Answer first
"Portugieser Automatic 31" is a seller term, not an IWC reference. IWC names the line by case size: Portugieser Automatic 40 with caliber 82200, and Portugieser Automatic 42 with caliber 52010. The number 31 matches the jewel count IWC lists for caliber 52010. A steel Portugieser Automatic 42 on a leather strap lists near $12,700 from IWC. Replicas of that case sell for $300 to $700. The price gap covers a movement with two barrels, a hand-finished case, and a dial with applied markers.
portugieser automatic 31 replica watch
Movement
Caliber 52010 beats at 28,800 vph, carries 31 jewels, and holds 168 hours of running time from two barrels. The Pellaton winding system uses a ratchet and pawl with ceramic parts. Replica cases hold an Asian automatic: a Seagull ST25, a Hangzhou 5 series, or a 2824-class clone under a decorative plate. Power reserve on those movements runs 40 to 45 hours. The reserve hand at 3 o'clock on a replica drops to zero inside two days, while the genuine hand still reads above half. Replica builds do not use a true twin-barrel drive.
Case, crystal, and seals
The genuine case measures 42.3 mm across and about 14.5 mm thick. It uses domed sapphire with antireflective coating on both faces and a 30 m rating. Replica cases measure 42 mm to 43 mm and run 15 mm to 16 mm thick. Coating sits on one face or none. Sapphire is not guaranteed. Crowns use a single gasket, and the 30 m figure on the case back is a print, not a test result.
portugieser automatic 31 replica vs
Dial and hands
Genuine dials carry applied numerals in gold or rhodium, a printed rail track, and leaf hands. Blued hands on genuine pieces come from heat treatment. Replica hands use blue paint or plating. Subdial holes on the genuine dial sit at points cut for caliber 52010. On a movement-swap replica the holes follow the donor movement, so the small seconds and the reserve hands sit off center.
portugieser automatic 31 replica vs
Prices and legal status
Steel Portugieser Automatic 42 models list between $12,000 and $13,000 from IWC. Used examples trade between $7,000 and $9,000 on the secondary market. Replica listings sit at $300 to $700. Trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal crime in the United States under 18 U.S.C. 2320, with a first-offense maximum of 10 years. Customs seizure rules come from 19 U.S.C. 1526. Resale value on a replica is near zero.
Checklist for a side-by-side
- Case thickness: 14.5 mm genuine against 15 mm to 16 mm replica.
- Power reserve: 168 hours against 40 to 45 hours.
- Movement finish: Geneva stripes, perlage, and blued screws on caliber 52010.
- Dial markers: applied and polished against stamped and glued.
- Case back: engraved reference and serial number against laser print or no marking.
- Strap: alligator with a signed pin buckle against embossed leather with a plain buckle.
Open points
No public data covers failure rates for the specific movements used in Portugieser replicas. Serial number patterns differ by factory and change between batches. Weight figures depend on strap choice, so a scale test alone is unreliable.