Short answer

Four checks find most fakes: case diameter, dial layout, the calibre behind the caseback, and the engraved reference and serial numbers. A fake fails at least one of the four.

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Case size and shape

The Portugieser Chronograph ref. IW3716 measures 41 mm across and about 13 mm thick. The Portugieser Automatic ref. IW5007 measures 42.3 mm. Copies run 1 mm to 2 mm wider or thicker because the builder drops a stock movement into a spacer ring.

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Real lugs curve down from the case with a sharp inner edge. Copies show flat lugs and soft edges. The case sides on a Portugieser are polished across the full surface. Look for a line of dull brushing on a copy.

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Dial layout and printing

Portugieser Chronograph IW3716: two subdials, at 12 and 6, date window at 3. Portugieser Automatic IW5007: small seconds at 9, power reserve display at 3, date at 6. A copy with a Valjoux 7750 inside shifts the subdial position, so measure the distance from the center to the subdial edge.

Fake IWC Portugieser: Which One to Buy

IWC prints a thin, tall typeface. Copy dials use wider letters and heavier strokes. On the Chronograph, "IWC" sits above "SCHAFFHAUSEN" under 12. Indices are applied metal with polished facets. Copies glue on flat parts with no facet. Leaf hands are polished and angled; copy hands read flat under a light.

The crystal is sapphire with an anti-reflective coating on the inner face. Copies show a purple or blue tint from an outer coating, or no coating at all.

Movement and caseback

Portugieser Automatic IW5007 runs calibre 52010: twin barrels, 168 hours of power reserve, 4 Hz (28,800 vph). The rotor carries the IWC logo and the "Probus Scafusia" engraving. A copy movement runs at 3 Hz (21,600 vph) in many builds, so the second hand steps six times per second, not eight.

Portugieser Chronograph IW3716 runs calibre 69355. The older ref. IW3714 ran calibre 79350, a modified Valjoux 7750. That history explains why some copies match the 3714 dial layout but not the 3716.

Reference and serial numbers

IWC engraves a reference number and a serial number on the caseback. Digits on a real watch hold even height and depth. Copies show shallow etching, uneven spacing, and wrong prefixes.

IWC does not publish an online serial decoder. A boutique or an authorized service center matches a number against service records.

Papers, price, and service

IWC uses digital warranty registration through My IWC. A paper card alone proves nothing. A steel Portugieser Chronograph lists near $8,000 from IWC. A new-in-box listing at $400 to $900 is a replica.

What a photo cannot show

Crown action, pusher feel, and rotor noise need the watch in hand. No public database lists every fake variant. Send the number to an IWC service center before money changes hands.