Short answer

A fake Zeitwerk Minute Repeater is a copy of the A. Lange & Sohne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater. Most copies do not repeat minutes. The pusher on the case side moves a lever and a gong sounds. The sound does not follow the decimal sequence. A copy that strikes hours, ten-minute intervals and minutes in the correct order is rare. Prices for common copies sit between $250 and $900. Auction lots of the genuine watch sell in the six-figure range.

How the genuine watch works

The Zeitwerk shows time with jumping numerals. Three discs replace hands. A. Lange & Sohne added a decimal minute repeater to the line in 2015. A pusher starts the strike. The strike runs in three parts: hours on the low gong, ten-minute intervals on the high gong, then single minutes. Two gongs, one hammer. The decimal layout matches the numeral display. A quarter repeater would not line up with the discs. The case measures 44.2 mm across. The movement holds hundreds of parts. The jumping numeral system needs a constant force to move three discs at one moment.

What replica versions do

Replica makers copy the case, dial and discs. The disc jump is the hard part. Common copies use an automatic movement with a module that turns the discs. The jump can drag or land out of line. The chime is the second problem. A real minute repeater needs racks, snails and a governor to time the strikes. Most copies skip that. A small hammer hits a wire on the caseback when the pusher is pressed. The sound lasts under a second. It does not count hours or minutes.

What to check on a copy

• Count the strikes in a quiet room. Hours on the low note, ten-minute blocks on the high note, minutes as single strikes.
• Use a test time. At 10:38 a decimal repeater gives ten low strikes, three high strikes and eight single strikes, 21 in total.
• Watch the hour change. All three discs should move at the same moment.
• Listen for one click. One click means no repeater mechanism inside.
• Measure the case. Copies run thicker than the genuine case.
• Ask for a video with sound. Photos prove nothing about the chime.

Cost and limits

A working decimal repeater costs more than a copy case and dial. No replica factory publishes a movement with a full decimal repeater for the Zeitwerk. A shop that lists one at $400 does not ship a repeater. It ships the watch with a decorative pusher. Service is a second limit. Few watchmakers take a copy with a jumping disc module. Spare discs and modules are not sold.

Legal note

A replica carries a trademarked name and logo. Sale of counterfeit watches is a crime in the United States and the European Union. Customs can seize shipments.