Answer First
A. Lange & Söhne built the Zeitwerk Striking Time. It arrived in 2011. The watch shows the time in two windows: hours at 9 o'clock, minutes at 3 o'clock. The numerals jump once per minute. Two gongs sit inside the case. One gong strikes the hour, one gong strikes each quarter hour. No replica of this watch does either job. A listing with the words "replica Zeitwerk strike" describes a case, not a movement.
The Real Watch
The case measures 44.2 mm across. Lange made it in platinum and in pink gold. The dial carries a seconds subdial at 6 o'clock and a power reserve display at 12 o'clock. A pusher at 4 o'clock switches the strike on and off. The hammers sit under the dial and are visible from the front. Lange builds the movement in Glashütte, Germany, in the same house that makes the Datograph and the Lange 1. Total output across all Lange models runs in the low thousands per year. Lange does not publish a model by model count.
New examples sold at Lange boutiques for six figures in US dollars. Secondary market prices for the Striking Time sit in the same range. No authorized seller lists this watch under $10,000.
What Counterfeit Listings Contain
The jumping numeral mechanism is the hard part. Each minute the minute disc and the hour disc snap into a new position through a remontoir. A counterfeit uses a quartz movement or a stock automatic movement. The numerals are printed on flat wheels or painted on a disc that turns at a constant rate. The strike function is absent. Some sellers claim a chiming feature. The sound comes from a small speaker and a battery, not from gongs and hammers.
Sizes drift. A fake case measures 1 mm to 3 mm off the factory 44.2 mm. Weight is lower than the gold original. The crystal may be mineral glass with a coating.
Tells to Check
- Seconds hand. Quartz ticks once per second. A mechanical escapement steps 6 to 8 times per second.
- Strike test. Switch the strike on with the pusher. The hour gong must sound at the top of the hour and the second gong at each quarter.
- Numerals. Watch the minute window at the change. Real discs jump in a fraction of a second. Printed wheels creep or stay fixed.
- Caseback. Look for a hand-engraved balance cock and a serial number that Lange can confirm.
- Papers. Authorized dealers give an invoice with the dealer name, the reference number, and the movement number.
Legal Position in the US
Trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 2320. A first offense by an individual carries up to 10 years in prison and a $2,000,000 fine. Trademark owners can sue for statutory damages of up to $2,000,000 per counterfeit mark per type of goods when the use is willful. U.S. Customs and Border Protection seizes and destroys counterfeit shipments. Importing a counterfeit watch for resale exposes the importer to seizure, fines, and criminal referral.
Checks Before Any Purchase
- Confirm the seller is on the Lange authorized dealer list. Lange does not sell new watches on its own site or on marketplaces.
- Ask for a photo of the movement number and the caseback.
- Ask for the original invoice.
- Compare diameter and thickness against published specs for the reference.
- Ask the seller to run the strike in a video with sound.
- If the price is four figures, the item is not a Zeitwerk.
Lange does not publish a public serial number database. Verification runs through a Lange boutique or service center, and an answer takes time. A seller who promises instant authentication cannot deliver it.