How is the quality of the ZF Factory IWC Portugieser 7 Days V5 edition? What flaws does it have?

The IWC Portugieser model is produced by ZF Factory with a solid stainless steel case, standard case diameter and high-precision automatic Super Clone movement architecture. It is among the most successful 1:1 super clone watch reviews on the market, with its sapphire crystal AR coating glass, original case tolerances and detailed workmanship.

First, let's get to know the usage of ZF Factory IWC Portugieser 7 Days.

The origin of the name IWC Portugieser 7 Days comes from the watch's actual power reserve indicator; It is called the 'Seven Days' because the power reserve of the original reaches seven days. The corresponding function indicator, the small eye-shaped subdial on the right side of the dial, and the replica watch, of course, perform this function. There is a certain method in using this function. Watch lovers who follow the ZF Factory Portugieser 7 Days closely have noticed; The rotor on the back of this watch does not turn too slippery or too fast like on the Portugieser Chronograph. In fact, this design has been optimized according to the watch's own features. Let's say if the rotor of this watch rotated too fast, then the mainspring could be over-wound and an annoying situation such as 'locking' could occur; So the right eye indicator would go up to 7 and never go down again. This design was also designed to be user-friendly. Here comes the point: When using the IWC Portugieser 7 Days, do not knowingly wind it manually until it is fully charged; Generally, you just need to set it up to number 5 on the power reserve indicator. Because in daily use, shaking the arm also moves the indicator up. This is the correct way to use it. Also, for any mechanical watch, you can lay the watch flat on the table when you are not wearing it, do not leave it in an upright position.

When was the ZF Factory V5 edition IWC Portugieser 7 Days released?

In September 2015, ZF Factory released the replica version of the IWC Portugieser 7 Days. Before this, all IWC Portugieser 7 Days on the market were ordinary imitations; The sub-dials had a 'cross-eyed' appearance facing each other, the movement appeared fake at first glance, and there was no sense of depth in the hour markers. At that time, Portugieser 7 Days was very popular in the market, but the quality was not good. Until ZF Factory Portugieser 7 Days was released; This watch changed the situation completely and was sold out. This is somewhat similar to the situation that the N factory experienced with the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms model in those years. As the market gets hotter, ZF Factory IWC has continuously improved the product. From the V1, whose mechanism looks fake at first glance, to the V2 version with the old molded mechanism, then to the V4 version with the new molded mechanism, and now to the newest V5 version; Updated 4 times in just over a year. This shows how much importance ZF Factory attaches to this model. At the same time, ZF Factory received a lot of reward for this; Portugieser 7 Days accounted for the bulk of the ZF Factory factory's sales. V5 version Portugieser 7 Days is improved upon the previous three versions with corrections in details; So much so that even the smallest details, even the thickness of a tiny letter, remained the same as the original.

The white dial is combined with blue-tempered steel hour markers and hour and minute hands; An extremely classic color harmony. Personally, I think this is the most beautiful IWC Portugieser 7 Days and it is the best-selling model at the moment. Especially the two thick sapphire glasses on the front and back attract attention; Anti-glare blue coating has been applied to the sapphire glass on the front, extremely clear and fascinating. We can clearly see how meticulous every detail inside the dial is. The font of the IWC logo on the dial is very neat; The texture work of the small seconds subdial at 9 o'clock and the power reserve indicator at 3 o'clock is extremely fine. Especially the blue annealed steel hour and minute hands reflect different colors from different angles. There is also a strong sense of depth in the typeface of the hour markers, especially at the numbers 4 and 10. The date window is also quite large, making it easier to read the time.

Currently, the movement of the IWC Portugieser 7 Days V5 edition is a replica of the latest original Cal.52010 movement. All four updates brought major improvements to the mechanism; The embroidery and ornamental patterns on the bridges are extremely fine. The purple stones and gilded inscriptions decorating the mechanism bridges look very beautiful; The similarity rate of the mechanism to the original is really high. When we open the case back and examine the movement closely, we can see the gilded inscriptions on the bridges, the logo and the clarity of the purple stones; They are all utterly fascinating. In addition, the brushed workmanship of the rotor is also very meticulous; When we look at it enlarged, we can see that the brushing marks are still very thin. The processing of the mechanism's screws and gears is also very fine; In this way, the watch works more accurately and is more durable. If we categorize by processing level, currently ZF Factory IWC Portugieser 7 Days has reached level 5 processing.

The strap is made of calfskin material. I need to explain a little about the color: ZF Factory produced the replica version in dark blue, while the one we see in the original is black crocodile skin. But actually the original also has a blue strap; only stores wear it according to customers' request. The strap is a consumable, so there's no such thing as 'that color is the color of the original'. It's just standard equipment, you don't need to worry too much about this issue. You can also upgrade if you want black crocodile skin. Moreover, this leather strap itself is made very carefully and fits the wrist very well. The details of the buckle should not be ignored. In the past, the buckle of IWC watches was a very simple folding buckle with a simple IWC logo on it. The current V5 version is exactly the same as the newest original; When we open the buckle and look at the inside, we can see that the writings have a very deep and soft texture.

In conclusion, the ZF Factory V5 edition IWC Portugieser 7 Days replica watch is an extremely friendly product; It is a replica watch that ZF Factory has created with great effort and care. Moreover, after four updates, it is very close to the original. For a price that is not even a tenth of the original, you can experience a watch that reflects 99% of the quality of the original; It really gives you great value for money!
Our article ends here. I hope this article was useful to you. We will share more detailed disassembly, real shot review and real-replica comparison in the future.