For a fake IW323747, the top pick is a mid-tier or high-grade replica with a Swiss-pattern automatic movement, a 316L steel case with hand-finished bevels, and a sapphire crystal coated on the inner face. It wins on five checks: case profile and finishing, dial printing and applied indices, movement quality, crystal and anti-reflective treatment, and bracelet construction with clasp adjustment. Entry-level replicas fail at least two of the five, and those failures usually show in photos before they show on the wrist.

IWC reference IW323747 sits in a bracket where buyers notice small things: the shape of the lug bevel, the weight of the dial text, the color of the date wheel. Treat the sections below as a checklist, and ask a seller for macro photos at 3x to 5x before you commit.

Case Profile and Finishing

A replica case is either cut from a scan of the original or from a generic mold, and the difference is visible from the side.

  • Pros: Crisp lug bevels, brushed flanks with a fine grain, crown guards that sit flush with the case band, and a caseback engraving with correct depth.
  • Cons: Soft or rounded bevels, mirror-bright polishing where the original is satin, thick crown guards, and laser etching that looks gray instead of cut.

Ask for a side-on shot and a macro of the lug tips. Best for: a daily wearer, because the case profile is what people see at arm's length.

Dial, Indices and Printing

  • Pros: Applied indices with beveled frames, lume filled level with the frame, text with the right stroke weight, and a date wheel whose font and position match the reference.
  • Cons: Printed indices, domed or sunken lume, text that runs bold or thin, an off-center date cut, and a dial that looks flat under angled light.

Dial depth is the tell. A good replica shows a slight step between the dial surface and the rehaut. Best for: buyers who plan to photograph the watch, since the dial is the only part any camera reads clearly.

Movement

  • Pros: A Swiss-pattern automatic such as an ETA 2892 or Sellita SW300 pattern hacks, hand-winds, beats at 28,800 vph, and runs quiet on the wrist. Parts and servicing exist.
  • Cons: Cheap 21-jewel movements at 21,600 vph, a rotor you can hear across a room, no hacking, and a date that crawls over instead of snapping.

Request a timegrapher photo showing rate and amplitude. Treat any “Swiss made” marking on a replica movement as a claim, not a certificate. Best for: anyone who wears the watch daily and cares about timekeeping.

Crystal and Anti-Reflective Coating

  • Pros: Sapphire with coating on the inner face only, which keeps black dials black and avoids a blue or purple sheen. Correct thickness keeps the dial at the right depth.
  • Cons: Coating on both faces, which washes out the dial under office light, mineral glass that scratches within months, and a crystal so thick it distorts the chapter ring.

Tilt the watch under a lamp: you want reflections from the surface, not a color cast across the dial. Best for: indoor and office wear, where reflections are constant.

Bracelet and Clasp

  • Pros: Solid links, screw pins, a taper that matches the lug width, a machined clasp, and at least one micro-adjust position.
  • Cons: Folded links, push pins that walk out, a stamped clasp, sharp inner edges, and a taper that steps instead of flowing.

Run a thumbnail along the inner link edges; a sharp edge will rub the wrist raw within a week. Best for: bracelet wearers, who should move budget here before moving it to the movement.

Which Tier to Buy

  • Entry tier, pros: Low cost, fine as a beater or a display piece. Cons: fails the dial and bracelet checks, and the movement is loud.
  • Mid tier, pros: Best balance of case, dial and movement, and it holds up in photos. Cons: movement decoration is cosmetic only.
  • Top tier, pros: Closest match in the hand, with correct case geometry and a serviceable movement. Cons: Cost nears that of a used entry-level Swiss watch, and resale value is zero.

Recommendation: buy mid tier for normal wear. Go top tier only if you plan to compare the watch side by side with the original, where the case bevels and dial depth are the deciding details.

Legal and Practical Notes

Counterfeit watches are illegal to import into the US and most of the EU, and customs services seize parcels. A replica carries no manufacturer warranty, no service history, and no resale market. If you sell one, describe it as a replica; passing it as genuine is fraud in every US state.