The best pick for anyone who wants reference IW371642 on the wrist is a pre-owned authentic IWC Portugieser Chronograph, not a copy. I judged the paths below on five criteria: movement architecture, case and dial execution, serviceability, resale, and legal exposure for a buyer in the United States. Each section states the trade-offs plainly so you can decide with your eyes open.

What reference IW371642 actually is

IW371642 sits in the IWC Portugieser Chronograph family, the IW3716 line. That family is a 41 mm steel chronograph with two subdials, one at 12 o'clock for elapsed minutes and one at 6 o'clock for running seconds, a rail-track minute scale, and IWC's in-house caliber 69355, a column-wheel chronograph with an automatic winding system and roughly a 46-hour power reserve. References inside the family differ mainly by dial color, hands, and strap.

Before you compare anything, confirm the exact dial, hand, and case combination that belongs to IW371642 in IWC's own catalog. Sellers commonly reuse one stock photo across several references in the same family, so the image you are shown may not be the reference you are quoted.

Why "1:1 Swiss super clone" claims fall apart on this reference

Copy listings lean on the words 1:1, super clone, and Swiss movement. On a Portugieser Chronograph, the subdial layout at 12 and 6 is the first thing to check, because a huge share of generic chronograph movements place a subdial at 9 o'clock instead. A nine o'clock subdial is an instant tell and it appears in photos more often than sellers expect.

  • Subdial placement: genuine is 12 and 6, nothing at 9. Check every listing photo, including the ones shot at an angle.
  • Dial printing and indices: the genuine dial uses applied indices with polished facets that catch light from different angles. Printed or flat indices look the same from every angle.
  • Case profile: the Portugieser case has a thin bezel and a stepped flank. Copies usually show softer transitions between the bezel, midcase, and lugs.
  • Caseback engraving: depth and font weight of the reference number and the brand mark. Shallow laser etching is common on copies.
  • Strap: alligator with hand-stitched edges versus embossed calf pressed to imitate the scale pattern.
  • Movement finish: the 69355 has Geneva stripes, blued screws, and a signed oscillating weight. Copies range from a plain rotor to a decorated plate that covers a different caliber.

Option 1: authentic pre-owned IWC Portugieser Chronograph

Pros:

  • The real caliber 69355, so the chronograph actuates like a column-wheel chronograph should.
  • Serviceable. IWC and independent watchmakers can source parts, which matters over a ten-year ownership window.
  • Resale exists. The reference has a market, so the money is not gone the day you buy.
  • Legal to buy, own, import, and sell.

Cons:

  • Highest upfront cost of any option here.
  • The exact reference you want may not be listed at the moment you are shopping.
  • Servicing a chronograph is not cheap, and you should budget for it eventually.

Use case: you want the watch itself, you plan to wear it often, and you care what it is worth in five years.

Option 2: a legitimate homage or a different brand's chronograph

Pros:

  • New with a manufacturer warranty and a service network behind it.
  • No legal exposure when you buy, wear, or resell.
  • Water resistance and accuracy claims you can actually test and enforce.

Cons:

  • It is not a Portugieser, and anyone who knows watches will see that immediately.
  • Resale is weak, so treat the money as spent.
  • The two-subdial chronograph look exists in this category, but the case finishing is a step below.

Use case: you want the 12 and 6 chronograph layout at a lower entry point and you do not need the brand name on the dial.

Option 3: a replica IW371642

Pros:

  • Lowest outlay, and stock is usually available right away.
  • From a distance, the silhouette reads as a Portugieser Chronograph.

Cons:

  • Importing or selling a counterfeit watch is unlawful in the United States. Customs seizes these shipments, and trafficking carries real civil and criminal exposure.
  • No manufacturer will service it. When it stops, parts have to come from the same gray supply chain that sold it.
  • Resale is effectively zero, and attempting to resell it as genuine is a separate offense.
  • Water resistance claims are unverifiable, so swimming with it is a risk to the movement.
  • It does not survive close inspection by someone who owns the genuine reference.

Use case: there is no version of this I recommend. If you already own one, do not sell it as genuine and do not carry it through customs undeclared.

How to verify a reference before any purchase

  1. Pull the reference number from IWC's own catalog and write down the dial color, hands, and strap it shipped with.
  2. Ask the seller for photos of the caseback, the crown side, and the clasp, not just the dial.
  3. Compare subdial positions against the genuine layout: 12 and 6 only.
  4. For a genuine watch, request service records or a recent service invoice, and have an independent watchmaker open the case before money changes hands.

Legal exposure in the United States

Counterfeit watches are among the most seized categories at US ports, and the risk sits with the buyer as well as the seller. Trademark counterfeiting carries civil liability and, in trafficking cases, criminal penalties under federal law. Buying a replica for personal use is lower risk than importing in quantity or reselling, but it is not a clean position, and the practical downside is that a seized parcel leaves you with no watch and no refund channel.