The copy IW371741 is a replica of the IWC Pilot's Chronograph reference IW371741, a 42 mm stainless steel automatic chronograph from IWC's 3717 family, built roughly between 2006 and 2012. The genuine watch runs the IWC calibre 79320, a modified Valjoux 7750 with a day and date window at 3 o'clock. Replicas of this reference range from cheap quartz lookalikes to Chinese 7750 builds that reproduce the dial layout almost exactly.
What defines the genuine IW371741?
Knowing the real specification is the only way to judge how close a copy gets. The numbers below are the benchmark any replica should be measured against.
The Ultimate Guide to Buying Replica IW371741 Watches
- Case: 42 mm steel, roughly 14.7 mm thick, with a soft iron inner cage for magnetic shielding
- Crystal: sapphire with anti-reflective coating, which throws a faint blue sheen at an angle
- Dial: black with luminous Arabic numerals, small seconds at 9, chronograph counters at 12 and 6, day and date at 3
- Movement: calibre 79320, based on the Valjoux 7750, about 44 hours of power reserve
- Water resistance: 60 m, with a screw down crown
- Lug spacing: about 21 mm, with the strap tapering toward the buckle
Why the 7750 layout makes this reference easy to copy
Because the IWC 79320 is a Valjoux 7750 derivative, the subdial positions and the day and date window already sit where a stock 7750 places them. A replica maker can fit a Chinese 7750 clone and get the correct dial architecture without redesigning anything. That is the main reason the IW371741 is one of the more convincing IWC replicas on the market. The tells usually appear in finishing and materials, not in layout.
How to judge a copy IW371741
- Check the movement first. If the chronograph seconds hand sweeps in one second ticks, it is quartz and should cost very little.
- Operate the chronograph. Start it, run it for a minute, then reset it. A decent 7750 clone snaps back to zero in one motion.
- Inspect the day and date font. Replicas often use a slightly wider or thinner numeral set than the original.
- Look at the crystal from the side. Genuine anti-reflective coating is applied on both faces and reads blue, not purple or grey.
- Weigh the watch. Steel replicas with a real automatic movement usually land near the genuine weight, while plated brass cases feel light.
- Check the case back engraving depth and the reference spacing. This is where budget copies are most careless.
Is a copy IW371741 quartz or automatic?
Both exist. Quartz versions sell at the bottom of the market and never match the original dial layout correctly, because a quartz chronograph module arranges its counters differently. Automatic versions use an Asian 7750 copy, which is the only way to get the 12, 6, 9 subdial arrangement right.
Does the replica chronograph actually work?
On automatic copies, yes. The pushers start, stop, and reset the chronograph, and the small seconds run continuously at 9 o'clock. On the cheapest quartz copies the pushers are often decorative or only control a single sweeping hand.
Typical price bands
Quartz lookalikes generally sell between 60 and 120 US dollars, and they rarely survive close inspection. Automatic copies with an Asian 7750 usually sit between 200 and 450 US dollars depending on case finishing and strap quality. Anything advertised far above that range should be treated with suspicion, since the underlying movement does not justify it.
Legal and practical reality
Selling or importing counterfeit watches is illegal in the United States and most of Europe, and shipments can be seized by customs. Buyers generally have no warranty, no service support, and no recourse if the watch arrives damaged. Treat any copy IW371741 as a novelty purchase with real financial risk rather than an investment or a substitute for the genuine watch.