The replica Lange 2 Perpetual 725.038 copies the pink gold A. Lange & Söhne perpetual calendar, and the blunt answer is that almost none of them contain a true perpetual calendar. Most versions reproduce the dial layout, the outsize date, and the moon phase window, while the calendar underneath runs on a standard 31 day date wheel or a quartz module. Buy the watch for the look, and only after you confirm which functions actually move.
What this reference is known for
The genuine watch is a pink gold perpetual calendar with an outsize date, a moon phase display, and a day and night indicator. Its identity sits in the dial: an off center main time dial, a smaller subdial for the calendar readout, and the double date window in the upper right. A replica worth buying gets that geometry right. A replica worth avoiding stretches the case, shrinks the subdial, or prints a date font that reads thin and flat.
Prerequisites
- Know your wrist size in millimeters and compare it to the stated case width, not the lug to lug guess in a listing photo.
- Decide in advance whether you want working calendar functions or a look only piece, because those are two different purchases.
- Confirm the seller accepts returns and states which payment method protects you.
- Check what your country charges on imported watch shipments and who pays a seizure.
Inspection steps
- Compare the listing photos against the official reference images and confirm the subdial positions, date window placement, and hand shapes match the 725.038 layout.
- Request a live video, not a photo set, so you can see the second hand sweep and hear the movement.
- Ask the seller to advance the date on camera and watch whether the outsize date jumps instantly or drags across the window.
- Ask for a close shot of the moon phase disc and count the stars and moon position for alignment outside the printed window.
- Measure the case with calipers in the video and compare the number to the specification quoted.
- Ask which movement is inside and whether it is a decorated automatic, a quartz module, or a hand wound copy.
- Weigh the watch on camera, since a case that feels light usually means plated brass rather than stainless steel.
- Inspect the strap, lugs, and clasp for sharp edges, uneven stitching, or a logo etched off center.
- Wind the watch and set it down for 24 hours to verify the stated power reserve.
- Treat any water resistance claim as decoration and keep the watch away from water.
Red flags
- Stock photos only, with no real image of the actual unit.
- A promise of a fully functional perpetual calendar at a low price, since the module alone costs more than the whole watch.
- No stated factory or movement name.
- Refusal to show the caseback or the date change on video.
Ownership notes
Expect the calendar to be a month wheel rather than a perpetual mechanism, so plan to reset it after short months. Keep the crown pushed in, store the watch away from magnets, and have a local bench look at the movement if it starts losing minutes a day. Servicing a copy is often cheaper than replacing it, but only if the movement is a common automatic calibre that a general watchmaker can source parts for.