Short answer
IWC does not sell quartz watches in its current catalog. The brand builds mechanical movements. A watch sold as a replica IWC quartz copies an IWC case shape and dial layout, then uses a battery movement from a third-party factory. That movement is not made by IWC.
Duplicate Swiss Quartz Watches: What the Label Means
Which IWC watches used quartz
IWC did produce quartz models in the 1970s and 1980s. The Porsche Design years and several Da Vinci references from that period used quartz calibers. Production records for those references are incomplete, and IWC has not published a full list. From the 1990s onward the catalog moved to mechanical movements, and most modern IWC replicas copy those mechanical watches instead.
Imitation Swiss Quartz Watches: A Practical Buying Guide
What sits inside a replica quartz IWC
Three movement families show up in low-cost replicas.
- Miyota 2035 and Chinese clones of it. Three hands, date window, one tick per second.
- ETA 955.112 copies. Same layout, sometimes sold as Swiss quartz.
- Unbranded movements with plastic spacers and glued dial feet.
Wholesale cost for these movements runs about $1 to $6. Battery life is listed at two to three years. Accuracy is rated at plus or minus 15 seconds per month. A mechanical watch runs at plus or minus 5 to 10 seconds per day.
Price gap
Quartz replicas sell for about $30 to $90. Automatic replicas of the same models sell for about $150 to $400. The gap comes from the movement plus case work. A quartz case runs thinner because there is no rotor, and the caseback sits closer to the wrist.
How to identify one
- Watch the second hand. A quartz movement steps once per second. Most IWC mechanical watches beat 8 times per second or faster.
- Check caseback depth. Quartz cases run 1 to 2 mm thinner than the reference in many samples.
- Turn the crown. A quartz movement has no winding position and no rotor noise.
- Read the dial. IWC did not print Quartz on the dials of the mechanical references that get copied.
Prices by tier
The quartz tier is the bottom of the replica market. Case metal is usually 316L steel with a plated finish. Crystal is mineral glass or sapphire with no coating. Water resistance claims on these listings run 30 m to 50 m and are not tested. A service or battery change has to go to a local watch shop, since the seller has no parts channel.
Legal status in the United States
Counterfeit watches are illegal to import. 19 U.S.C. 1526 lets U.S. Customs and Border Protection seize and destroy shipments. 18 U.S.C. 2320 makes trafficking in counterfeit goods a criminal offense. A first offense carries up to 10 years. Repeat offenses carry more. A buyer can lose the item and the money paid.