Short answer
IW323704 is an IWC reference number. Counterfeit watches get sold under it. A watch is fake when the caseback number does not match IWC records, when the movement is not an IWC caliber, or when the dial print and case finish sit outside IWC tolerances. Confirm the reference and the serial with IWC before payment. IWC does not publish a full online archive of past references, so a missing catalog entry on its own proves nothing.
Read the reference format
IWC writes references as IW plus six digits. The first four digits mark the family. The last two mark case metal and dial version. IW323704 sits in the 3237 block. Ask IWC or an authorized dealer which line carries the 3237 block and what the 04 code means. Listing sites copy reference numbers from each other and get the model name wrong.
Caseback and serial checks
- Engraving: IWC etches caseback text with clean edges. Fakes show soft, wide strokes.
- Font: IWC uses its own sans-serif. Compare the W in IWC and the shape of the 3.
- Serial: IWC serials run seven to eight digits. The number on the caseback, the movement, and the papers must match.
- Reference: the caseback repeats the reference. A different number on the tag, box, or card is a flag.
Movement
Have a watchmaker open the case. IWC automatics use in-house calibers or modified ETA bases with IWC finishing. Look for the IWC rotor engraving, the caliber number, the jewel count, and the beat rate, which runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour on most modern IWC automatics. A Miyota or a bare ETA 2824 with no IWC marking is not an IWC movement. Sellers post stock photos of the correct movement. Ask for a photo of the actual watch with the caseback off.
Dial, hands, and crystal
Compare applied markers against IWC press photos for the same reference. Check marker height, lume color, date window position, and hand finish. Many IWC models use sapphire with antireflective coating on two faces. Coating on a single face is a flag. A relumed dial or a replaced set of hands is not a fake, but it lowers value, and auction houses list it in the lot notes.
Papers, boxes, and price
Boxes and cards sell on their own, so paperwork alone proves little. A card with no dealer stamp, or a stamp from a closed shop, tells you nothing. Service papers from an IWC service center carry a case number. Used prices for steel IWC automatics run from about 2,000 to 6,000 USD, based on model, year, and condition. A listing far below that band, from a seller who takes no returns, carries risk.
Before you pay
- Ask for the full reference, the serial, and the caliber number.
- Send the reference and serial to IWC or an IWC service center for confirmation.
- Have a watchmaker open the case and photograph the movement.
- Match the dial and hands to IWC photos of the same reference.
- Get a return window in writing and pay with a method that reverses.