Short answer
A replica IW371756 is worth your money only when three things are right: the two-register dial layout, the case proportions, and the movement inside. The IWC Portuguese Chronograph is a clean watch, and clean watches are unforgiving. Sloppy printing or a case that sits a millimeter too thick shows from across a table. Budget $250 to $450 for a solid mid-tier copy running an automatic 7750-based chronograph, and $500 and up for the top grade with better finishing and sharper dial hardware. Under $150 you are buying a placeholder, not a watch.
What the watch should look like
The IW371756 sits in the Portuguese Chronograph family: stainless steel case around 41mm, silver-toned dial, applied numerals, leaf-shaped hands, a box-domed sapphire crystal, and an alligator strap. Two subdials, one at 12 and one at 6. Small running seconds live at 6, the chronograph minute counter sits at 12. There is no date. That last point matters: the moment you see a date window at 3, close the tab.
I also check the minute track. On a good copy the printed track is thin, even, and stops exactly where the numerals begin. On cheap ones it smears or runs under the markers.
The details that separate a good copy from a bad one
- Dial printing. The brand text and the numerals should be crisp under a loupe, not fuzzy or raised.
- Subdial texture. Genuine subdials carry fine concentric rings. Flat, glossy subdials look plastic.
- Hands. Leaf hands need a clean curve and a polished bevel. Painted flat hands are a giveaway.
- Case profile. Measure the thickness with calipers in the QC photos. Replicas often run 1 to 2mm fat, and that kills the wrist presence.
- Crystal. Box-shaped sapphire with inner anti-reflective coating. Flat glass is wrong.
- Caseback engraving. Shallow laser etching versus deep, clean engraving tells you which factory built it.
- Strap. Most sellers ship a stiff, shiny strap. Plan on replacing it.
Movement choices
The genuine watch uses a Valjoux 7750 base, so replicas follow the same path. A stock Asian 7750 is reliable enough and cheap to service. The upgraded clones add better finishing, a smoother winding feel, and cleaner chronograph actuation.
One caution: running seconds at 6 on a 7750 requires a transfer gear train, and that train is the weak link. Ask the seller for a short video of the chronograph starting, stopping, and resetting to zero. If the reset snaps halfway, pass.
Price bands and what they get you
- $120 to $200: quartz or low-grade automatic, wrong thickness, flat dial printing. Skip.
- $250 to $450: the value zone. Correct layout, Asian 7750, decent case brushing.
- $500 and up: top factory builds with proper hand finishing, closer dial furniture, and a strap you can actually wear.
Questions to ask before paying
- Can you send dated QC photos of the actual watch, not stock images?
- What is the measured case thickness and weight?
- Which movement, and is the seconds-at-6 transfer gear the revised version?
- What is the return policy if the chronograph fails on arrival?
Pay by a method with recourse. Keep the chat log. A seller who dodges the thickness question is telling you something.
Living with it
Treat water resistance as decoration. The 30m rating on the genuine watch is splash-only, and a replica gasket is not something I would trust in a pool. Swap the strap for something softer in the first week, and have the movement serviced every few years if you wear it daily. Do that and the watch holds up fine.