IWC replica watches in 2026 span 28 rows in the May 2026 r/RepTime "Who Makes the Best" guide, across six model families: Big Pilot and Pilot's, Da Vinci, Portofino, Portugieser, Aquatimer, and Ingenieur. ZF is the best pick in 9 of those rows, all in the Big Pilot, Pilot's Watch and Portugieser families. APSF, which had led the Pilot Chronograph with a clone movement and two Portugieser rows, was reported raided in May 2026 and closed. Three guide rows still name APSF. The guide assigns no IWC row the NWBIG mark. IWC was founded in 1868 by American watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones and is based in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.
The guide has two marks: NWBIG ("Best of the best") and Super Rep ("Good but not entirely perfect"). No IWC row holds the NWBIG mark in the May 2026 guide.
IWC Big Pilot and Pilot's Watch
| Model | Movement | First | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Pilot (SS) | A23J | ZF (Super Rep) | YLF | |
| Big Pilot Miramar | A23J | ZF (Super Rep) | ||
| Big Pilot Annual Calendar | A23J | AZF | YLF | |
| Big Pilot Tourbillon | Tourbillon | JBF (Super Rep) | BBR | |
| Mark XVIII and XX (SS) | A2892 std (V7F also offers paid upgrade to Swiss movement) | V7F (Super Rep) | M+F (Super Rep) | AOF/YBF |
| Mark XVIII and XX (SS) | Miyota 9015 | ZF | BLSF | MKF |
| Mark XVIII and XX (Ceramic) | A2892 | M+F (Super Rep) | ||
| Mark XVIII and XX (Ceramic) | Miyota 9015 | ZF | BLSF | |
| Spitfire Chrono 3878 | A7750 | V6F/VSF (Super Rep) | ||
| Pilot Chronograph | ETA 7750 | OF (Super Rep) | ||
| Pilot Chronograph | Clone 69385 | APSF (now closed) (Super Rep) |
The guide maintainer wrote on May 30, 2026: "I believe V7F is back now for the Ingenieur so I left them up." The same update wrote: "IWC: Only added APSF is now closed quickly for time." The Pilot Chronograph row with a clone 69385 names APSF as the best pick and carries the "now closed" mark.
The guide lists the A23J for all three Big Pilot rows. ZF leads the Big Pilot (SS) and Miramar; AZF leads the Annual Calendar.
IWC Da Vinci
| Model | Movement | First |
|---|---|---|
| IWC Da Vinci | TW |
IWC Portofino
| Model | Movement | First | Second |
|---|---|---|---|
| IWC Portofino | AF (Super Rep) | V7F | |
| IWC Portofino "150 years anniversary" | V7F (Super Rep) |
IWC Portugieser
| Model | Movement | First | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chrono, all dial variants | Modified 7750 | ZF | AZF | YLF |
| Chrono, all dial variants (Clone mvmt) | 69355 | APSF (now closed) (Super Rep) | ||
| Chrono Yacht with date, all variants | Asian 7750 | ZF (Super Rep) | APF | |
| Small Seconds | Custom | ZF | ||
| Tourbillon | Tourbillon | TC F | ||
| Perpetual Calendar | Custom 9015 | APSF | ||
| Annual Calendar | Custom | ZF (Super Rep) | AZF | YLF |
| 7 Days | Custom | ZF |
The Perpetual Calendar row names APSF without the "(now closed)" note. The maintainer wrote on May 30, 2026 that the closure update was added "quickly for time", and both the May 13 and May 30 threads confirm the raid. Treat this row as affected by the same closure.
IWC Aquatimer
| Model | Movement | First |
|---|---|---|
| Chrono | Asian 7750 | V6SF |
| IW3290 Date only | Asian 2892 | V6SF (Super Rep) |
| Automatic | Asian 2892 | V6SF |
IWC Ingenieur
| Model | Movement | First | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vintage model | Miyota 9015 | AIF | ||
| Ingenieur | 2892 | V7F (Super Rep) | CHF | MZF |
| Carbon | Miyota 9015 | CF |
The guide maintainer wrote on May 30, 2026 that V7F was "back now for the Ingenieur."
Movements in IWC replicas
- A23J. The guide lists the A23J for the Big Pilot (SS), Miramar, and Annual Calendar.
- 2892 base movements. The Mark XVIII and XX in steel list an A2892. The same model in ceramic also lists an A2892. The Ingenieur lists a 2892. The Mark XVIII and XX steel row notes that V7F also offers a paid upgrade to a Swiss movement.
- Miyota 9015. The guide lists the Miyota 9015 for the Mark XVIII and XX SS and ceramic rows where ZF leads, the Ingenieur Vintage, and the Ingenieur Carbon.
- Clone movements. The Pilot Chronograph clone 69385 row names APSF (now closed). The Portugieser Chrono clone movement row lists a 69355 and also names APSF (now closed). On June 8, 2026, a top poster wrote that ZF was taking over the IWC line after the APSF raid, with a Dandong movement that only APSF had before. In October 2026, a member posted that a factory using the "OCTA" name released an IWC Portugieser 3716 with a DD 69355 clone.
- Modified and custom movements. The Portugieser Chrono (modified 7750) row names ZF first. Several Portugieser complications list a custom movement.
For more detail, read replica watch movements explained.
What changed in 2025 and 2026
- May 13, 2026: threads confirmed that VF and APSF were raided. A member wrote: "Terrible news, two big factories are got raid."
- May 22, 2026: a first-time buyer reported that a dealer said APSF was closed and had no stock. A commenter wrote that virtually all APSF stock cleared out within 48 hours of closure.
- May 30, 2026: the guide maintainer updated the spreadsheet. The update wrote: "IWC: Only added APSF is now closed quickly for time." Two rows received the "(now closed)" note. One row (Perpetual Calendar) did not.
- June 8, 2026: a top poster wrote that ZF was "taking over IWC line after APSF raid" with a Dandong movement that only APSF had before.
- June 10, 2026: a thread asked for the next best option for the IWC Pilot Chronograph after APSF closed. A commenter wrote: "ZF is the best chrono. I would push your TD to get the clone movement or wait and I bet ZF will carry them w clone movement."
- September 22, 2026: a member who ordered from a non-RepTime-listed dealer posted QC photos of a watch from a source calling itself APSF. The poster later wrote: "APSF is technically not back. These are continuations using leftover stock parts." The same update stated: "you're most likely just going to see APs being offered rather than the JLCs and IWCs that they were known for."
- October 8, 2026: a member posted that a factory under the "OCTA" name released an IWC Portugieser 3716 with a DD 69355 clone. The poster wrote: "Looks like APSF is releasing under the 'OCTA Factory' name."
Where to buy
None of our listed dealers carries IWC at this time. Our dealer list is on the Trusted Dealers list.
Sources
All dates are the posting dates of the threads.
- Who Makes the Best guide, spreadsheet updated May 29, 2026 and the May 30, 2026 update post (r/RepTime)
- VF and APSF is down, May 13, 2026 (r/RepTime)
- APSF gone? May 22, 2026 (r/RepTime)
- APSF - Raided or not, May 30, 2026 (r/RepTime)
- ZF is taking over IWC line after APSF raid, June 8, 2026 (r/RepTime)
- APSF IWC Pilot Chronograph is gone, June 10, 2026 (r/RepTime)
- APSF back? September 17, 2026 and APSF Royal Oak 15400 QC, September 22, 2026 (r/RepTime)
- OCTA IWC Portugieser 3716 with DD 69355, October 8, 2026 (r/RepTime)
- IWC Schaffhausen, Wikipedia: founded in 1868 by Florentine Ariosto Jones, based in Schaffhausen
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