Short answer
A. Lange & Söhne does not make a watch called the Lange 2. The Saxon maker's published catalog covers the Lange 1, Grand Lange 1, Little Lange 1, and Lange 1 Moon Phase. The code 401.021 does not fit the Lange 1 pattern, which starts with 101. Pages and listings that use the phrase "replica Lange 2 401.021" come from third party sellers. No factory specification sheet exists for that name, and no serial range traces to it.
How Lange reference numbers work
Lange uses six digits split into two groups of three. The first group names the family. The second group names the case metal and dial variant. A Lange 1 in yellow gold is 101.021. The same watch in platinum is 101.025. Rose gold versions sit in the 101.03x block. Grand Lange 1 references begin with 115. Little Lange 1 references begin with 111. The 101 block belongs to the Lange 1. Blocks in the 400s appear in other families.
What a replica is
A replica carries the Lange name, the four-lobe mark, and the copied case shape. It is not built by A. Lange & Söhne and holds no factory parts. Case metal is steel with gold plating or gold fill. Dials are printed, not printed on solid silver as genuine Lange dials are. Movements are copied Asian or Swiss ebauches with added engraving. Prices run from about $200 to $900. A pre-owned Lange 1 in yellow gold trades near $25,000 and up.
Legal status in the United States
Counterfeit watches break federal law when they are imported or sold. 18 U.S.C. 2320 covers trafficking in counterfeit goods and carries up to 10 years in prison for a first offense. Trademark owners can sue under the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. 1114, and collect statutory damages without proof of lost sales. U.S. Customs and Border Protection can seize shipments and destroy them. A single watch carried for personal use sits in a different legal position than stock held for resale.
How to tell the two apart
- Balance cock: hand engraved on a genuine Lange, with small differences between watches. Replicas use machine engraving that repeats.
- Main plate: untreated German silver on genuine models, brass on most replicas. German silver is harder and warmer in tone.
- Chatons: screwed gold chatons hold the jewels on real movements. Replicas use plain pressed settings or printed rings.
- Crystal: sapphire front and back on the genuine watch. Many replicas use mineral glass on the back.
- Outsize date: two separate discs with crisp font on the genuine watch. Replicas show uneven spacing and thicker numerals.
- Serial number: stamped on the case back and repeated on the movement. Lange keeps service records that confirm the number.
What to ask before any purchase
Ask for the full reference, the serial number, and a clear photo of the movement through the case back. Send the same data to a Lange boutique or service center for a record check. A watch with no service history and no matching serial fails that check. Replicas hold no resale market and create legal exposure for anyone who sells them.