The short answer
If you want a replica Tourbograph 510.105 because you like the dial, the proportions, and the look of a hand-wound tourbillon chronograph, a good replica can get you most of the way there for a fraction of the price. If you want the mechanics, it cannot. No replica reproduces the fusee-and-chain transmission that defines the Pour le Merite line, and most listings that use the 510.105 reference are built around a decorative tourbillon or a basic Chinese tourbillon with a chronograph module stacked on top. Buy it as a visual object and you will be happy. Buy it as an engineering object and you will not.
What a Tourbograph actually is
The Tourbograph sits in A. Lange & Sohne's Pour le Merite family, and the name is a contraction: tourbillon plus chronograph. Those watches use a fusee-and-chain transmission, a cone and chain system that keeps the torque reaching the escapement steady as the mainspring unwinds. Adding a chronograph to that made the Tourbograph the first wristwatch to combine a tourbillon, a chronograph, and a fusee-and-chain in one movement. The reference 510.105 belongs to that line: precious metal, hand-wound, a one-minute tourbillon, and a column-wheel chronograph.
Why the reference number does not lock anything down
In the replica market a reference number is a search term, not a specification. Two sellers can both list a 510.105 with different case diameters, dial finishes, and movements. Some use catalog photos of the genuine watch. Ask for dated photos of the actual unit, including the caseback and the movement, and compare the subdial spacing and the date or power-reserve layout against the original before you pay. If a seller cannot show you the movement, assume the worst.
Movement tiers, and what each one means
- Decorative tourbillon: an open aperture with a spinning balance or a cage that does not rotate the way a tourbillon does. It reads as motion on the wrist and nothing more.
- Real but basic tourbillon: Chinese tourbillon calibers (Seagull and Hangzhou are the common bases) do have a true rotating cage. Finishing is machine-level, regulation is coarse, and rate stability varies from unit to unit.
- Tourbillon plus chronograph module: the chronograph is usually a stacked module rather than an integrated column-wheel design. Pusher feel is soft and the reset can be sloppy.
None of these tiers include a fusee-and-chain. That mechanism is the reason the original costs what it costs, and it is the first thing a replica drops.
What to inspect in person
- Dial printing. Look at the text under a loupe. Thick or blurry lettering is the fastest tell.
- Hands. Check the bevels and the finish. Painted blue is common, heat-blued steel is not.
- Case profile. Lugs should taper and the bezel should be even all the way around.
- Caseback engraving. Shallow laser etching stands out next to deep stamped or engraved work.
- Chronograph behavior. Start, stop, reset. The reset should snap back to zero every time.
- Timegrapher numbers. Ask for amplitude and rate. Low amplitude on a hand-wound tourbillon means a service is coming.
Wear, service, and the parts nobody mentions
A tourbillon chronograph is a thick watch, and replicas rarely improve on that. Try to handle one before buying, because a 40mm-plus case with a domed crystal sits differently than the photos suggest. Servicing is the real long-term problem. Many independent watchmakers will not work on replica tourbillons, and parts are not available through normal channels. If the movement stops, you may be looking at a replacement rather than a repair.
The legal and ownership side
Counterfeit watches infringe trademarks, and importing them into the United States is not permitted. Resale value is close to zero, and no replica carries a legitimate Swiss made designation no matter what the caseback says. Go in with clear eyes about all of that.
Bottom line
For the price of a decent replica Tourbograph 510.105 you get the silhouette, the dial layout, and a moving tourbillon cage. You do not get the chain, the finishing, or the chronograph architecture. If that trade sounds fine, the watch is worth a look. If you are chasing the mechanism, save for something honest instead.