UK Perfect Replica IWC Portugieser ref. 1810
Dressy in a utilitarian way, the high quality replica IWC watches ref. 1810 I found on Miquel Schmuck und Uhren (ignore the header stating the wrong reference number) is a 35 × 10mm 18K gold watch that blends functionality with style. It’s easy to read and quite sturdy, as once preferred by two Portuguese merchants in the late 1930s. This ref. 1810 from the late 1970s also displays plenty of elegant swagger and doesn’t look bad in formal situations.
Inside the case beats the automatic caliber 8541B, displaying hours, minutes, and seconds on a distinct gold-colored dial. I don’t mind the date window at 3 o’clock. Having a date aperture is a reminder that while the cheap super clone watches might look suave and upper-class, it doesn’t deny its heritage.
UK Best Replica IWC Aquatimer ref. 1812
While IWC did produce a W.W.W. (watch, wrist, waterproof) in the late ‘40s for the British military, it wouldn’t be until 1967 that they would make a true dive watch in the Aquatimer reference 812. The Swiss fake watches were unique for its relatively high depth rating of ~200 meters, and its dual crown system to support the internal rotating bezel. That case was a super compressor style borrowed from Enicar, by the way. In 1971, the first Aquatimer was redesignated as the reference 1812, but the austere design remained, and would set the stage for one of the more unique takes on the dive watch to come out of the era.
This reference 1812, which is being offered by The Keystone, features a white bezel, and walks up to the line of formal wear with clean lines, and a scripted logo. What sets this particular example apart is its excellent condition, and the original Gay Freres bracelet with the old school IWC logo stamped on its clasp. The top copy watches represent an important moment in IWC’s history, and the Aquatimer collection remains in production to this day, but none are quite as charming as this original 37mm example.
