Fake A. Lange & Söhne watches sold in gold colors hold little or no gold. The cases are brass or steel with a plating layer 1 to 5 microns thick. Solid 18k gold Lange cases carry a 750 stamp and a German hallmark. Plated copies do not. Weight and density tests split the two groups in under a minute.
What the copies are made of
Replica factories in Guangzhou and Shenzhen build Lange copies in three tiers:
- Steel case with gold-color PVD coating, 0.5 to 2 microns. Street price $80 to $250.
- Brass case with gold electroplating, 2 to 5 microns. Price $200 to $600.
- Steel or brass case sold as "18k gold." Gold content, if any, sits in the plating.
Tungsten alloy shows up in some fakes. Its density runs 17 to 18.5 g/cm³, close to gold. Tungsten is gray, so it needs plating to pass a glance test.
Weight and density
18k yellow gold has a density near 15.5 g/cm³. Brass sits at 8.4 to 8.7 g/cm³. Stainless steel sits at 7.8 g/cm³. White gold runs 15 to 16.8 g/cm³ depending on the alloy. A Lange 1 case in 18k gold weighs 40 to 55 grams. The same case in brass weighs 22 to 30 grams. Genuine Lange 1 watches on a strap run above 100 grams. Plated copies land near 60 to 90 grams. A kitchen scale with 0.1 g resolution shows the gap at once.
Hallmarks and stamps
German gold hallmarks use a crescent moon and a crown plus a fineness number. 18k gold reads "750." A. Lange & Söhne stamps its cases with the fineness, the maker mark, and a serial number. Copy makers laser-engrave the same marks. A stamp carries no legal weight on its own. Lab testing decides the question.
Tests that work
- Specific gravity. Weigh the watch dry, weigh it in water, divide. A reading under 12 g/cm³ rules out solid gold. Air pockets in a hollow case distort the result.
- XRF. An X-ray fluorescence gun reads the top few microns to 0.1 mm. Plated items report gold. The gun cannot see the core metal.
- Acid test. Nitric acid leaves 18k gold alone and attacks brass and copper. The test damages plating and voids a return.
- Ultrasonic thickness gauge. This measures plating depth on a flat caseback.
- Fire assay. A refiner cuts the case and melts a sample. This is the final answer and it destroys the watch.
Movement and finish
A. Lange & Söhne builds its own movements. Features include the Glashütte three-quarter plate, a hand-engraved balance cock, screwed gold chatons, and blued screws. The Lange 1 uses an off-center dial, a big date, and an "Auf/Ab" power reserve hand. Copy movements include the Seagull ST25 and decorated Asian automatics. Copy makers print patterns on rotor plates to mimic engraving. A 10x loupe shows laser etching, flat surfaces, and no beveled edges (anglage).
Prices and legal status
Gold A. Lange & Söhne models sell in the tens of thousands of dollars. Exact figures change with the catalog and the metal market. Gold traded above $2,000 per troy ounce in 2024 and crossed $3,000 in 2025. An 18k gold case holds 75% gold by weight. That floor sets a material cost no plated brass copy can beat. U.S. law bars import of counterfeit goods under 19 U.S.C. § 1526 and 15 U.S.C. § 1124. U.S. Customs and Border Protection seizes such goods at the border.
Limits of any check
No visual check settles gold content. Two cases with the same shape can differ in alloy. A refiners report or a lab assay gives a number in writing. Buy from a dealer that accepts a return after assay, or skip the risk and buy steel.