Answer
A Datograph replica is a copy of the A. Lange & Söhne Datograph, a hand-wound chronograph that Lange launched in 1999. Replicas sold today copy two models: the first-generation Datograph and the Datograph Up/Down from 2012. No replica uses a Lange movement. Most run a Seagull ST19 or an Asia 7750. Case sizes land at 39mm to 41mm, which matches the originals in numbers and not in construction.
What the original Datograph is
Lange built the Datograph as its first chronograph after the company restarted in 1990. Calibre L951.1 is hand-wound. It carries a column wheel, a horizontal clutch, a flyback function, and a minute counter that jumps at the end of each minute instead of creeping. The dial holds a big date at 12 o'clock, running seconds at 8, and a 30-minute counter at 4. The first reference, 403.035, came in platinum at 39mm wide and 12.8mm thick. Water resistance is 30m.
Replica Datograph Guide: What a Copy Gets Right and Wrong
Lange added the Datograph Up/Down in 2012. The case grew to 41mm wide and 13.1mm thick. Calibre L951.6 brought a power-reserve display and a 60-hour reserve. The dial layout stayed the same.
Movements inside replicas
Two movements show up in Datograph replicas.
- Seagull ST19: hand-wound, column wheel, horizontal clutch. Subdials sit at 3 and 9, not 4 and 8. Reserve runs 40 hours or less.
- Asia 7750: automatic, so a rotor sits where the original has none. Case thickness grows to 14mm or more.
Both movements drive a working 30-minute counter and a working chronograph. Finishing is the gap. The original has Glashütte ribbing on the bridges, a hand-engraved balance cock, and blued screws. Replicas show laser etching or flat brushing. Engraving on a replica is shallow and repeats from watch to watch.
Checks before buying
- Subdial position. Seconds at 8, minutes at 4. Subdials at 3 and 9 come from an ST19 base.
- Rotor. Look through the caseback. A rotor means the watch does not follow the Datograph layout.
- Big date. Two discs, no gap in the center, both numerals on one line at 12.
- Dial text. "A. Lange & Söhne" sits under the big date. "Made in Germany" sits at 6.
- Thickness. Measure at the case band, not the crystal. The first generation is 12.8mm.
- Weight. Platinum is about twice as dense as steel, so the original sits heavy in the hand.
- Water. Replica cases are not pressure tested. Keep them away from water.
Price
Seller listings for Datograph replicas fall between $200 and $700. Listings under $150 point to a quartz movement or a printed subdial that does not move. Used first-generation Datographs trade from about $50,000 upward. Platinum examples with box and papers sit in the high five figures. Up/Down models sell above $80,000 at retail.
Legal status
Counterfeit watches are illegal to import. US Customs and Border Protection seizes them at the border. Sellers outside the US carry the confiscation risk.