The search term "fake Lange 2 405.031" points to replica versions of the A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Up/Down, reference 405.031, an 18k pink gold flyback chronograph with an outsize date. A. Lange & Söhne has never built a model called the Lange 2, so any listing using that name is guessing at the product. A replica of this watch can pass at arm's length, but the movement, the pusher feel, and the date mechanism give it away.
What Is A. Lange & Söhne Reference 405.031?
Reference 405.031 is the Datograph Up/Down in 18k pink gold with a black dial. A. Lange & Söhne added the Up/Down version to the Datograph line in 2012, and it stays one of the brand's best-known chronographs.
The dial carries a flyback chronograph, a jumping minute counter, an outsize date, and a power reserve scale at 6 o'clock. That power reserve display is where the "Up/Down" name comes from, and it is also the detail replicas get wrong most often.
Specs to confirm before you compare
- Case: 18k pink gold, roughly 41 mm across
- Movement: manual wind, in-house caliber, column wheel chronograph
- Functions: flyback chrono, jumping minute counter, outsize date, power reserve
- Case back: sapphire, with a hand-engraved balance cock
- Dial: black with applied pink gold markers and printed scales
Check the current numbers on the brand's own model page before you judge any listing. Reference codes change with metal and dial variants, and sellers mix them up.
Why Do People Search for a "Lange 2"?
A. Lange & Söhne does not make a Lange 2. The catalog runs the Lange 1, Grand Lange 1, Little Lange 1, Saxonia, 1815, Richard Lange, Datograph, and Zeitwerk families.
Listings that say "Lange 2" usually copied a title from a Lange 1 ad and swapped a digit. When a seller gets the model name wrong, treat the rest of the description as copied too.
Can a Replica Copy a Datograph?
The case, dial, and hands are the easy parts. Any decent replica factory can color a steel case to look like pink gold, print a black dial, and fit sapphire glass.
The movement is a different problem. A real Datograph runs an in-house caliber with a column wheel, Glashütte ribbing, blued screws, and a hand-engraved balance cock. Replica makers cannot copy that at replica prices, so they drop in a generic Chinese chronograph movement with a different layout inside.
What a good replica gets right
- Overall silhouette and case diameter on the wrist
- Dial color, basic subdial positions, and hand shape
- Sapphire crystal and a display back
- Weight that feels closer to gold than bare steel, on the better tiers
What no replica gets right
- The jumping minute counter, which should snap once per minute
- The outsize date, which should flip both discs at the same instant
- Movement finish, engraving, and the feel of the winding action
- Pusher travel, which is short and crisp on the real watch and mushy on copies
Red Flags on a Fake 405.031
- Date digits sit uneven, with one number riding higher than the other
- The chrono minute hand sweeps or drags instead of jumping
- Case back shows stamped plates, no engraving, and one serial number reused across units
- Metal hallmarks are missing or stamped in the wrong place
- Dial printing looks thin, with wrong spacing in the brand signature
- The watch feels light for a gold case
- No box, no papers, and stock photos instead of shots of the actual unit
What Do Replicas of This Reference Cost?
- 150 to 300 USD: quartz or low-grade automatic, wrong case shape, mineral glass
- 300 to 600 USD: better case, sapphire crystal, decorated but generic movement
- 600 to 1,200 USD: sold as a "super clone," still a generic chronograph inside
- Above 1,200 USD: usually the same watch as the 500 USD tier with a better story
No price tier delivers a working clone of the original caliber. If a seller claims a true 1:1 clone, ask for a video that shows the movement running while the pushers are used.
How to Check a Listing Before You Pay
- Compare the stated case size and movement against the brand's own page
- Ask for dated photos of the exact watch, not catalog images
- Request a clear video of the chronograph starting, stopping, and resetting
- Ask for a photo of the case back with the movement visible
- Search the seller's name in owner forums and check for disputes
- Pay with a method that allows a chargeback, and avoid bank transfers
What You Give Up With a Replica
- Service: the brand will not touch it, and many independent watchmakers will not either
- Water resistance: ratings on replicas are claims, not tests
- Resale: value drops the moment the box opens
- Legal risk: owning a counterfeit is allowed in some countries, but selling, importing, or shipping one is a problem in most
FAQ
Is a fake Lange 405.031 worth buying?
It depends on what you want from it. As a visual stand-in for a watch that sells in the tens of thousands, a 300 to 500 USD replica does the job from across a table. As a mechanical object, it will not age like a real chronograph, and repairs cost more than the watch.
Can a jeweler tell a replica Datograph from the real one?
Yes, in seconds. The date jump, the engraved balance cock, and the finish on the movement are the usual tells, and a loupe settles the question.
Does a replica Lange hold value?
No. Replica prices fall the moment you open the box, and buyers on the secondhand market pay a fraction of what you spent.
How long does a replica chronograph last?
A generic chronograph movement in a cheap case can run a few years with light use. Heavy use of the pushers wears the mechanism faster, and many owners never service a replica because the cost exceeds the price of the watch.
Is the original 405.031 still made?
Check the brand's current catalog for that answer. Lange retires and revises references, so a code that was live a few years ago may sit only on the secondhand market now.