ODYSSEUS Model History
2019
With the ODYSSEUS, A. Lange & Söhne introduced its newest watch family. It combined sporty elegance with fine watchmaking and was the first of the manufactory’s regularly produced stainless steel watches to be water-resistant to a test pressure of 12 bar, therefore meeting the demands of many Lange collectors for a perfectly crafted timepiece that could be worn for everyday sporting activities and for leisure. The three-dimensional dial, whose different surface finishes accentuate the dark blue, matches the colour of the large day-of-week and date displays. The notched baton appliqués made of white gold are backed with concentric circles just like the scale of the subsidiary seconds. They contrast against the structured and matted inner surfaces of the main and subsidiary dial. The minute scale is printed on the argenté-coloured flange ring, the classic Lange lancet-shaped hour and minute hands stand out prominently and, like the inner surfaces of the baton appliqués, they are luminous. The automatic manufacture calibre L155.1 DATOMATIC was developed in-house, especially for the ODYSSEUS. A skeletonised and partially black-rhodiumed rotor with a 950-platinum centrifugal mass allows for the elaborately manually-finished movement to be observed. It has a balance, which beats at a frequency of 28,800 semi-oscillations per hour (4 hertz), and a power reserve of 50 hours when fully wound. In contrast to other Lange calibres, the oscillation system is held by a balance bridge secured at two points instead of a balance cock. In a nod to its sporting capabilities, a hand-engraved wave motif provides an accent touch. The ODYSSEUS has a diameter of 40.5 millimetres and features a stainless-steel strap, the length of which can be adjusted in small increments up to 7 millimetres thanks to a safety deployant buckle.
2020
A year after its launch, a new elegant version in 18-carat white gold was added to the watch family. This one was made available with a rubber (363.068) or leather (363.038) strap. In terms of ruggedness and water resistance, it possesses the same properties as the stainless-steel ODYSSEUS and its case is also pressure-tested up to 12 bar. The precious metal, white gold, is paired with a grey dial. White-gold hands and notched baton appliqués assure good legibility against the dark background. The numerals of the outsize date and the letters of the large-format day-of-week display stand out in white on grey. Like the hour and minute hands, the hour markers are luminous. The glossy matte inner surfaces of the main and subsidiary dials contrast with the embossed groove structure beneath the applied hour markers and the subsidiary seconds dial. The red 60 on the bevelled argenté flange ring with the printed minute scale also provides a subtle touch of colour.
2022
At Watches and Wonders 2022 in Geneva, A. Lange & Söhne presented the titanium ODYSSEUS in a limited edition of 250 pieces, with a matching strap and new ice-blue dial. It is the first Lange watch made from this lightweight, corrosion-resistant and durable material. Its low weight (43 percent lighter than the stainless-steel version) made the model even more comfortable to wear. In addition to its new colour, the dial features its own surface texture that is especially evident in the decor on the hour ring. Here, the fine guilloched grooves extend in gentle arcs to the hour markers, creating an embedded look. The motif reappears in circular lines on the scale of the subsidiary seconds dial. The irregularly structured inner surfaces of the main and subsidiary dials contrast with the uniform lines. The specially-developed titanium strap with an adjustable length forms a harmonious ensemble with the case.
2023
A year later, the ODYSSEUS CHRONOGRAPH - limited to 100 pieces - made its debut at Watches and Wonders 2023 in Geneva. In a stainless-steel case, the newly-developed calibre L156.1 DATOMATIC celebrated its premiere as the manufactory’s first automatic chronograph movement. With a central pair of chronograph hands and a measuring range of 60 minutes, it sets standards in terms of precision and legibility. The calibre, which clocks 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 hertz) and offers a power reserve of 50 hours when fully wound, is equipped with a new mechanism for setting the chronograph hand to zero: while the minute counter jumps back to its starting position in the conventional way, the red chrono seconds hand covers the entire distance travelled beforehand within a fraction of a second ‒ one full revolution for each measured minute. If the minute counter has not reached the 30-minute mark yet, the two hands move anti-clockwise. If the minute counter has passed the 30-minute mark, both hands will advance to zero clockwise. At high speed, the chrono seconds hand performs a full revolution for every minute required to reach the full hour. The two wedge-shaped pushers are also equipped with a new type of dual function - in the screwed crown’s normal position, both pushers at 2 and 4 o’clock are used to control the chronograph functions: start, stop and zero-reset. With the crown pulled out to the first position, the date and day of the week can be corrected using a newly-developed mechanism.
