Fake IWC Aquatimer Deep Time: The Name and the Real Models
IWC does not make a watch called the Aquatimer Deep Time. The name mixes the Aquatimer dive line with the Deep One, Deep Two, and Deep Three, the three references that carry a mechanical depth gauge. Search traffic for "fake IWC Aquatimer Deep Time" points to replicas of the Deep Two (ref. IW354702, 2009) and the Deep Three (ref. IW355701, 2014).
Replica sellers list both. The case, dial, and bracelet copy the look. The depth gauge does not work on most examples.
Genuine Specs to Compare
- Deep Two: 46 mm steel case, 15.5 mm thick, automatic calibre 30110 (ETA 2892-A2 base), depth gauge rated to 50 m, water resistance 120 m, red depth hand plus a black maximum-depth hand, internal rotating bezel.
- Deep Three: 46 mm steel case, in-house calibre 30120, depth gauge rated to 50 m, water resistance 100 m, rubber-coated bezel, quick-change strap system.
- Deep One: 1999 release, the first Aquatimer with a depth gauge. Specs differ from the later two.
How the Depth Gauge Works
Water enters a port in the case flank. Pressure moves a diaphragm and a capillary tube. A rack drives the red hand around the dial. A second hand stays at the deepest point reached. The gauge is a pressure instrument with seals at the case and at the port.
A replica case holds a printed hand, or a hand with no linkage. It reads zero at every depth. A pressure test at a dive shop shows a case that leaks or holds air with no change on the dial.
Checks Before You Read Any Listing
- Set the depth hands. Genuine hands move with pressure, not with the crown. Crown rotation does not reset the red hand on the real watch.
- Ask for a pressure test card. Service records from IWC show gauge calibration.
- Measure the case. Copies often run 1 mm to 2 mm thick, and lug width differs.
- Read the caseback text. Genuine engravings list the reference, the serial, and the water resistance rating.
- Check the movement. The Deep Two has a rotor marked IWC, not a generic ETA rotor.
Price and Legal Facts
Genuine Deep Two and Deep Three watches trade on the secondary market for four to five figures in US dollars. Prices move, so check current auction results. A replica sells for USD 200 to 600. That gap is the main fact to keep in mind.
US law, 18 U.S.C. § 2320, treats trafficking in counterfeit goods as a federal crime. Selling a replica as a genuine IWC is trademark infringement. Customs can seize shipments.