Short answer
A replica Tourbograph Perpetual Calendar is a copy of the A. Lange & Sohne Tourbograph Perpetual "Pour le Merite," assembled in China. Top-tier versions sell for roughly $700 to $2,000. They do not contain the genuine hand-wound L133.1 calibre, the fuse-and-chain constant-force drive, or the hand-finished perpetual calendar. What they do offer changes by tier: a spinning tourbillon cage, a calendar module, and in some builds a working chronograph. Confirm the movement before you send money.
What the genuine reference does
The original combines four complications in one hand-wound movement: a one-minute tourbillon, a split-seconds chronograph, a perpetual calendar, and a fuse-and-chain transmission that feeds constant torque to the escapement as the mainspring unwinds. Lange produced it as a platinum limited edition of 50 pieces, and the movement alone takes months of hand finishing. Copy factories skip every part of that process that costs time.
What a replica tier actually delivers
Low tiers: a decorative tourbillon bridge that does not rotate, a printed calendar that never changes, and a quartz or basic automatic base. Mid tiers: a real rotating tourbillon cage, a calendar module that advances day, date, and month, and a chronograph that starts and stops. Top tiers: a modified automatic base with a functional cage, a moonphase disc, and dial printing close enough to fool a photo. None of them run a constant-force chain drive.
How to check one before you buy
- Ask the seller which movement sits inside and request a clear photo of the caseback and rotor.
- Request a short video that shows the tourbillon cage completing one full rotation in 60 seconds.
- Have the seller advance the day, date, month, and moonphase one function at a time on camera.
- Watch the chronograph start, stop, and reset, and check that the seconds hand returns to zero.
- Confirm the case measures about 43 mm across and about 13.6 mm thick, matching the reference.
- Ask for the weight in grams, since solid copies land near 120 g and hollow ones near 80 g.
- Compare dial text, hand shape, and case finishing against macro photos of the genuine watch.
- Pay through a method that allows a dispute if the watch arrives with a non-working function.
Price tiers you will see
- $150 to $350: decorative complications, lightweight case, no real calendar stepping.
- $350 to $700: working tourbillon, partial calendar function, basic finishing.
- $700 to $2,000: full calendar module, working chronograph, sapphire crystal, better case polish.
Red flags
- Sellers who promise a genuine Lange movement at a replica price.
- Listings with no movement photo and no video of the tourbillon turning.
- Stated prices under $300 for a watch claimed to have four complications.
- Calendar functions that only jump when the crown is turned by hand.
Care and service
A replica perpetual calendar has more moving parts than a simple three-hand copy, so it needs more attention. Keep it away from strong magnetic fields such as laptop speakers and tablet magnets. Wind it at the same time each day. Never set the calendar between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m., when the gear train is already engaged and the teeth can shear. Have a local watchmaker look at it every two to three years, since factory service is not available.
Legal note
A replica is not a genuine Lange, and selling one as genuine is fraud. Buy and wear it as what it is, and keep the original box and papers out of the deal so nobody mistakes the watch for the real reference.