Quick Answer
A. Lange & Söhne builds only a few thousand watches a year in Glashütte, Germany, and every one of them is mechanical. Fake Lange watches are usually quartz or a generic automatic, they sell for a few hundred dollars, and they fail on four points: the movement, the caseback engraving, the dial printing, and the paperwork. A battery-powered watch, a price under five figures, or a machine-stamped balance cock rules out a real Lange every time.
What Counterfeiters Cannot Copy
Lange makes its own movements from untreated German silver and finishes them by hand. Three features are the hardest to fake:
- Hand-engraved balance cock. Every Lange balance cock carries a floral engraving cut by hand. No two are identical, so a row of look-alike watches is a warning sign.
- Gold chatons and blued screws. The chatons are solid gold and set into the plate. Fakes use plated brass and painted screws.
- German silver plates. The metal has a soft yellow-gray tone. Fakes plate a brass base with white rhodium, which reads brighter and colder under light.
How to Check a Lange Before You Buy
- Ask the seller for the reference number and the case number, and write both down.
- Request a sharp photo of the caseback with the movement in focus.
- Look for a balance wheel and a mainspring barrel; if you see a battery, stop there.
- Examine the balance cock with a 10x loupe and compare the engraving to photos of the same reference.
- Check the caseback and the dial for the country of origin marking.
- Inspect the dial text, the logo, and the hands under a loupe for fuzzy or doubled edges.
- Handle the watch, and note the weight and the feel of the winding; a gold or platinum case feels dense and winds smoothly.
- Send the reference number and the case number to A. Lange & Söhne service, and wait for a reply before you pay.
- Ask for the original invoice, the guarantee booklet, and the box, then confirm the numbers match.
Red Flags
- A caseback marked "Swiss Made."
- A price far below the going rate for that reference.
- A seller who refuses movement photos or an authentication inspection.
- Engraving that looks identical across several watches from the same seller.
- A quartz movement or a snap-on caseback.
- Paperwork with a serial number that does not match the case.
Bottom Line
Buy from an authorized dealer or from a seller who allows an authentication inspection. Lange service can confirm a watch against its own records, and that check costs far less than a counterfeit.