A replica 1815 Chronograph is a copy of the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph, a hand-wound chronograph that A. Lange & Söhne released in 2004. Replicas sell for $200 to $900. The genuine watch sells for about $55,000 to $90,000 on the secondary market. No replica contains a Lange movement. Copies use Seagull ST19 or Asian 7750 base movements.

Genuine 1815 Chronograph specs

  • Case: 39.5 mm diameter, 11.0 mm thick
  • Movement: L951.5, hand-wound, column wheel, flyback
  • Frequency: 18,000 vph, 2.5 Hz
  • Power reserve: 60 hours
  • Crystal: sapphire front and back
  • Dial: running seconds at 8 o'clock, chronograph minutes at 4 o'clock, no date

The 2015 update, ref. 414.026, added a pulsation scale to the outer dial. The original ref. 401.026 has a plain minute track. Both have two subdials and no date window.

Movements used in replicas

Most copies of this model use one of two base movements.

Seagull ST19

Hand-wound. Column wheel. 21,600 vph, 3 Hz. No rotor. This is the closer match to the genuine layout because the genuine watch is hand-wound. Copies with this movement measure 12.5 mm to 14 mm thick, against 11.0 mm for the genuine case.

Asian 7750

Automatic. 28,800 vph. Cam-actuated, not column wheel. A rotor sits under the caseback, which the genuine watch does not have.

Common tells on a replica

  • Case thickness above 12 mm
  • Subdials that do not sit at 4 and 8 o'clock
  • Balance cock engraving that is stamped or printed
  • Dial text with soft or doubled edges
  • Caseback screws with uneven slots

Legal status in the United States

Federal law bans trafficking in counterfeit goods under 18 U.S.C. § 2320. U.S. Customs and Border Protection can seize shipments of counterfeit watches. Selling a counterfeit watch as a genuine item is a separate offense. Buyers in the US carry the risk of seizure and of receiving goods that do not match the listing.

What to check before buying

  1. Ask which movement is inside: Seagull ST19 or Asian 7750.
  2. Ask for case diameter and thickness in millimeters.
  3. Ask for photos of the caseback.
  4. Confirm the return window in writing.
  5. Confirm the seller labels the item as a replica.

Unknown: production totals for any replica run. Sellers do not publish them.