Short answer
A. Lange & Söhne does not make a watch called the Lange 2. The Glashütte catalog uses the name Lange 1: Lange 1, Grand Lange 1, Little Lange 1, Lange 1 Time Zone, Lange 1 Moon Phase, and Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar. "Fake Lange 2" is a search phrase, not a model. Buyers use it for two things: a replica of the Lange 1, or a second Lange model they cannot name. Any listing that calls a watch an official Lange 2 is wrong.
Lange 1 specs that matter for a check
- Case sizes: 38.5 mm for the Lange 1, 40.9 mm for the Grand Lange 1, 36.1 mm for the Little Lange 1.
- Movement: hand-wound, 72-hour power reserve, three-quarter plate in untreated German silver, hand-engraved balance cock, screwed gold chatons.
- Dial: off-center main time dial, outsize date in two apertures, power reserve arc at 3 o'clock, small seconds at 5 o'clock.
- Case metal: gold or platinum. No series steel Lange 1 exists.
Checks that catch most fakes
- Weight. A gold case carries mass. A plated steel case does not.
- Movement type. The Lange 1 is hand-wound. A watch with a rotor under the caseback and the Lange 1 dial is a replica.
- Date. The outsize date uses two discs behind two windows. Many replicas use one disc, one window, or two digits at different heights.
- Engraving. A real balance cock carries hand-cut floral engraving. Stamped or laser-etched lines point to a replica.
- Hallmarks. Look for German assay stamps and a 750 or 950 mark. Missing stamps are a flag.
- Quartz. Lange has never sold a quartz watch. A battery movement is a fake in every case.
Prices
Authentic Lange 1 watches list near $45,000 and trade used from about $25,000. Replica Lange 1 watches sell from about $150 to $900. A solid gold Lange 1 at $600 is a replica.
What replicas copy and what they miss
Good replicas copy the dial layout, the case profile, and the crystal. They seldom copy the movement. Most use a decorated Chinese hand-wound calibre based on the Unitas 6497 pattern, or a Japanese automatic with an added date module. Subdial positions drift by a millimeter or more. The plate is plated brass, not German silver. The chatons are glued or painted. The engraving is stamped.
If you are buying
Ask for the serial number, service records, and photos of the movement. Send the serial to A. Lange & Söhne in Glashütte. The company confirms authenticity for owners and dealers. Meet the seller at a watchmaker who has a caseback tool. If the seller refuses an inspection, stop.