The IW545171 is a hand-wound IWC Portugieser reference: a large case, a wide clean dial, small seconds at 6 o'clock, leaf hands and a sapphire display back. A replica of this reference stands or falls on three checks. Case proportions first, dial printing second, movement third. Most replicas get the first two close and lose the sale on the third, because a hand-wound movement with the correct small-seconds layout and visible finishing costs real money to copy.
Prerequisites
- Digital calipers
- 10x jeweler's loupe
- Clear photos of the genuine reference shot at the same angle
- Timegrapher, or a phone timing app and a quiet room
- Rubber ball or case back wrench
Inspection procedure
- Set the genuine photos beside the watch at the same distance and angle, then compare the overall silhouette before you study any single detail.
- Measure the case diameter at 9 and 3 o'clock, the lug tip to lug tip length, and the total thickness with calipers.
- Compare each measurement against the published spec for the reference and write the difference in millimeters on paper.
- Measure the lug width at both lugs; a mismatch here shows up as a gap at the strap shoulders.
- Check the crystal height above the bezel and the dome profile from a low side angle.
- Inspect the dial printing with the loupe: stroke weight, letter spacing, and whether the brand and model lines sit square to each other.
- Confirm the small seconds subdial position and that the running seconds hand reaches the printed track without overshooting it.
- Confirm the hands are the correct leaf profile and that their length stops short of the minute track, as on the genuine.
- Turn the watch over and read the case back engraving through the loupe for depth, font and spacing.
- Study the movement: bridge shape, screw heads, jewel settings and whether engraving is cut into metal or printed on a plate.
- Wind the crown slowly and note the resistance; a hand-wound movement should feel even, never gritty or loose at the start.
- Run the watch for 24 hours against a known time source and log the rate in seconds per day.
- Check the strap stitching, buckle tang thickness and spring bar fit.
Red flags
- Subdial that sits off-center or crowds the 6 o'clock index
- Printed text that is fuzzy under 10x magnification
- Movement decoration that is a stamped plate glued over a different base calibre
- Crown that does not seat flush against the case tube
- Second hand that jumps or stutters when the watch is tilted
- Case back engraving that is shallow and rounded instead of cut with sharp edges
- Stated water resistance with no gasket visible under the case back
Movement expectations
A replica at this reference level usually runs one of three ways: a Chinese hand-wound clone with small-seconds gearing, a decorated automatic hidden behind faux bridges, or a Swiss-spec hand-wound unit in the higher tiers. Ask which one, then verify by looking for a rotor. If there is no rotor and the watch still ticks after a full wind, the layout is honest for a hand-wound piece.
After the sale
Keep the timing log. Track rate drift over the first month, since a movement that starts at plus 8 seconds per day and climbs past plus 20 needs regulation. Store the watch off the crown, avoid hot water regardless of claimed depth rating, and have the gaskets checked once a year if you wear it near moisture.