Knowledge Center

Professional Authentication Platform

Log InRegister

Movement holder

Untreated German silver plates and bridges

High confidence

Lange's plates and bridges are made in German silver and left unplated. The alloy is harder to finish than plated brass and oxidises slowly to a warm honey tone over years — which is the point: the movement is expected to change, and the patina is a record of its age.

Part reference

Brand
A. Lange & Söhne
Material
German silver (nickel silver), untreated
Identifying marks
A warm, slightly golden cast rather than the cool white of rhodium plating, with even tone across the plates. Screwed gold chatons around the jewels, blued screws, and hand-applied finishing that continues onto surfaces the wearer never sees.

Documented variations

Classification

FactoryDocumented as shipped from the factory for this reference and period.PeriodNot original to this watch, but correct for its production period.ServiceFitted by the manufacturer's own service network. Not a defect.AftermarketThird-party part. Affects originality, not authenticity.ModifiedGenuine parts in a configuration the factory did not sell. Affects originality and value, not authenticity.CounterfeitDeceptive reproduction intended to pass as genuine.UnknownEvidence on file does not settle the question.

  • Developed patina

    FactoryProbable

    Whole production

    Correct on an older watch and desirable. An unplated German silver plate that shows no tone at all on a watch of age is a question — most often because it has been cleaned.

  • Cleaned or polished plates

    AftermarketProbable

    Whole production

    Removing patina from German silver is damage, not restoration: the tone cannot be put back and the movement's visible age is gone permanently. It is an originality and value finding rather than an authenticity one, and it should be reported as irreversible.

Documented on these references

Provenance of this record

Sources & Evidence

Primary sourceManufacturer documentation

A. Lange & Söhne — collection and caliber specifications

Lange Uhren GmbH, Glashütte

Accessed
2026-08-18

Cited for

This referenceHigh confidence
View source ↗
Secondary sourceSpecialist publication

Specialist publications on Glashütte watchmaking and the Lange revival

Various horological publications and monographs

Accessed
2026-08-18

Cited for

This referenceHigh confidence

Last verified: Not yet reviewed