Possessing the clear, functional style of IWC’s first-generation pilot’s replica watches, the original 3705 was a good looking watch. And it’s also an upgrade with the new case material as well as the in-house movement, which enhances the appeal.
It’s made of Ceratanium, as are the chronograph pushers and buckle. Ceratanium is actually a composite of titanium and ceramic. It’s produced via powder metallurgy, which can be summarised as mixing powdered forms of titanium and ceramic and then sintering the mix in a special oven at high temperature and pressure.
That similarity continues on the Cheap IWC Replica dial, which sticks to the broad strokes of the original, but with different proportions given the larger case and new movement.
Compared to the original, the Tribute to 3705 has larger registers and a slightly different marker at 12 o’clock. And while the hands retain the shape of the original, the hour hand is disproportionately shorter.
Inside the cal. 69380, a movement IWC Pilot’s Fake Watches developed to replace the Valjoux 7750. Though both have a similar chronograph layout, they are clearly different: the 7750 has its constant seconds at nine, while the cal. 69380 has the seconds at six.
It also has a pawl-based automatic winding system similar to IWC’s signature Pellaton winding mechanism.