Short answer
Lange never made a watch called the Lange 2. The name is replica-market shorthand for the second generation of A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 copies: the first batch nailed the off-center dial, the second batch added closer case proportions, a working outsize date, and a decorated movement. So the useful question is not whether a listing is "Lange 2" but which generation of Lange 1 copy it is, and how close the case, dial, and date mechanism sit to the real specs.
What the term covers
Sellers apply "Lange 2" to copies of the Lange 1, the Grand Lange 1, the Little Lange 1, and sometimes the Lange 1 Moon Phase. Case diameter is the fastest way to tell which genuine reference is being copied, because the three main lines sit in different size brackets. A copy labeled Lange 2 with a 42 mm case is matching the Grand Lange 1, not the standard Lange 1.
Prerequisites
- Digital calipers that read to 0.1 mm
- Reference photos of the genuine model from an authorized catalog
- A 10x loupe
- A timegrapher or a phone timing app
- A seller who accepts returns in writing
How to evaluate a replica Lange 2
- Identify which genuine reference the seller is copying, and write down its official diameter, thickness, and lug width.
- Measure the case with calipers, then compare all three numbers against the spec sheet you wrote down.
- Check the thickness first, since copies run 1 to 2 mm thick far more often than they run wide.
- Look at the outsize date window with the loupe and confirm both digits sit on the same baseline with matching font weight.
- Watch the date change at midnight to see whether both discs jump together or one drags behind.
- Inspect the dial furniture and confirm the markers are applied metal rather than printed paint with soft edges.
- Turn the watch over and read the movement, checking for a three-quarter plate, Glashütte ribbing, screwed gold chatons, and an engraved balance cock.
- Time the watch in three positions and note the rate spread, since a stable spread points to a regulated movement and a wide one does not.
- Ask the seller for timestamped photos of the exact unit, not catalog images, plus the return window and payment terms.
Red flags
- Movement photos that are missing, blurred, or borrowed from another listing
- A "Swiss made" claim paired with an obvious mass-produced automatic movement
- An outsize date that changes over several hours instead of in one jump
- Case thickness above roughly 11 mm on a model that should be under 10 mm
- No written return policy, or payment only by methods with no buyer protection
Quick verdict
A replica Lange 2 is worth buying only when the proportions, the date mechanism, and the visible finishing hold up under a loupe, and when the seller backs the sale with a return window. Judge the copy against the genuine reference specs, not against other listings, and the generation labels stop mattering.