Short answer

"Fake Lange 2 platinum" is a listing term used by replica sellers. A. Lange & Söhne does not make a watch called the Lange 2. The Glashütte catalog holds the Lange 1, the Grand Lange 1, the Lange 1 Moon Phase, and the Lange 1 Time Zone. A listing that reads "Lange 2 platinum" points to a copy of the Lange 1 shape with a case finished in a white metal tone. Platinum is the color reference, not the metal in the case.

The real reference

The Lange 1 launched in 1994. The platinum version uses a PT950 case at 38.5 mm across and 9.8 mm thick. The movement is the L121.1, hand wound, with 72 hours of power reserve. The outsize date uses two discs. One disc carries the tens, one carries the units, and each disc sits behind its own aperture. The caseback is sapphire. The balance cock is hand engraved, so no two pieces match.

What the copies use

  • Case metal: 316L stainless steel. Some sellers use a tungsten alloy to add mass.
  • Finish: rhodium plating or PVD. The color reads white. The hardness does not match PT950.
  • Movement: a decorated Chinese automatic or hand-wind caliber at 21,600 vibrations per hour.
  • Date: a printed disc or a single disc. The two-aperture Lange system is rare in copies.
  • Caseback: sapphire on top grades, mineral glass or solid steel on low grades.

Price ranges

First copy listings for a Lange 1 style watch run $150 to $600. Pages that quote $50 or less point to quartz or alloy builds. Pages that quote $1,200 or more point to a different tier of seller. A real Lange 1 in platinum retails above $50,000. That spread is why the term "first copy" exists.

Five checks

  1. Weight. Platinum runs 21.45 g/cm3. Steel runs 7.9. A platinum watch feels heavy in the hand.
  2. Stamps. Look for "PT950", the Lange name, and a serial number on the caseback and the buckle.
  3. Date. Count the apertures. Two discs means two openings in the dial.
  4. Engraving. A real balance cock shows freehand engraving. Stamped or laser-etched lines are a copy.
  5. Movement finish. Look for screwed gold chatons and a German silver three-quarter plate.

Legal note

In the United States, 18 U.S.C. § 2320 covers trafficking in counterfeit goods. A conviction carries prison time and fines. U.S. Customs and Border Protection can seize a parcel that carries a counterfeit mark. Import of a single watch can end in a seizure letter. Resale of a watch with a copied logo is a federal offense.