The best Datograph Up/Down grey dial replicas get the 41mm case, the outsize date at 12 o'clock and the three-register dial right; the weakest ones fail at 6 o'clock, where the power reserve is printed or frozen instead of linked to the mainspring. Expect to pay $350 to $1,200 for a convincing example. Judge the date mechanism and the dial tone first, because those two decide whether the watch reads correctly from arm's length.
What does the genuine Datograph Up/Down grey dial look like?
A. Lange & Söhne builds the Datograph Up/Down around a 41mm case, a hand-wound chronograph caliber with a 60-hour power reserve, and an outsize date that changes in one step. Grey dial versions pair a cool anthracite surface with rhodium-treated markers, so the color shifts between charcoal and near-black depending on the light.
lange datograph up/down super clone
The layout is deliberately asymmetric. Small seconds sit at 8 o'clock, the jumping 30-minute counter at 4 o'clock, and the AUF/AB power reserve arc at 6 o'clock under the big date.
Lange Datograph Up/Down Copy Watch Guide
What should you check first on a grey dial replica?
- Dial tone. Good replicas use a matte galvanic grey close to the original. Cheap ones look flat black indoors and turn blue-grey under daylight.
- Print and markers. The minute track should be crisp, and applied markers should sit level with no glue halo.
- Date window. Both digits belong on separate discs, centered in the aperture, with matching font weight.
- Subdial spacing. Registers at 8, 4 and 6 o'clock must line up with the case center; drift of a millimeter is visible on a wrist.
Is the power reserve indicator on a replica functional?
Usually not. Most replicas print the AUF/AB arc on the dial or fit a hand that never moves. A few higher-tier builds add a real reserve module driven off the barrel, and those cost more.
lange datograph up/down super clone
To test one, wind the watch fully and watch the hand travel across the arc over a day or two. If it stays put, the feature is cosmetic.
Which movement sits inside these replicas?
Most grey dial Datograph Up/Down replicas run a hand-wound Seagull ST19-family chronograph or a decorated clone, since a manual chronograph is easier to replicate than an automatic with the same layout. Some builds add perlage, blued screws and a Lange-style balance cock for display-back photos.
The genuine caliber is a flyback chronograph. On a replica the flyback function is usually absent, so the lower pusher simply resets the counters to zero.
How do you spot a bad outsize date?
A correct replica uses two independent discs, one for each digit, that jump together when the crown is turned. A poor one prints the date on a single disc, so the numbers change as a block and the spacing between them looks wide.
Set the date through a full month cycle and watch for lag, half-jumps or a digit that sits low in the window.
What do the case and finishing reveal?
Genuine cases measure about 41mm across and 13mm thick, with a mix of brushed flanks and polished bevels that catch light along a sharp line. Many replicas run 1mm to 2mm thicker, which pushes the watch off the wrist and makes the lugs look stubby.
Check the lug profile from the side, the crispness of the bezel edge, and whether the crown and pushers align with the case center line.
What are the replica price tiers?
- Entry, $120 to $300. Printed date, static reserve hand, base quartz or low-grade automatic, thin plating.
- Mid, $350 to $700. Working chronograph, two-disc date on better builds, correct dial tone, solid case finish.
- Top, $800 to $1,200. Decorated hand-wound chronograph, functional reserve on some examples, closer case thickness and sharper hand finishing.
Which flaws give a replica away fastest?
- A power reserve hand that never leaves the full mark.
- Case thickness above 14mm, which changes the side profile.
- Grey dial that reads glossy rather than matte.
- Date digits in a font heavier than the original.
- Chronograph minute counter that drags instead of jumping.
Before you buy
Ask for close-up photos of the date change, the caseback and the reserve hand at two different wind states. Confirm the seller's return window, and check how replica watches are treated under the laws where you live before ordering.