Hi everybody, today we are going to talk about IWC Portuguese Chronograph, it is the second time to make a review about this watch. Portuguese plays a decisive role in the replica watch world as a formal watch, you guys should list it as an alternative. I think most of us like its simple style. This time, we have a new opponent against the 3A mechanical version, the JJ Portuguese Chronograph, which is a newborn. However, is it with a good performance or has an illegible appearance? Let’s have a deep comparison.
Genuine watch specifications:
Self-winding chronograph movement 79350, 44 hours Power reserve. Minute and second-chronograph function, small second with hack mechanism.
Double convex anti reflective sapphire crystal, water resistance is up to 3 Bar.
Case’s thickness is 12.3 mm, diameter 40.9 mm.
My personal review:
Portuguese Chronograph has a strong affinity, most of us would easily be attracted due to its simple design for the first sight. These two timepieces don’t have any difference from ours eyes judging, while the obvious part is the time scales on the dial, one is rose gold, the other is gold. When you hold these two timepieces, both of them are quite admirably plump and well, without the feeling of the edge cutting. Before being fitted with one pair of high quality crocodile leather straps, Portuguese is not a good watch. As for me, I think a good strap is rather important than the watch’s detail. This evaluation is almost finished in here, because for me, It’s the perfect matching that makes a great watch. We should pay more attention to the strap, this is more funny than a bit improvement of the dial.
Whether a Portuguese Chronograph is a good watch or not, the point is on the dial. Before the newborn of JJ Portuguese Chronograph, I truly didn’t pay much attention on the genuine one’s time scales are in gold, while 3A is rose gold. However, nothing can stop this watch’s selling reached to the peak. As for me, a successful replica watch should have fulfilled two requirements, one is to choose a right replica object, without too much exaggerated workmanship. Second, the craftsmanship should be well enough to beat the current competitors, because normally people would compare it with the recent versions, of course, it will have a lot of versions after several improvements.
Actually most of us lack of enough elaborative faculty on the replica. As before I didn’t show much attention about its time scales color, when I knew it, I just found myself that I’m entangled with it. The fake color just leaves a deep impression on your mind, and just can’t get rid of it.
Portuguese has a brother called Portofino, its replica on the dial is up to the top, and people are quite in love it. But recently there is a new problem, the number of date font on genuine is “1”, not “I”. The strict requirement to the watch’s detail, I can’t say it is good or bad, while I only know this may affect the directional changes upon our understanding to the object. Many people would ask which one is the most highest level replica, the overreaction towards to the watch’s detail would smother your first feeling to it. Wow!! This watch is beautiful, you still remember the origin feeling when you bought the watch? That’s it, that feeling is simple and so innocent.
I pretty admired those people with enough economic strength, and also with a strong personality. Some people would ask you, don’t you know Portuguese chronograph has rose gold limited edition?
With such forceful situation, if you lack of enough information on this part, you probably would doubt yourself. Replica indeed is a fight, no matter the result is good or bad, however, the evaluation will continue to carry on.
The tone of markers:
JJ version is gold, 3A is rose gold, genuine watch is gold. I think this detail is the biggest difference between the two factories. After comparing, I found that 3A does not have the right to exist, it just passed from the color.
The first one is JJ version, secone is 3A and the thrid photo is genuine watch.
The polishing of the font’s edge on the dial:
3A version without polishing, while JJ version has been polished. 3A version is almost right-angle, and the genuine is well polished. If judging from the the front sight, JJ version is hard to be distinguished as fake, which is the successful part for this model, and this is also the detail better than other versions.
Dial font detail:
The top one is JJ Portuguese, the watch at bottom is 3A.
The color of subdials:
We are quite care of the light reflection, now let’s have a look. Left is JJ, right is 3A. As you can see that the color difference of between small second subdial and main dial, both of the two dials’ color is same on JJ, while 3A is silvery, it has the obvious reflective phenomenon.
The difference of the small second dial, first one is JJ version, second is 3A, the third one is genuine.
Why it has such difference? This depends on the degree of machining precision. Enlarging the picture, the whorl of JJ version is more dense and exquisite.
The scales on small second subdial:
The marker at 45 should be much thicker than the markers next to it.
Dot markers:
On the dial, each dot of the genuine is a bit raised, look careful at the dot at 4 o’clock. JJ version is the same as the genuine, but 3A version doesn’t. All the dots on the dial are raised. JJ version did a good job in this detail.
Time scales on outer bezel:
Notice the scales “30” and “0”, JJ is the same as genuine, but 3A version a a little fat.
Dial printing:
The length of second-chronograph hand:
As the problem of the angle, the length of the second-chronograph hand maybe has some deviations because of the sight. However we still can see JJ version is same as the genuine, 3A version is a little shorter.
Crown:
JJ and genuine Portuguese all have a notch on crown, while 3A Portuguese does not have this.
Caseback engraving:
I think both JJ version and 3A version didn’t do well in this part, the engraved is sort of thin and also not deep enough.
Movement:
Both JJ and 3A do well at this.
First is JJ version.
Then the Portuguese from 3A.
Watch size:
Compared with workmanship of the dial, the size of the watch seems like be of no great importance. The thickness of the genuine is 12.3 mm, at this detail, JJ did not make any change on it.
JJ version, diameter 40.8 mm, thickness is 14.1 mm.
3A version. Diameter is 41.1 mm, thickness is 14.2 mm.
Summary:
I’m so glad that I can learn and share some information with you all at this web page. Before this review, I do doubt the JJ version. I said It’s hard to replica one watch with complicated dial, as you can see 3A is an example. But, when I looked carefully at this watch, I still have some astonishment, as JJ version nearly reached to the perfection. As the price has not much difference, 3A version seems to have no necessary to appear to the market. Which factory will make better Portuguese replica next?