Is My Gents 1941 19ct Portuguese Gold IWC Watch Genuine?

Hello to the IWC Forum.
I am a lover of watches but my knowledge is very limited. I have recently acquired a Gents Gold IWC Watch with a 14K Gold wrist band, but the watches strange markings and non existent Serial number have sent me on a quest to find the truth. I initially believed the watch was 14ct, but the Watch has 2 stamped marks on the outside of the top left lug section, and one of these two marks to the inside of the back plate, but these marks do not denote 14 or 18 ct. The very small marks on the top left lug which are not crisp and difficult to photograph include a symbol below which is '800'. Apparently 800 stands for 19.2 carat gold or 80% and is very common in Portugal and IWC movements were imported into Portugal and cased in Portugal to get around the high importation taxes for complete watches. The Complete watches imported into Portugal had hallmarks and other customs marks punctured into the gold usually in the left upper lug, and we believe this is true of this Watch. One of the two symbols on the lug includes a mark which we believe to be a dog looking left over 800 This mark was used in Portugal between 1938-84 for Lisboa, Porto,and Gondomar. The other symbol to the lug also appears on the reverse of the backplate. This symbol has also been very difficult to photograph because it is so small. I checked out the movement number of 1037048 dating this watch to 1941, and the calibre of the movement is 62 - 10lig. The calibre 62 is a less common movement and was made between 1938 up until 1949 and only 13.800 were made, but the absence of a Serial number is baffling, and I have been told that No Serial Number means without doubt that the watch is not genuine. Is this True?. I have a number of pictures I could post but I havent worked out how to do so yet

Posting pictures will lead you to answers to your questions, I suspect. Here are directions on posting photos:

Hi Bill, Many Thanks for the information,I'll give it a try, Regards Martyn

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[](s1377.photobucket.com/user/moetchandon57/media/13417dc2-eb80-406d-9190-4e096cce1023_zps82fdc4cd.jpg.html)[](s1377.photobucket.com/user/moetchandon57/media/IWCmarksontopleftlug_zps7dd5f4ff.jpg.html)[](s1377.photobucket.com/user/moetchandon57/media/IWCbackplate_zps377dc00a.jpg.html)[](s1377.photobucket.com/user/moetchandon57/media/IWCmovement_zps0c3b9c20.jpg.html)[](s1377.photobucket.com/user/moetchandon57/media/IWCwatchfaceshowingmakersname_zps89aeae59.jpg.html)[](s1377.photobucket.com/user/moetchandon57/media/IWCwatchfaceinfull_zpsb4b54e59.jpg.html)[](s1377.photobucket.com/user/moetchandon57/media/portugal800hallmark_zps311a1daa.jpg.html)[](s1377.photobucket.com/user/moetchandon57/media/DSC02866_zps889bb83a.jpg.html)[](s1377.photobucket.com/user/moetchandon57/media/DSC02862_zps4ea2c025.jpg.html)

Hi,
You seem to have read in this forum the information about IWC watches imported to Portugal, and re-cased with 19.2 carat gold. Well done.
Your watch is one of them. The dragon's head with 800 underneath and with that shape, means that the case is made of 19.2 carat gold and that gold purity was certified by the Lisbon Assay Office. The hallmark to the feft is the personal hallmark of the case manufacturer. If you post a clearer image of that hallmark I may be able of identifying the manufactuter.
As to the authenticity of the watch, I can only say that IWC will not issue the Certificate of Authenticity because the original case, which had the case number, no longer exists, having been replaced by a gold case.

Hi, Many Thanks for this imformative response. The symbol is so small my camera will not take a good enough picture, so I have employed my artists skills (LOL) and tried to reproduce it below. It could be a letter R with designs in the enclosed upper section. I will let you judge how accurate I might be. With regards to the Watch casing, would it have been SS,Silver or Gold Before?. Could this watch be a Prototype?. Many Thanks Martyn.[](s1377.photobucket.com/user/moetchandon57/media/15f08588-2948-47d5-b1ec-f8afe93ac9da_zps02fd0b89.jpg.html)

Hi Martyn,
It would not make any sense for a Portuguese watch dealer to import silver or gold watches and then replace the original case with a 19.2 carat gold case. As you said in your post, the idea was to avoid the heavy importation tax on gold or silver watches.
Your watch was one of many watches imported into Portugal with steel cases and re-cased with 19.2 carat gold. I also do not think it is a prototype.
Your artistic skills, such as they are, would not allow me to identify the case maker. I suggest you keep your day job. :-)
In any event, I do not have the book indentifying the hallmarks of the casemakers. If it is important to you to know the casemaker you must provide a clear image of that hallmark, and wait until I can gain access to the book and search for the hallmark, which may take a while.
Below are the hallmarks on the case back of an IWC imported into Portugal. The hallmark on the left is the certification by the Lisbon Assay Office that it is 18K gold and on the left the hallmark of the importer, Rodrigues & Gonçalves.

Hi, Thanks for this response. The maker is not that important, but would be nice just to finalise things.Its bugging me! I have appreciated all your efforts in this regard. If its OK with you I will try and find a family member with a better pixel camera over the weekend and see how I get on, and post it. I will not give up the Day Job. Regards Martyn

Hi Martyn,
I suggest taking a picture of the hallmarks through a loupe or a magnifying glass.