Short answer
A. Lange & Söhne has never sold a watch called the Lange 2. The Glashütte brand's line begins with the Lange 1, released on October 24, 1994, followed by the Lange 1 Moon Phase, Lange 1 Time Zone, Lange 1 Daymatic, and Lange 1 Tourbillon. A listing for a "replica Lange 2 platinum" means one of two things: a copy of the Lange 1, or the second production version of a Lange 1 copy. Some sellers use the number 2 as a batch code.
The platinum label covers the case finish. No replica at common replica prices carries a solid platinum 950 case. Platinum costs more per gram than gold, and a solid platinum case would push the price past USD 5,000 on metal alone. Replica cases are stainless steel with rhodium, chrome, or platinum-group plating.
Platinum in the genuine Lange 1
A genuine Lange 1 in platinum 950 measures 38.5 mm across and 10.2 mm thick. Caliber L901.0 is hand wound, runs two mainspring barrels, and holds a 72-hour power reserve. Platinum 950 has a density near 20.7 g/cm3. Steel sits near 7.9 g/cm3 and 18k white gold near 15.5 g/cm3. The same case shape in platinum has about 2.6 times the mass of steel. Platinum is a metal, not a color. A silver dial does not make a case platinum. Genuine platinum Lange 1 references trade on the secondary market between USD 30,000 and 45,000.
What a replica "Lange 2 platinum" contains
- Case: 316L stainless steel, 38 mm to 42 mm, with white plating
- Movement: Chinese or Japanese automatic; quartz on the cheapest tier
- Power reserve: 36 to 42 hours on automatic units
- Power reserve hand: printed or fixed on most units; it does not track the mainspring
- Crystal: mineral glass on low tiers, sapphire on mid and high tiers
- Weight: 70 g to 110 g, in the range of a steel watch
- Price: USD 120 to 450 in most listings
- Caseback: display back with stamped plates that mimic the Glashütte three-quarter plate
How to test a platinum claim
Ask for a photo of the caseback stamp. Platinum 950 is marked Pt950, 950Pt, or Plat. Steel replicas carry no metal stamp, or carry a stamped mark that does not match the metal. Three tests settle the question:
- Density. Weigh the watch, then weigh it while submerged in water. Divide the dry weight by the difference. Platinum returns a number near 20; steel returns a number near 8.
- X-ray fluorescence. A jeweler with an XRF gun reads the surface alloy in seconds. Plating shows as a thin layer over iron or nickel.
- Acid test. Platinum resists nitric acid. Steel and chrome plating react.
A watch that fails all three has a steel case. Plating thickness on replica cases runs 2 to 5 microns and wears through at the lugs and crown within a year or two of daily wear.
What replicas do not copy
The outsize date on a Lange 1 uses two separate date discs and a patented mechanism that advances them at midnight. Replica copies print the date on one disc or glue two windows on top of a single wheel. The hand-engraved balance cock on caliber L901.0 is cut by one engraver in Glashütte; replica engraving is stamped by machine. The 72-hour reserve comes from twin barrels; replicas run one. The screwed gold chatons and blued screws on a genuine movement are functional parts; on a replica they are cosmetic. No replica carries an A. Lange & Söhne warranty, service record, or serial number in the brand's database.
Legal note
US Customs can seize counterfeit watches under 19 U.S.C. § 1526. Trafficking in counterfeit goods is a criminal offense under 18 U.S.C. § 2320. Selling a replica as a genuine A. Lange & Söhne is trademark infringement in the United States and the European Union.