Answer first: the replica IW376068 is worth buying only if you get the movement right. Case brushing, dial print and hand shape all matter, but they sit a distant second. A tidy case wrapped around a tired 7750 will cost you more in a year than the watch did.
Where the reference sits
IWC reference numbers in the 376xxx block cover more than one chronograph layout, and listings filed under IW376068 are not always consistent about case size, dial color or strap. Before anything else, ask for a photo of the actual watch with a card or coin beside it for scale. Stock renders hide the three things that matter: lug shape, dial color in daylight, and how the bracelet ends meet the case.
Movement is the whole decision
Most replicas of this reference run an Asia Valjoux 7750 or a variant of it. That is a workhorse when it is assembled well and a headache when it is not. The 7750 stacks the chronograph works on top of the going train, so the pusher feel is soft and the rotor is loud. Neither is a fault by itself. A grinding pusher, a chrono hand that hesitates, or a reset that lands off zero is a fault.
Ask for a short video: start the chrono, run it ten seconds, stop, reset. Do it twice. Then set the time and watch the hour hand jump cleanly. Sellers who will not shoot video are telling you something.
Above the entry tier you find clones with a column wheel and a layout closer to the IWC caliber. They cost more and the pusher feel is smoother. If you plan to wear the watch daily, that step up is the one place I would spend extra.
Case and finishing
Look at the lug tops against the lug sides. On a good case the brushing runs one direction and the polished chamfer is a crisp line, not a soft smear. Check the caseback engraving depth and the gap between caseback and midcase. A hairline gap means a gasket that will not seal.
Crown and pushers should sit flush and press without wobble. On cheaper builds the pusher tubes are the first thing to strip.
Dial, hands and date
Check four points: applied index height, lume fill consistency, subdial printing sharpness, and hand length. Replica hands often stop a hair short of the minute track, which you notice at a glance once you know to look. The date font matters too. Compare a macro of the date wheel to a photo of the genuine watch at the same angle.
Dial color is the hardest thing to judge from photos. Ask for a shot in indirect daylight, not studio light.
Bracelet or strap
On a bracelet, check end link fit at the lugs and the clasp. Folded steel and stamped clasps feel hollow in the hand. Solid links with a proper micro-adjust clasp are worth the extra money. On leather, look at stitch density and whether the strap tapers the way it should toward the buckle.
Water resistance
Treat any replica as splash resistant at best. Gaskets are the cheapest part in the build and the first to fail. If you need to swim, buy a dive watch from a brand that will stand behind it. A pressure test on a replica means nothing unless you had it done yourself, after purchase, on your own dime.
What to pay
Entry builds with a stock 7750 sit in the low hundreds of dollars. Mid tier, where the case finishing and dial print tighten up, runs a few hundred more. Top tier with a clone column wheel movement pushes past that again. Prices move, so treat the bands as shape rather than numbers. The real question is not what the watch costs, it is what the same money buys from the next seller up.
Questions to ask before paying
- Which movement is in this exact watch, and can you video the chrono running and resetting?
- What is the case diameter and lug width, measured on the watch?
- Are these photos of the piece I will receive?
- What happens if it arrives dead or with a misaligned date wheel?
- Is the bracelet sized for my wrist out of the box?
Bottom line
The replica IW376068 is a reasonable buy when the movement is right and the seller shows you the actual piece. It is a bad buy when you are looking at renders and a price that seems too good. Spend your attention on pusher feel, lug finishing and the date font. Skip the rest of the checklist until those three pass.