What the Datograph Up/Down Is
A. Lange & Söhne launched the Datograph Up/Down in 2012. Reference 405.035 uses a platinum 950 case, 41 mm wide and 13.1 mm thick. The hand-wound calibre L951.6 runs at 18,000 vph and holds 60 hours of power. Two details separate this watch from the 1999 Datograph: the power reserve display on the dial, marked Auf and Ab, and the longer run time. The outsize date sits at 12 o'clock. The chronograph has a flyback function and a minute counter that jumps in one step.
Understanding Datograph Up/Down Clone Watches
Retail for the platinum version sits in six figures. Auction and dealer prices move with the market. Check recent results before you set a budget.
Used Datograph Up/Down: A Buyer's Guide to the Lange Chronograph
Pick First: The 41 mm Copy With a Live Power Reserve
The power reserve display is the reason this reference exists. A copy that prints the scale on the dial copies the look and misses the point. A working indicator moves when you wind the crown and falls as the watch runs down. Ask the seller for a video at zero power and at full power.
Checks on the pick
- Case: 41 mm wide, 13.1 mm thick. A 39 mm case is a copy of the first Datograph, not this reference.
- Date: two discs, same size, aligned at 12 o'clock. Look for a gap between the discs and a font that matches the printed numbers.
- Chronograph: start, stop, reset, flyback. The minute counter should jump, not creep.
- Power reserve: the hand travels from Ab to Auf as you wind. If it stays put, the dial is decoration.
- Weight: platinum is dense. A steel case feels light in the hand.
- Caseback: engraving depth, jewel count, screw heads, and the balance cock finish.
Three Other Options
Option 2: 39 mm first-generation Datograph
The 1999 original measures 39 mm and has no power reserve display. Buyers who want the smaller case and the cleaner dial pick this one. Run time is shorter than 60 hours.
Option 3: Budget copy with a printed scale
Entry versions use a quartz module or a low-grade automatic. Subdials sit fixed. The chronograph hands snap back to zero and the power reserve scale never moves. Price is low. Function is not there.
Option 4: Pink gold plating
Lange also built the Up/Down in pink gold. Plated copies wear through at the lugs, crown, and caseback edge. Ask for plating thickness and a photo of the caseback.
Price Bands
Sellers list copies in tiers. Entry versions land under $200. Mid tiers run $250 to $450. Top tiers with a working power reserve and a clone movement run $500 and up. Get the movement name in writing before you pay. Ask about service and spare parts.
Bottom Line
Pick the 41 mm version with a live power reserve and a jumping minute counter. If the indicator does not move on the video, walk away. The 39 mm option suits small wrists. The budget tier suits display use.