Short answer
IW329145 sits in the IWC Aquatimer Automatic 42 mm family, the IW3291xx block. A fake IW329145 is a counterfeit of that watch. Copies fail on three points: the movement, the bezel linkage, and the caseback engraving. The genuine watch runs an IWC 30120 caliber and a SafeDive bezel that turns an inner dive ring. Copies use a stock automatic movement and a bezel that moves nothing.
IWC does not publish a full public casebook for every Aquatimer dial and strap variant. Confirm the exact IW329145 configuration against a service record or an authorized dealer before purchase.
What the reference is
The Aquatimer Automatic 42 is a dive watch. Steel case, 42 mm across, about 14 mm thick, 300 m water resistance, sapphire crystal, solid caseback. The movement is IWC caliber 30120, automatic, 28,800 vph, about 42 hours of power reserve. The strap uses IWC's quick-change system.
Movement tells
- Genuine: IWC 30120, engraved rotor text, signed bridges, fine perlage.
- Fake: stamped or undecorated base movement, rotor text printed rather than cut, jewel count that does not match.
- Date change at midnight with a firm click. Copies drag and slip past the date.
- Winding feel is smooth with light resistance. Copies feel gritty.
Bezel and case
SafeDive means the outer bezel drives an inner rotating ring under the crystal. Turn the outer bezel and the inner ring moves with it. Copies glue a printed ring under the crystal or fit a fixed insert. Check by turning the bezel and watching the inner ring. A genuine bezel clicks in 60 positions with no backplay.
Case finishing: brushed flanks, polished chamfers, sharp lug edges. Copies show rounded lug edges and polish that bleeds into the brushed surfaces.
Dial and printing
Dial text is pad printed at high resolution: IWC, SCHAFFHAUSEN, AUTOMATIC, 300m. Under a 10x loupe the edges are sharp and the white is flat. Copies show fuzzy edges, uneven letter spacing, and markers that do not sit on the same radius.
Lume plots sit inside applied frames. Copies use painted lume that overlaps the frame.
Caseback, serial, papers
Engraving depth is even on a genuine watch. Reference number, case number, and model text align to the caseback center. Copies show shallow laser etching, wrong font weight, and serials that repeat across listings.
IWC stamps a case number and a movement number. A service check is the reliable test. Ask for the pairing before you pay.
Price check
Genuine Aquatimer Automatic 42 steel models trade in the low-to-mid four-figure USD range on the secondary market. A listing far below that, from a seller with no history, is a flag. Copies sell for a few hundred dollars and sellers label them as replicas or 1:1 copies.
Verification steps
- Photograph the caseback and the movement.
- Turn the bezel and watch the inner ring.
- Check the date change at midnight.
- Ask for an IWC service record or a watchmaker timing report.
- Buy from a seller who accepts returns.