Is there a decent quality A.Lange&Sohne rep out there? I like the Tourbograph Pour le Merite or the The Langematik Perpetual. I'm still a noob learning which movements are actually attempted by the Asians.
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A.Lange&Sohne Rep Quality
- Thread starter Minion
- Start date
Happy to see your question here. I posted a similar question under "wanted" a little over a week ago and I've corresponded with a number of dealers that I've come to trust. Most have told me that there just aren't any good A. Lange reps yet. I purchased two anyway and while they're decent watches they're not very impressive. Since the dealer warned me about this upfront and since that's what they all told me I'd rather not say where I bought them; no point in anything reading anything negative into a dealer who was honest and who has been a pleasure to deal with.
I'll follow this board also and would appreciate a heads up if you find anything contrary to what I've posted here.
I'll follow this board also and would appreciate a heads up if you find anything contrary to what I've posted here.
The problem with Lange is that their movements cannot be replicated with the standard off-the-shelf movements available to the rep makers. Sadly that means that there aren't any really decent Lange reps around.
Greg, aside from the movement, are there any nice copies out there as far as appearance that you know of?
- 30/3/08
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I think what Greg ment is that the MVTs available to rep makers do not place the complications in the correct place on the dial thereby makeing a decent replica even as far as appearance, impossible.
Col.
Col.
manickel said:
Nope - as Trailboss said, the incorrect movement geometry makes producing an accurate dial appearance pretty much impossible. There's really only cheapies available - some of them are not unattractive, but they don't bear comparison with the real thing. Ultimately it depends on how particular you are, but to me they look and feel like the cheap watches they are.
- 30/3/08
- 42,551
- 12,979
- 113
An L&S is an entirly different properistion to a Rolex, Briet or even a Patak. It is a truly hand made master piece that takes a single watchmaker months or even years to complete.
Making a decent copy of one even with the correct MVt would be next to impossible. I have just finished reading their catalogue set I recently recived and the workmenship in these jiggers is just amazing. The torque equalising power train in the top models for example contains a chain drive with a chain of some 600 parts! It's just a different level of watchmakeing that can't realy be reped, it just won't feel right compared to a Rolex which is a copy of something which itself is mass produced.
Col.
Making a decent copy of one even with the correct MVt would be next to impossible. I have just finished reading their catalogue set I recently recived and the workmenship in these jiggers is just amazing. The torque equalising power train in the top models for example contains a chain drive with a chain of some 600 parts! It's just a different level of watchmakeing that can't realy be reped, it just won't feel right compared to a Rolex which is a copy of something which itself is mass produced.
Col.
trailboss99 said:
Exactly right.
Stick to the slightly less exotic marques - they're far easier to rep and much more convincing.
- 30/3/08
- 42,551
- 12,979
- 113
Personaly I'd never buy a Sub, a Pam or a SOSF etc even if I could afford to. Why pay stupid prices for something when for a fraction of the price you can have fun building a franken or moding a rep and get something that for all intents and purposes is just as good. But with watches from folk like Lang, the top end of Patak or Glasshutte you just can't do that. These things are works of art not a consumer item and owning one would be a great privelege. A client of mine has a cpl of Langs and several other top end pieces, the cheapest watch I have ever seen him wear is his PN 'tona. I am fortunate to have handeled his collection and you just can't get across in words how special it is to hold one of these pieces.
He has a Lang31. These have a 31 day power reserve requireing a winding key to supply the torque to wind the massivey powerfull main spring as well as the afore mentioned torque equalising power train.
Just the most amazing piece of mechanics you have ever seen as well as an object of beauty.
Don't know WTF it's worth, more than my house proberly but it's actualy worth what you pay, you can see where the money went (not the advertising budget) and it's a good investment to boot.
Col.
He has a Lang31. These have a 31 day power reserve requireing a winding key to supply the torque to wind the massivey powerfull main spring as well as the afore mentioned torque equalising power train.
Just the most amazing piece of mechanics you have ever seen as well as an object of beauty.
Don't know WTF it's worth, more than my house proberly but it's actualy worth what you pay, you can see where the money went (not the advertising budget) and it's a good investment to boot.
Col.
I bought a decent rep of an ALS Grand Arkade (sp?) dress watch in rose gold several years back, and it's really pretty accurate, all except for the usual flaw: the date window at the top is much smaller than that of the gen. Otherwise a good-looking watch that only a true ALS aficianado would spot as a rep. As for the others, I also have a Lange 1 moonphase but, as others point out, you just can't adapt off the shelf movements to ALS watches so the small subdial that on the gen is for running seconds is on mine a 24-hour military time recorder. Also, the case is noticeably larger and thicker than that of the gen. But if you want a ALS "approximation", it's not tht bad, still a handsome piece. I got mine probably 4 years ago, but I think watcheden has something similar.