What Is a Fake Tourbograph Perpetual Calendar?
A fake Tourbograph Perpetual Calendar is a replica of the A. Lange & Söhne Tourbograph Perpetual Pour le Mérite, a platinum limited edition that stacks a tourbillon, a rattrapante chronograph, and a perpetual calendar inside one case. The original was built in a run of 50 pieces and trades well into six figures. Replicas copy the case outline, dial layout, and engraving, but the mechanical depth behind the dial is a different story.
Which Complications Actually Work on a Replica?
Complication count is the main thing separating a $250 replica from a $1,500 one. Use this breakdown when you compare listings.
- Tourbillon: Higher tiers use a real Chinese tourbillon escapement. Budget models show an open aperture with a spinning cage that does not regulate the balance.
- Rattrapante chronograph: Most replicas run a standard chronograph, so both seconds hands move together and the split pusher is cosmetic.
- Perpetual calendar: Usually a full calendar. Day, date, and month advance, yet 31-day months need manual correction and true leap year logic is rare.
- Moon phase: Often a 24-hour day and night disc instead of a 29.5-day lunar cycle.
- Fusée and chain: Decorative at best. No replica reproduces the constant force chain drive.
How Does a Replica Compare With the Original?
The original uses a hand-wound in-house movement with a one-minute tourbillon, a 30-minute rattrapante counter, and calendar indications that include a big date, day, month, leap year, and moon phase. Its case measures about 43 mm across and sits tall on the wrist because of the layered movement. Most replicas land between 42 mm and 44 mm, run thinner, and carry far less hand finishing on the bridges and screws.
What Should You Inspect Before Buying?
- Ask for a video of the chronograph and the split pusher. A working rattrapante resets on its own, while a dummy pusher does nothing.
- Request a caseback photo. A balance wheel with a bridge over it points to a standard movement, not a tourbillon.
- Watch the date change. Confirm whether the date jumps or creeps, and note the time it flips.
- Confirm thickness and weight. The real watch is heavy platinum, while replicas are steel with plating.
- Ask about water resistance. Most replicas are splash resistant only and should never see a pool.
Replica Price Tiers
- Entry, about $150 to $350: quartz or basic automatic, decorative tourbillon aperture, calendar that needs correction every month.
- Mid, about $400 to $900: hand-wound chronograph base such as a Seagull ST19, working date and moon phase, no perpetual logic.
- High, about $1,000 to $3,000: real tourbillon escapement, sapphire caseback, closer case dimensions, cleaner engraving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are replica perpetual calendars accurate?
No. Most replicas use a full calendar module that advances to 31 and then drops back, so February and 30-day months require manual correction.
Does the replica tourbillon improve timekeeping?
Not in practice. A tourbillon counters gravity effects in a pocket watch orientation, so on a wristwatch its effect on rate is small.
Is it legal to buy a replica watch?
Owning a replica is legal in the United States in most cases, while selling counterfeit goods is not. The Lange name, logo, and design rights stay with the brand.
How Should You Care for a Replica Tourbograph?
Set the calendar outside the change window, which usually runs from late evening to early morning, so the gears do not jam. Leave a non-functional split pusher alone, because forcing it can strip the mechanism. Service the movement every three to five years and store the watch away from magnets and moisture.