What the Replica Lange 2 405.031 Is

The replica Lange 2 ref 405.031 is a 1:1-style copy of a German dress watch with an off-center main dial, a small seconds subdial near 4 or 5 o'clock, and an outsized date window at the top right. Copies sold under this reference measure 38.5 mm to 41 mm across and come in yellow gold plate, rose gold plate, or steel with a gold-tone finish. Movements range from a decorated automatic fitted with a decorative three-quarter plate to a hand-wound clone with blued screws and gold chatons. The better copies get the case profile, dial printing, and date aperture shape close to the original. The weak ones use a stock movement, a thin case, and a date wheel that sits off-center under the aperture.

Before You Start

  • Know your wrist size. Anything past 40 mm wears large on a dress watch.
  • Set a budget. Good copies sit in the $300 to $900 range.
  • Decide on movement type. Hand-wound clones show better through a display back; automatics are easier to live with.
  • Buy only from a seller who sends QC photos before dispatch.

How to Vet the Watch, Step by Step

  1. Ask the seller for the exact case diameter and thickness in millimeters, not a size class.
  2. Request a straight-on dial photo with no tilt so you can compare the subdial position against the center point.
  3. Ask for a close-up of the date window. The digits should be thin, share one baseline, and sit inside a sharp metal frame.
  4. Ask which movement is inside and who builds it. A decorated hand-wound clone with a swan neck regulator is the benchmark at this level.
  5. Request a caseback photo. Engraved text should be cut into the metal, not printed or laser-etched on the surface.
  6. Check the lugs and the crown. The crown should be signed and should sit flush with the case band.
  7. Ask for a timegrapher readout. Anything inside plus or minus 10 seconds per day is acceptable for the price bracket.
  8. Confirm the strap material and the buckle. Alligator-grain leather and a signed tang buckle are standard here.
  9. Get the return window in writing before you pay, and use a payment method with a dispute process.

Red Flags

  • All photos angled or shot in low light.
  • A price under $150 on a watch listed as Swiss made.
  • No movement name, no case measurements, no return window.
  • Date digits with mismatched stroke weights, or an aperture cut through the dial paint.
  • A Swiss made stamp on a watch with no movement documentation.

What a Copy Can and Cannot Match

The original is finished by hand on a level no copy reproduces: broad Glashütte ribbing across a three-quarter plate, polished bevels, gold chatons held by blued screws, and a hand-engraved balance cock. A replica can carry the same layout and read the same on the wrist, but a loupe settles the question. Treat the purchase as a design piece, not an asset. If service is needed, a local watchmaker can handle a standard clone movement, though parts for a decorated clone may take weeks to source.