resolution. Check that IWC and SCHAFFHAUSEN sit on the same baseline and that the 12 marker is a clean rectangle. Tilted print shows up here first.
- Zoom in on the date window. The date should sit centered in the cutout, with a font close to the genuine one. Off-center dates and thick, blocky numerals are the most common giveaway.
- Compare the hands to a reference photo of the genuine watch. Hour and minute hands should share the same width, length, and finish. Replica hands are often too short or too broad.
- Request a lume photo taken in a dark room. Hands and indices should glow evenly and fade at the same rate. Patchy or dim lume points to cheap paint.
- Look at the crystal from an angle. The double antireflective coating gives a faint blue or purple sheen. A heavy mirror-like glare means a single coating or none.
- Study the case flanks. Genuine brushing runs in one direction with crisp polished bevels on the lugs. Blurred edges between brushed and polished surfaces are a quality tell.
- Ask for the caseback. Engraving should be deep and even, with the reference number and a serial that stays consistent across photos of the same watch.
- Ask for a movement photo or a short video with the rotor turning. The rotor should carry IWC Probus Scafusia engraving and the movement should be marked 35111. A plain or unmarked rotor means a cheaper base.
- Confirm crown action with the seller. Winding should feel smooth with no grinding, and the date should change cleanly at midnight.
Questions to ask the seller
- Which factory made it, and which version number is it?
- Can you send photos of the actual watch, not catalog images?
- Does the watch keep time within about ten seconds a day?
- What is the return policy if the watch arrives with a misaligned date or a damaged crystal?
- How is the watch packed, and which carrier is used?
Payment, shipping, and customs
Use a payment method with buyer protection and keep the transaction inside a platform that records it. Off-platform transfers leave you with no recourse if the watch never arrives or arrives damaged. Shipments of counterfeit goods can be seized by customs, and a seizure is a loss for the buyer as much as the seller. Ask how the seller handles a seized parcel before you pay, and get the answer in writing.
Legal note
Selling counterfeit watches is illegal in the United States, and importing them can lead to seizure and destruction of the goods. Buying for personal use sits in a gray area that varies by jurisdiction. Treat any replica purchase as carrying financial risk, and never resell a counterfeit watch as genuine.