A fake IW371701 is a counterfeit copy of the IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph ref. IW371701, and it usually exposes itself through four things: the subdial layout, the crown and pusher finish, the dial printing, and the movement inside. A genuine 3717 runs IWC's 79320 automatic calibre with the running seconds at 9 o'clock and the day-date window at 3, while most fakes use quartz or generic movements with a different layout. Those four checkpoints let a careful buyer separate a real 3717 from a copy in minutes.
What is the IWC IW371701?
The IW371701 is the stainless steel Pilot's Watch Chronograph that IWC produced from 2006 until 2012, with a black dial, luminous numerals, a soft-iron inner cage for magnetic protection, and a screw-in caseback rated to 6 bar. It belongs to the 3717 generation, which IWC replaced with the larger 43 mm 3777 family. Every IW371701 on the market today is therefore at least a decade old.
That age is exactly why fakes cluster around this reference. Buyers expect scuffed cases, aged lume, and worn straps, and counterfeiters hide sloppy work behind that expectation.
What gives a fake IW371701 away?
The subdial layout
- Running seconds belong at 9 o'clock, chronograph minutes at 12, and chronograph hours at 6. Any other arrangement means a different movement.
- A seconds hand that ticks once per second instead of sweeping smoothly is a quartz fake, with no exceptions.
- Subdials pressed too close to the centre, or a date window at 6 o'clock, come from a cheap module rather than the 79320.
Case, crown, and pushers
The genuine 3717 case measures 42 mm across and feels dense in the hand because of the soft-iron cage. Its crown carries a raised IWC logo with sharp edges, and the two chronograph pushers travel with a firm, even click. Fakes typically show a shallow, soft logo, a crown that wobbles, and pushers that feel mushy or grind.
Dial printing and lume
Genuine dial text is crisp under a loupe, with no bleed around the numerals and hands that are polished on the bevels. Lume on the hands and the dial should match in colour and age at the same rate. A watch with bright white hands over a patinated dial has been rebuilt, and often rebuilt badly.
Caseback and movement
The engraving on a real caseback is deep and consistent, and the numbers should match the reference, case, and movement records IWC keeps for that watch. Display backs only exist in the factory configuration recorded for that exact reference, so confirm the spec before you accept one. Inside, a genuine 79320 shows striped finishing, blued screws, and an IWC-signed rotor.
How much should a genuine IW371701 cost?
Real IW371701 examples generally trade in the low-to-mid four-figure range on the used market, and full sets with box and papers sit at the top of it. Counterfeits sell for a tiny fraction of that, which is the loudest signal of all. When a steel chronograph from a major Swiss house is offered far below market, assume the movement is the problem until a watchmaker proves otherwise.
What should you check before buying a used IW371701?
- Match the reference number against IWC's own published data for the 3717 generation.
- Ask the seller for a short video of the running seconds so you can judge the beat rate.
- Request a clear photograph of the movement through the caseback, not a stock image.
- Have an independent watchmaker open the watch before money changes hands.
- Compare case and movement numbers against the paperwork, since mismatched numbers mean a marriage of parts.
Is the IW371701 still made?
No. IWC discontinued the 3717 generation in 2012 in favour of the 3777 reference family, so the only route to an IW371701 is the pre-owned market. That makes authentication, not availability, the real question for any buyer.
Does a fake IW371701 keep good time?
A counterfeit can run accurately for a while, and a quartz fake may even run more precisely than the original. It still has no service pathway, no parts support from IWC, and effectively no resale value. The money is gone the moment the transaction ends.