ZF Factory IWC Portugieser Chronograph vs Portugieser 7 Days: Which one is worth buying?

The IWC Portugieser model is produced by ZF Factory with a solid 316L stainless steel case, 41 mm diameter and 7750 automatic chronograph 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.

Is the Shanghai 7750 chronograph movement installed inside the Portugieser Chronograph? Come with a series of questions and let's try to understand them. Buying a high-end watch is, in the words of many watch lovers, a very luxurious wish; Because there are many pitfalls in replicas, many malicious sellers pass off low quality goods as high quality. Goods also have quality levels, and if there is such a big difference between prices, you need to be careful. Let's get into the topic; The following are all actual comparison photos I took. The ZF Factory IWC Portugieser Chronograph is the V2 version, while the ZF Factory IWC Portugieser 7 Day is the V5 version; Both are the highest version.

Comparison of ZF Factory IWC Portugieser Chronograph and ZF IWC Portugieser 7 Days

ZF Factory IWC Portugieser 7-Day vs. ZF IWC Portugieser 7-Day measurement details comparison (measurements do not include crown size): Chronograph measure 41 mm13 mm, 7-Day measure 42 mm14 mm. Dimensionally, the Chronograph is slightly smaller and slightly thinner. The case design is a combination of brushed 316L steel with a polished glossy surface on both sides (316 steel is the basic material of today's watches; no matter how good the steel, please

do not drop or hit). I have previously explained the separate reviews of the two; Today I mainly compare and summarize. The styles of the two are similar, 7 Days is a little more classic, Chronograph is a little more sporty! You cannot get both the fish and the bear claw at the same time; Choose the one that suits your wrist so you can't go wrong!

How to tell if a watch is ZF?

This is a question that many watch lovers frequently ask; It is also an issue that causes many malicious sellers to worry. ZF puts a factory label on it when it leaves the factory, and many people evaluate the watch according to this label! But this is not the right method! Still, you have to look at the workmanship! Because it is very easy to fake the label; I will explain this in order in future comparisons!

Comparison of ZF Factory IWC Portugieser Chronograph and ZF IWC Portugieser 7 Day glass details

Both are sapphire glass with blue coating (good permeability, scratch resistant). You can use the tapping method to determine whether it is sapphire or not; When sapphire is struck, it produces a very clear sound, you can compare it to the sound of ordinary glass. When the angle is correct, a slight blue reflection appears; This effect is not very noticeable, as can be seen in the date window of the Rolex Submariner. The hour numeral markers and hour and minute hands (blue enamelled hour and minute hands) design are also the same; Including the small detail that the minute hand is curved (the original was also curved). The space between the hour and minute hands is also adjusted correctly! The tooth structure on the crown is machined very accurately on both of them; Its lines give a sense of textural quality, and it's easy to set the time and functions.

Comparison of details such as ZF Factory IWC Portugieser Chronograph and ZF IWC Portugieser 7-Day blue enamel hour-minute hands and number markers

Both have a blue enamel hour-minute hand design. An advantage of this type of hand is that it delays oxidation and adds a bluish visual effect to the hour and minute hands. Both are the most classic models (white dial, blue hour and minute hands). So what is the material of the dial surface? Both have a powder-textured dial surface (to mimic the original to the highest degree possible). At the same time, there are many products made with paint that do not match the version on the market. This type of dial surface is very smooth but looks very fake; It loses the flair of the finely indented dial surface of the original. Although the powder-textured dial design imitates the original at the highest level, a problem such as dust spillage may be encountered in the future (it has both advantages and disadvantages). Therefore, if such a situation occurs in the future, repair may be required. There is no perfect watch; There is only a heart that is in love with watches!

Portugieser 7 Daily function analysis and usage description

What is meant by Portugieser 7 Days is its power reserve capacity. The small eye on the left is the seconds function (when turning the crown and winding manually, the power reserve indicator increases accordingly), while the one on the right is the seven-day power reserve indicator zone (does not indicate the day of the week). The power reserve of the original is seven days, also called the seven-day chain; The power reserve of the replica is approximately 4 days. Point to note: The watch winds itself when worn on the wrist, so there is no need to deliberately increase the power reserve to "7" while wearing it; It is sufficient to set up to "4" manually. Because the installation is very slow and causes some damage to the mechanism. The movement's power reserve box resembles a spring; The normal functioning of the watch is thanks to the contraction and relaxation of this special spring (the more you wind it, the more the spring is stretched, then the spring gradually releases energy). So, how many turns can the spring of a mechanical watch be wound? For an ordinary watch, 30 turns are enough to wind; However, on a watch with a power reserve indicator, manual winding must be compatible with the movement of the indicator, usually setting it up to "4" is sufficient.

Portugieser Chronograph function analysis and usage description

The Portugieser Chronograph is essentially a chronograph watch. Chronograph function description: The dial at position 12 is the chronograph counter (not date); The movement of this counter corresponds to the thinnest and longest hour-minute hand (chronograph hand). When the long chronograph hand rotates one full turn, the counter hand at position 12 advances by one digit! Thanks to this function, it can be understood whether a watch basically matches the original. Position 6 is the small seconds counter (seconds hand); This second hand rotates continuously. Also pay attention to the minute hand (it has a curved tip); This does not mean that the watch is defective, on the contrary it is meant to imitate the original to the highest degree possible! All blue markings are inlaid (recessed) so they do not come loose easily. The blue enamel hour and minute hands design adds a lot of color to this watch; It also laid the definitive foundation for this watch to become one of IWC's classic models!

Comparison between ZF Factory IWC Portugieser Chronograph and ZF IWC Portugieser 7 Days: Including movement differences and version differences of the two

Portugieser 7-Day (open case back), Portugieser Chronograph (closed case back); The difference in mechanism of the two. The Portugieser 7-Day is based on the Seagull mechanism, converted into the original seven-day chain mechanism and fitted with a thick plate (ZF's own developed mechanism). The biggest improvement in the upgrade from V4 to V5 is the improvement of the rear clear glass mechanism. The visible part is the fish scale pattern of the back mechanism and the color (reddish) of the stone on the back; The LG size of the rotor has been reduced. The invisible part is increasing the overall power reserve of the movement; the original is seven days, the converted 4th version is about 5 days. Having said that, some show-savvy dealers are already touting the birth of a V6 version; Please pay attention to the distinction.

The Portugieser Chronograph uses the Dandong 7750 chronograph movement; There is no such thing as "Shanghai 7750". You can search on Baidu; The price of a single Shanghai 7750 is XXX, and in replicas Shanghai 7750 is either rarely used or not used at all. I will briefly mention it here; Watch lovers should not be fooled by the Shanghai 7750 fairy tale.

Comparison of ZF Factory IWC Portugieser Chronograph and ZF IWC Portugieser 7 Days

Close-ups of the Portugieser 7-Day movement: Watch friends can enlarge and compare. The back is inlaid with blood red stone, this is the first improvement; The processing technique of the fish scale pattern on the plate is the second improvement; the third improvement is the reduction of the IWC gold logo on the rotor; The invisible improvement is the increase in the power reserve capacity of the movement and is the fourth improvement. The downside, or rather the shortcoming, is this: the gear on the back of the V5 replica version is a show-off, it does not rotate; However, in the original, it moves slowly, the rear gear engages slowly, and ZF could only do a similar one. The picture below is the movement comparison reference (left is the V5 version, top right and bottom right are the old versions in the past; there are still selling, please pay attention to the distinction). It is very easy to distinguish by looking at the color of the stone on the back or the IWC logo! (There are many malicious sellers who steal pictures on the Internet, so I deliberately covered it up; if you want to see the full picture, you can contact me directly.)

ZF Factory IWC Portugieser Chronograph with ZF IWC Portugieser 7 Days; Portugieser Chronograph mechanism and details. The development of the Portugieser Chronograph is also divided into two versions; The case of the previous version was made thicker, while the case of the 2nd version was made very thin. I can't help but say that ZF was really careful and fixed the flaws in the mechanism. As for the mechanism, it is definitely not the Shanghai mechanism. Interested watch lovers can compare it in the picture below, including the mainspring area. While the price of Shanghai 7750 movement is XXX, a ZF watch is only XXX; How could it be Shanghai? Please pay attention to the distinction when buying a watch. Whether it is the Portugieser Chronograph or other multifunction watches, the Dandong mechanism is basically used. The advantage of the mechanism is that chronograph counting can be done independently; The disadvantage is that the noise of the rear rotor is a bit noticeable. Every mechanical watch has noise; including the sound of gear engagement or the sound of the rear rotor spinning!

ZF Factory IWC Portugieser Chronograph vs. ZF IWC Portugieser 7-Day: case back and detail comparison of the two

On the left is the Portugieser Chronograph (steel closed case back), on the right is the Portugieser 7-Day (clear glass). It is easy to see the normal operation of the internal mechanism in the Portugieser 7-Day; In addition to the permeability of the glass, the number markings on the side of the case must also be clear. In many versions, number codes are not engraved on the outside of the case. Please do not drop, hit or break while using! The Portugieser Chronograph, on the other hand, is 316L steel with a closed case back; The number 5280170 on the outer surface and the inner data are compatible with each other (both outside and inside are smooth). The rear digits of the upgraded version are processed with deeper laser engraving, it looks very neat! ZF Factory IWC Portugieser Chronograph with ZF IWC Portugieser 7 Days; Case and case back of the Portugieser Chronograph. The function usage of the Portugieser Chronograph corresponds to the three pushers on the right of the watch. The top button is the chronograph button (apply some force when pressing the button until it clicks). In the normal sequence, the top is pressed and the chronograph hand starts counting (when the chronograph hand completes one full second revolution, the dial hand at position 12 advances by one digit). When there is no counting, the top button is pressed once again and the second counting stops; Then, when the bottom button is pressed, the needle resets to the 12 position! The data inside the back cover and the 5280170 data on the case are compatible with each other.

Portugieser 7 Days has a double-sided glass design, sapphire glass (not all sapphires are bluish). The blue light reflection is for a higher level of imitation of the original; A small amount of blue coating with very good permeability was applied to the inner surface of the glass. It's scratch-resistant, but that doesn't mean you can drop it and bump it; The price of a single glass is XXX, please take care of your watch! If you are rich, you can enjoy yourself... ZF Factory IWC Portugieser Chronograph with ZF IWC Portugieser 7 Days; buckle difference. Both are clip buckles. Let me point out the main thing here: In the future, many watch lovers ask why the buckle does not close securely. Whether it is an IWC or another watch with a clip-on buckle, this problem may arise in the future. Here's the solution: Bend the middle (horizontal bar) part directly; The purpose of bending (bending or straightening) is to better match the hole/clip in the middle. The original strap is ZF calfskin; Those who are not satisfied with calfskin can replace it with cooler crocodile leather! You can also choose the color for both the Portugieser Chronograph and the Portugieser 7-Day, there is a blue and black option; Of course, blue leather is usually paired with blue hour-minute hands!

Summary: Today, I briefly compared the ZF Factory IWC Portugieser Chronograph and the ZF Factory IWC Portugieser 7 Day in terms of details. Both watches are extremely good in terms of workmanship; The only difference between them is their different designs: one highlights the chronograph, the other highlights the power reserve. Friends who like these two watches can buy them with peace of mind!

If you read until the end, I hope my article was useful to you. I will share more detailed reviews in the coming days.