Quick answer
A fake Saxonia 380.022 is a copy made to pass as an A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia Automatik. Copies fail in four places: the outsize date, the hand-engraved balance cock, the movement finishing seen through the caseback, and the case markings and serial. If any one of those four is wrong, the watch is not genuine. Confirm the reference against Lange's own documentation before any money changes hands.
What the genuine reference is
The 380.022 belongs to the Saxonia Automatik family, a self-winding line built around a 38.5 mm case class with a two-disc outsize date, a small seconds subdial, and the L086.1 calibre with about a three-day power reserve. The movement carries a three-quarter plate in untreated German silver, screwed gold chatons, blued screws, and a balance cock finished with a floral engraving cut by hand. Lange publishes a full specification for each reference, so treat any seller description that does not match the official sheet as unverified.
Before you inspect
- A loupe of 10x or higher
- Digital calipers
- A small scale that reads in grams
- The official reference sheet for the 380.022, saved offline
- A watchmaker who can open a caseback without marking it
- Daylight or a bright, diffuse lamp
Inspection steps
- Read the reference and serial off the caseback and compare their placement against the official diagram.
- Measure the case diameter, thickness, and lug width and compare each figure to the published numbers.
- Weigh the watch head on its own, since a solid gold case runs heavier than a plated brass or steel copy.
- Advance the outsize date through a full month and watch both discs land in the same plane.
- Set a single-digit date such as the 8th and check that the tens disc sits blank and centered instead of showing part of a zero.
- Pull the crown to the setting position, confirm the seconds hand hacks, then wind and judge the resistance in the crown.
- Turn the watch over and identify the three-quarter plate, the gold chatons, and the gold rotor.
- Check each screw slot for polished edges and a blued head rather than a painted one.
- Study the balance cock engraving under the loupe and look for varying depth and hand-cut lines.
- Inspect the dial printing, the applied markers, and the heat-blued hands under magnification.
- Compare the strap stitching, the buckle engraving, and the spring bar fit against Lange hardware.
- Have a watchmaker remove the caseback and confirm the calibre number, the balance system, and the rotor engraving.
Red flags that show up on copies
- Date numerals in a font that is too thick or too narrow against the genuine dial
- Uniform, machine-cut engraving on the balance cock with no tool marks
- A rotor with a printed logo instead of an engraved solid gold mass
- A soft or shallow logo on the crown
- Case markings laser-etched on the outside where the genuine uses struck marks on the inside
- Complete paperwork at a price far under market, which is the oldest tell of all
What a visual check cannot prove
A convincing copy can use a real gold case and a decorated automatic movement, so a hands-on look settles only part of the question. A watchmaker with the movement on the bench can compare the calibre, the escapement, and the finishing to factory drawings, and that is the only conclusive test. Keep the two transactions separate in your head: a replica sold as a replica is one thing, while a counterfeit sold as an original Lange is fraud. If a seller claims a 380.022 is genuine, ask for the serial, the service history, and a written inspection by an independent watchmaker before you pay.