The Lange 1 marketed under reference 380.022 is a hand-wound watch with an asymmetrical dial, and the copies sold under that number fail in three predictable places: the outsized date, the dial printing, and the movement finish. Check those first. The rest of this guide matters, but those three points decide most purchases.
What the reference number covers
380.022 belongs to the Lange 1 family that A. Lange & Sohne relaunched in 1994. The line shares one layout: the main time dial at nine o'clock, the outsized date at the top right, the power reserve indicator at three, the small seconds at five, and the maker's name below the date. The classic Lange 1 case measures 38.5 mm across and roughly 10 mm thick, and it holds the hand-wound L901.0 caliber with a 72-hour power reserve. Variants inside the family change case metal, dial color, and finish, so confirm the metal and diameter listed for 380.022 against the maker's own records before you assume it matches the yellow-gold baseline.
Specs to confirm first
- Case metal and diameter as recorded for this reference, not as described by the seller
- Dial plate material and applied gold numerals and hands
- Outsized date built from two separate discs, not one printed window
- Caliber L901.0, hand-wound, with 72 hours of running reserve
- Caseback engravings, movement number, and case number
Step by step: how to evaluate one
- Photograph the dial straight on with no flash and compare the print weight to manufacturer images.
- Measure the case across the bezel at four o'clock with calipers and record the thickness.
- Set the date through several days and watch both discs move independently.
- Look at the recessed date corrector at ten o'clock and confirm it sits flush with the case band.
- Turn the watch over and study the balance cock engraving under magnification.
- Wind the crown fully and time the reserve against a clock for 24 hours.
- Match the reference and movement numbers to the maker's service records before money changes hands.
Where copies show themselves
- Date numerals that are too wide, too thin, or uneven in height between the two discs
- Subdial printing that sits flat and gray instead of crisp and black
- Blued screws that are painted steel rather than heat-treated
- A power reserve hand that does not track the actual remaining run time
- Case sides that are too thick and lugs that taper at the wrong angle
- Engraving that is shallow, laser-cut, or filled with dark residue
Movement and finishing
Saxon hand-finishing is the hardest thing to copy at a low price. The balance cock on a real Lange 1 carries freehand engraving, and no two are identical. Screwed gold chatons, polished bevels on every steel part, and a hand-engraved ratchet wheel are standard. If the movement looks uniform under a loupe, with flat surfaces and machine-cut edges, the price should reflect a copy, not a Lange.
Price, paperwork, and legal exposure
A gold Lange 1 trades in the five-figure range on the secondary market. A wholesale price far below that, paired with a claim of genuine origin, is the clearest signal you will get. Counterfeit watches infringe registered trademarks, and trafficking in them is a federal offense in the United States. Buying one is a risk; passing one off as genuine is fraud. Treat the reference number, the paperwork, and the engraving as one package, and walk away when any of the three does not line up.