The LANGE 1 – the celebration of watchmaking artistry

Seldom were higher expectations placed in a watch than in the LANGE 1. It was the first A. Lange & Söhne timepiece to premiere in 1994, four years after the re-establishment of the manufacture. With traditional elements of Saxon precision watchmaking such as the three-quarter plate, screwed gold chatons and the screw balance on the one hand, and trailblazing innovations such as the off-centre dial configuration and novel outsize date on the other hand, it became the epitome of Lange watchmaking artistry.

The off-centre dial displays, characteristic of the multiple award-winning model, follow the harmonious rules of the golden ratio: no display overlaps another, thus assuring superb legibility at any given time. A further significant hallmark of the LANGE 1 is the outsize date, a typical A. Lange & Söhne complication, inspired by a historic masterpiece of Saxon watchmaking – the famous Five-Minute Clock in the Dresden Semper Opera.

Since 2015, the manufacture calibre L121.1. has been at the heart of the LANGE 1. The manually wound movement assures that the instantaneously advancing outsize date display switches promptly at midnight. The energy for the switching action is continuously built up over the course of several hours. The LANGE 1 is also equipped with a going train featuring a balance wheel with eccentric poising weights, and beneath the hand-engraved balance cock, a freely oscillating balance spring crafted in-house. The reliable twin mainspring barrel provides a power reserve of 72 hours.

The LANGE 1 is available in 950 platinum or 18-carat gold. The warm-hued model version in pink gold reflects the lustre and festive spirit that lives at the heart of the season.

The 1815 ANNUAL CALENDAR – a stylish companion throughout the year

Surrounded by friends and loved ones, it is our wish to fully enjoy the holiday season with its quiet, contemplative moments, yet at some point, we will undoubtedly find ourselves back in our everyday life with commitments and a busy schedule. The 1815 ANNUAL CALENDAR is the perfect, elegant companion to take us through the year in style. The hands make the displays for the date, day of the week and month easy to read – ensuring that we never lose track of important appointments. An elaborate calendar mechanism automatically recognises which months have 30 and 31 days. The display must be manually adjusted only once a year, at the transition from the last day of February to the first day of March. Accurate to 122.6 years, the moon-phase display tracks the orbit of the golden celestial body across the nocturnal star-studded sky.

Not only does the 1815 ANNUAL CALENDAR leave a lasting impression thanks to its technical intricacy but also because of its lucid arrangement of the displays on the argenté-coloured dial. With the traditional railway-track minute scale, Arabic numerals and the axially symmetric configuration of the three auxiliary dials, it represents a subtle tribute to Ferdinand Adolph Lange, whose birth year is part of the watch family’s name. This also holds true for the manually wound calibre L051.3: its particular highlights can be admired through the transparent sapphire-crystal caseback of the watch in resplendent pink gold. The pursuit of artisanal perfection pertaining to even the smallest details – once Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s driving force – comes to the fore in the elaborately finished, manually crafted movement that is assembled twice; it also confers the distinctive radiance upon the contemporary masterpieces of the Saxon manufacture.

“It is our manufacture’s aspiration to never stand still. But in order to proceed in the right direction, it is sometimes necessary to briefly pause and consider,” explains Lange-CEO Wilhelm Schmid. “During the holiday season, many people take the time to reflect and ask themselves: what are my origins and where am I heading? Both timepieces are an expression of these two concepts: whereas, in a unique way, the 1815 ANNUAL CALENDAR is emblematic of watchmaking traditions in which we are rooted, the LANGE 1 is a symbol of a new beginning that still sets our course today.”

Centred exclusively on its eponymous complication, the LANGE 1 PERPETUAL CALENDAR introduced two years ago, represents the highest standards in precision, design and originality, resulting in a singular appeal. The new model version, housed in a 950-platinum case and measuring 41.9 mm in diameter, is complemented with a black dial, thus enriching the watch family with a particularly refined colour combination. The month ring provides the framework for all the displays. The numerals of the outsize date and the leap year contrast well against the black background. All calendar indications switch instantaneously and therefore produce unambiguous readings at any given time. They can be advanced collectively or separately with correctors. Once set correctly, the mechanism is programmed to accurately display the turn of the month until 2100. 

A perpetual calendar watch the Lange way 

Designing a mechanism for a perpetual calendar that takes into account the different durations of the months in a year as well as the leap years, presents a challenge that the ambitious A. Lange & Söhne developers took on in 2001 with the LANGEMATIK PERPETUAL. Their objectives: seeking innovative technical solutions while assuring optimum legibility. In order to preserve the signature design of the LANGE 1 watch family with its off-centre and non-overlapping displays, Langeʼs watchmakers opted for a completely new approach and developed a peripheral month ring that advances instantaneously at the end of each month. Premiered in 2012 with the launch of the LANGE 1 TOURBILLON PERPETUAL CALENDAR, the innovative mechanism replaces the traditional design where the month display is controlled by a 48-step cam.  

Balanced design and function 

“The commitment to tailor the complex mechanical requirements to the characteristic design of the LANGE 1 presented our developers with constructive challenges, as the large peripheral ring has to be advanced instantaneously by 30 degrees from one month to the next. Throughout the month, energy is collected via a cam in order to provide the required power exactly on time, at midnight on the last day of the month,” explains Anthony de Haas, Director of Product Development. “Thanks to this design feature in the LANGE 1 PERPETUAL CALENDAR, the watch familyʼs distinctive face is maintained. The timepiece is therefore also emblematic of our philosophy to continuously break new ground in the realm of precision watchmaking.” 

Precise moon phase 

Adding a day/night indicator to the moon-phase display is also typical of the manufactureʼs continued quest for precision. Constructed across two levels, it consists of a solid-gold celestial disc with graduated blue hues that rotates around its own axis once during 24 hours. Against this backdrop, the white-gold moon performs its synodic orbit in 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 3 seconds ‒ with such precision that the display only needs to be corrected by one day after 122.6 years. First implemented in the LANGE 1 MOON PHASE in 2016, the indication depicts the earth’s companion moving across a bright-blue sky during the day and a dark-blue starry sky at night, thus indicating the diurnal and nocturnal hours respectively.  

The high standards of artisanal perfection upheld by the Saxon manufacture immediately become apparent at a glance through the sapphire-crystal caseback of calibre L021.3 ‒ it is elaborately finished by hand and assembled twice. The technical features of the manufacture movement include a unidirectional winding rotor in 21-carat gold with a centrifugal mass in 950 platinum, a power reserve of 50 hours and a balance with eccentric poising weights that beats at a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour. Lange-typical quality hallmarks such as plates and bridges made of untreated German silver decorated with Glashütte ribbing, five gold chatons held by blued-steel screws as well as the balance cock engraved free-hand, with the whiplash spring mounted above to regulate beat adjustments reflect the manufactureʼs lofty aspirations in every single detail. 

The simultaneous display of two zone times is one of the most useful additional functions in precision watchmaking and is highly valued by globally interconnected watch connoisseurs. In 2005, A. Lange & Söhne endowed this complication with a distinctive face in the LANGE 1 TIME ZONE: in addition to home time, this unique timepiece displayed the time in a second zone, easily selected thanks to the cities on the city ring representing 24 time zones. In its second generation, presented in 2020, the cosmopolitan model was equipped with the new manufacture calibre L141.1, featuring an intuitive indication of daylight-saving time, thus further expanding the functionality of this watch. Now, the new edition of the LANGE 1 TIME ZONE showcases a 950-platinum case combined with a rhodium-coloured dial made of solid silver, resulting in a decidedly classic look, a first for this model.

Sophisticated time-zone mechanism in a lucid design

The new edition of the LANGE 1 TIME ZONE presented three years ago, once again embodied the innovative power and creativity of the Lange watchmakers, complemented by the aesthetically appealing design. Here too, the objective was to combine sophisticated micromechanical engineering with a timeless design while assuring superb legibility. By placing the ring with the 24 reference cities on the periphery, the harmonious display arrangement in the distinctive, off-centre dial architecture of the LANGE 1 watch family is not impaired. Home time and zone time, the outsize date and the power-reserve indicator ‒ all displays are clearly visible at any given time.

While the larger time circle indicates home time, the smaller time circle displays the time in a second time zone. When the corrector button at 8 o’clock is actuated, the city ring switches in the easterly direction by one time zone. At the same time, the hour hand in the small subsidiary dial advances by one hour and now indicates the zone time of the city ‒ and corresponding time zone ‒ at which the gold applied arrow marker points. The indication of daylight-saving time constitutes a refined technical feature. A colour segment in the arrow indicates whether the selected city and time zone implement daylight-saving time. If this is the case, the small aperture is filled in red. If standard time is observed in this location all year round, the background remains unchanged.

To distinguish between day and night in both time zones, the LANGE 1 TIME ZONE features coloured ring-shaped day/night indicators linked to the hour hands. They are located in the centre of each time circle and inform the wearer whether the respective time indication is valid for the first or the second half of the day. When the hour hand is in the dial-coloured area, the display refers to the interval between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.; when the blue background appears, it refers to the interval between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Unique synchronisation mechanism

Additionally, the LANGE 1 TIME ZONE is endowed with an ingeniously designed synchronisation mechanism that allows the zone time to be transferred from the smaller subsidiary dial to the larger one, thus making it possible to define a new main time as home time. When the crown is pulled in the second position, the times of both zones can be adjusted synchronously. However, if the time-zone correction button is pressed and held, the hour hand of the zone-time dial will be stopped in its position. Now, the defined new main time can be set independently of the zone time. Finally, it may be necessary to correct the outsize date, which is connected with main time, by actuating the date correction button at 10 o’clock.

“The LANGE 1 TIME ZONE is an expressive manifestation of our manufactory’s efforts to challenge conventions and break new ground in precision watchmaking through innovative advancements and constructions,” explains Lange-CEO Wilhelm Schmid. “Only in proceeding in this way, do we succeed in developing things from the ground up and building watches that offer unique functions and inimitable designs. Progress and tradition go hand in hand to accommodate our quest for perfection.”

Manufacture calibre L141.1

The heart of the LANGE 1 TIME ZONE, the manufacture calibre L141.1, assures a power reserve of 72 hours, despite having only one mainspring barrel. Further technical details include a classic screw balance and a freely oscillating balance spring crafted in-house and calibrated for a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour. Lange-typical quality hallmarks such as the three-quarter plate made of untreated German silver, screwed gold chatons, blued screws, an elaborate whiplash precision index adjuster as well as a balance cock and an intermediate-wheel cock ‒ both hand-engraved ‒ are visible through the sapphire-crystal caseback. The hand-crafted decoration of the movement, which is assembled twice, reflects A. Lange & Söhne’s high standards in every single detail.

Currently three model versions

The dimensions of the watch have not been modified: the case boasts a diameter of 41.9 millimetres and a height of 10.9 millimetres. In addition to the models with white gold/black and pink gold/argenté case/dial combinations, the LANGE 1 TIME ZONE is now also available in 950 platinum with a rhodié dial.

The brand-new GRAND LANGE 1 reflects A. Lange & Söhne’s ambition to achieve ever-new milestones in horology. Its true grandeur comes to the fore not only with a case diameter of 41 millimetres, but also in numerous remarkable details. Since 2003, it has been an integral component of the watch collection and was endowed with its own movement in 2012: the latest version of the GRAND LANGE 1 features an elegantly reworked design.

A refined dial

The new model excels with a reduced height of 8.2 millimetres. This allows the watch to snugly embrace the wrist and fit under any cuff. The strict asymmetry of the dial adds extra appeal. The off-centre display of the time includes the Lange outsize date in a gold-framed double aperture, a power-reserve indicator with the characteristic “UP/DOWN” inscription, recessed subsidiary dials with concentric lines and flat appliques. Gently bevelled chamfers assure balanced transitions from the subsidiary dials to the granularly textured main dial. This allows high-contrast highlighting of the hands, the Roman numerals and the lozenge-shaped markers in white or pink gold. The resulting dial is remarkably vivid, exquisitely modelled, and elegant.

To match the respective gold hue, the white-gold version of the timepiece comes with a black leather strap and the pink-gold model is paired with a red-brown leather strap. The quality artisanship extends to the carefully polished prong buckle in white or pink gold. This makes the GRAND LANGE 1 an ideal dress watch in which noble understatement and exciting design come together as a coordinated whole.

A mainspring barrel for 72 hours

The proven manually wound calibre L095.1 powers the new GRAND LANGE 1 as well. Due to the enlarged proportions relative to the LANGE 1 with hand arbors slightly shifted outward, it respects the model family’s design code down to the smallest detail. Contrary to the LANGE 1, it has only one mainspring barrel instead of a double barrel with two stacked mainsprings. But thanks to the larger diameter, it also achieves a maximum power reserve of 72 hours.

The movement, assembled twice, can be admired through the sapphire-crystal caseback. It consists of 397 parts that are elaborately finished by hand, even though they are then concealed beneath the three-quarter plate that is made of untreated German silver and decorated with Glashütte ribbing. Seven of the 42 ruby-red bearing jewels in the movement are seated in mirror-polished gold chatons secured with blued screws. The carefully orchestrated interaction of the various materials and finishes produces a fascinating myriad of colours. The finishing touch is the oscillation system with the classic screw balance and the Lange balance spring. It is located beneath the hand-engraved balance cock that graces every A. Lange & Söhne watch with an artistic signature and makes it unique.

Exactly 20 years ago, A. Lange & Söhne presented the LANGEMATIK PERPETUAL, its first wristwatch with a perpetual calendar. It was followed by seven further models, mostly in combination with other complications such as a chronograph, a tourbillon or both.

The perpetual calendar reconceived

Apart from the classic principle with calendar displays controlled by a 48-step cam, the
LANGE 1 TOURBILLON PERPETUAL CALENDAR introduced in 2012 already took a different approach that has now been adopted by the new model. To integrate the calendar ensemble into the exceptional off-centre dial architecture of the LANGE 1 without compromising the harmonious balance of the displays, the month indication was implemented with a ring at the periphery of the dial that advances once a month. This design replaces the classic control principle with a 48-step cam. The innovation challenged the ingenuity of Lange’s engineers because advancing the ring at the end of the month requires considerably more power than traditional solutions.

The ring-shaped month display is complemented with the Lange outsize date, a retrograde day-of-week display, and a leap-year indication. The instantaneously advancing calendar displays are always crisply legible. They can be advanced collectively or individually with correctors. Once properly set, the mechanism is programmed to reliably indicate each month change until the year 2100.

Moon phase with day/night indicator

The perpetual calendar is the central complication of the LANGE 1 PERPETUAL CALENDAR, but not the only one. The watch additionally features a moon-phase display with an integrated day/night indicator.

The combination of the moon-phase display with a day/night indicator has two layers. It consists of a solid-gold celestial disc with a blue gradation. It completes one full revolution about its own axis every 24 hours. Against this background, the moon – either in white or pink gold – performs its synodic orbit in 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and three seconds with such precision that it takes 122.6 years before a correction by one day is needed. With the 2016 debut of the combined display in the LANGE 1 MOON PHASE, the moon appears on a monochrome light blue canopy during the day and on a dark blue starry sky at night.

Two exquisite colour variations

The LANGE 1 PERPETUAL CALENDAR has a diameter or 41.9 millimetres and a height of 12.1 millimetres. It is available in two versions. It comes in pink gold with a grey solid-silver dial and – in a 150-watch limited edition – in white gold with a solid pink-gold dial. The latter material combination has been presented by A. Lange & Söhne initially in 2019, in the DATOGRAPH PERPETUAL TOURBILLON, also a limited-edition model. Colour-coordinated hands and appliques in pink gold or rhodiumed gold round off the harmonious design. In the pink gold version, the hands are also luminous, as are the square hour markers of the minute scale. The white-gold version has a dark-brown leather strap, the pink-gold model comes with a red-brown leather strap.

A new manufacture calibre

The self-winding movement L021.3 is A. Lange & Söhne’s 67th manufacture calibre. It is based on the calibre L021.1 of the LANGE 1 DAYMATIC and has been endowed with a newly developed winding mechanism. Its technical features include a unidirectional winding rotor in 21-carat gold with an additional centrifugal mass in platinum, a power reserve of 50 hours, and a cam-poised balance that runs with a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour.

Many of Lange’s quality hallmarks can be admired through the sapphire-crystal caseback: the plates and bridges made of untreated German silver and decorated with Glashütte ribbing, five gold chatons secured with thermally blued steel screws, and the hand-engraved balance cock with the superposed whiplash spring used for beat adjustments. As always, the parts of the movement, which is assembled twice, are manually finished to the strictest Lange standards. The materials, the architecture, and the artisanal finissage confirm that in terms of unique design and mechanical perfection, this watch is perpetual in every respect.

The fascination of a bright moonlit night is the motif of the new LITTLE LANGE 1 MOON PHASE. Its eye-catcher is the solid-silver dial coated with shimmering dark-blue gold flux; the sparkling copper particles evoke a starry nocturnal sky. The applied Roman numerals at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock as well as the star-shaped hour markers between them are crafted from rhodiumed gold just like the hands. The dark hue of the dial is echoed by the outsize date and the white-gold lunar disc with its 628 stars. A dark-blue, shiny leather strap with sparkling pigments and a solid white-gold buckle complement the elegant appearance of the watch. In the second version, 56 brilliant-cut diamonds adorn the bezel of the white-gold case with a diameter of 36.8 millimetres.

The elegant combination of aesthetic appeal and precision in a watch is demonstrated by the LITTLE LANGE 1 MOON PHASE with a moon-phase display calculated to remain accurate for 122.6 years. Only after this short eternity, the deviation from the synodic lunar cycle would add up to one day, provided the watch runs without interruption for that duration. More realistically, a correction might be necessary occasionally if the watch remains unwound for an extended period of time. The corrector between 7 and 8 o’clock allows the display to be updated quickly and easily, however. A corrector that is also recessed in the case between 10 and 11 o’clock advances the outsize date day by day.

With the configuration of an off-centre dial layout, the outsize date, the power-reserve indicator, the twin mainspring barrel, and a three-day movement, the LITTLE LANGE 1 MOON PHASE has all of the technical features of the LANGE 1, arguably the best-known face of the eminent Saxon manufactory. The typical manifestations of Lange watchmaking artistry, such as the three-quarter plate in German silver decorated with Glashütte ribbing, the hand-engraved balance cock, and the gold chatons secured with cornflower-blue steel screws can be admired through the sapphire-crystal caseback. Assembled twice, the artisanally immaculate timepiece is a true gem of a watch.

In precision watchmaking, the “second time zone” function is a particularly convenient complication, especially because more and more people travel, work and communicate intercontinentally. For them, A. Lange & Söhne had already introduced a watch with two time zones in 2005. It was based on the Lange 1 and comfortably displayed the time in 24 time zones.

The new version of the LANGE 1 TIME ZONE combines functionality with eminent legibility and superb craftsmanship. Its personality is characterised by an asymmetric dial with two time displays, an outsize date and a power-reserve indicator. And it retains the switchable city ring that allows convenient setting of the second time zone.

Two times at a glance

In contrast to world time watches, the LANGE 1 TIME ZONE provides the time at home and the time in a second zone at a glance. While the larger time circle shows home time, the smaller of the two time circles can be set to a second time zone by adjusting the city ring. When the time is adjusted with the crown, both displayed times are corrected simultaneously.

Ring-shaped day/night indicators

One of the key innovations is that the day/night indicators for home time and zone time, originally displayed with rotating arrow hands, have been shifted to the centres of the two time circles. There, together with the hour hand, they inform the user whether the time indication applies to the first or second half of the day. The ring-shaped day/night indicators are not only harmoniously designed, they are also intuitively readable. Featuring blue printed semicircles, the discs rotate once about their axes in 24 hours while the hour hand performs two revolutions in the same period. When it is located in the dial-colour segment, the display spans the period from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on the blue background from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Innovative daylight saving time indication

The new LANGE 1 TIME ZONE has another convenient feature. It is located in a small aperture of the golden arrow applique at 5 o’clock that indicates the reference location for the zone time that has been set. If the aperture is red, the respective city has a daylight saving time regime. If standard time applies to the city all year round, the display appears on a bright background. This feature is technically implemented with coding on the underside of the city ring.

Simple change of time zones

A feature retained from the predecessor model is the convenient adjustment of the second time zone based on a switchable city ring with 24 time zones. They were defined in 1884 and are represented by 24 reference locations. When the corrector button at 8 o’clock is pressed, the city ring jumps from west to east by one time zone. At the same time, the hour hand in the small subsidiary dial advances by one hour and now indicates the zone time of the city beneath the golden arrow applique that stands for that particular time zone. The hands on the large numerals circle can be set to display the time at home or the time in another freely selectable time zone. To simplify the distinction, zone time is indicated with printed Arabic numerals while home time is displayed with gold Roman numeral appliques.

Synchronisation mechanism

The new model also retains the unique synchronisation mechanism that makes it possible to transfer zone time from the smaller to the larger dial. This is useful when – during an extended stay abroad, for instance – the user wishes to swap zone time and main time. If the crown is pulled out to the second position, the times of both zones can be adjusted synchronously. But in the process, if the button for setting the second time zone is pressed and held, the hour hand for zone time will stay in its position. Now, the defined new main time can be set independently of zone time. Finally, it may be necessary to correct the outsize date which is connected with main time. This is done with the pusher at 10 o’clock.

New manufacture calibre

With the new manufacture calibre L141.1, all models of the LANGE 1 watch family that were originally based on the calibre L901 are now endowed with new movements. The most recent one reflects the experience accrued with the development of 65 calibres so far. In comparison with the predecessor model, the 72-hour power reserve is achieved with only one spring barrel. Further technical details include a classic screw balance and a freely oscillating balance spring crafted in-house and calibrated for a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour.

Lange-style quality hallmarks such as the three-quarter plate made of untreated German silver, screwed gold chatons, blued screws, an elaborate whiplash precision index adjuster as well as hand-engraved balance and intermediate-wheel cocks are visible through the sapphire-crystal caseback. The artisanal decoration of the movement, which is assembled twice, reflects A. Lange & Söhne’s high standards in every detail.

Three versions

The dimensions of the new LANGE 1 TIME ZONE remain unchanged. The case has a diameter of 41.9 millimetres and a height of 10.9 millimetres. The LANGE 1 TIME ZONE comes in three case/dial combinations: white gold/black, pink gold/argenté, and – in a limited edition of 100 – yellow gold/champagne.

A watch for special occasions – this is how the LANGE 1 TOURBILLON was described when it was first presented. A. Lange & Söhne saluted the transition from the 20th to the 21st century with it, continuing a tradition that dates back to the belle époque in Paris. Lange’s first centennial tourbillon – still in a pocket watch format – attracted global attention at the 1900 Paris Exposition.

In 2010, as part of the “165 Years – Homage to F.A. Lange” anniversary collection, the LANGE 1 TOURBILLON was one of the first three watches of the manufactory with a case in honey gold, a material used exclusively by Lange. When the LANGE 1 celebrated its 20th birthday in 2014, it was introduced as the fourth model of the HANDWERKSKUNST series in a limited edition of 20 platinum-cased watches with rare movement decorations and a black enamel dial.

Like all ten special editions of the anniversary collection, the 2019 version of the LANGE 1 TOURBILLON is presented in silver and blue. The 38.5-millimetre white-gold case sets the stage for a solid-silver, argenté-coloured dial that contrasts with the blued steel hands. The inscriptions are printed in blue, including the numerals of the outsize date.

Suspended between two diamond endstones, the one-minute tourbillon features a stop-seconds mechanism. The patented system allows the balance inside the rotating tourbillon cage to be stopped instantaneously. It is clearly visible in a generous aperture in the dial and through the glass units disc of the outsize date.

The tourbillon cock, prominently integrated in the dial, is decorated with the black polishing technique. On the movement side, the tourbillon bridge and the intermediate-wheel cock are engraved by hand. The colour concept is echoed in the blue-filled recesses of the engraving. The unifying anniversary collection signature, a reliefed depiction of the outsize date, is located on the intermediate wheel cock.

The first Lange collection of the new era was presented on 24 October 1994. The debut included the LANGE 1, which has since then symbolised the company’s success like no other watch. Its asymmetric dial design with the prominent outsize date was polarising at first, but ultimately became stylishly pioneering. “The LANGE 1 that I am assembling today hardly differs in looks from the first model,” Lisa explains. “Its movement, however, has changed fundamentally.” In 2015 the original calibre L901.0 was replaced with the newly developed calibre L121.1. “From the dial side, this is virtually unnoticeable,” Lisa adds.

The design of the watch evolved only in terms of minor details. Its dial shows a slightly reworked font, and the bezel is somewhat narrower. The internal life of the LANGE 1 has changed even more. The precisely jumping display of the outsize date now switches exactly at midnight. The escapement features a cam-poised balance with a freely oscillating balance spring crafted in-house. And the seconds hand stops exactly at 12 o’clock when the 72-hour power reserve has expired. All wheels are located beneath the three-quarter plate, which, as Lisa notes, “is more difficult to assemble but suits the traditional shape of the plate better.”

Despite this challenge, Lisa especially enjoys the moment she integrates the three-quarter plate during the second assembly pass. “It fascinates me to see how the plate visually changes when the Glashütte ribbing is applied. Then you can really tell what makes Lange watches unique.” For Lisa, one of the most difficult challenges of her job is to prevent the decorated and polished surfaces from becoming scratched during the assembly phase.

Sometimes, while at work, the young professional considers the similarities and differences between people and mechanical watches. “Power reserve is one example: the LANGE 1 has to be rewound every 72 hours. We also have to make sure that we regularly recharge our own batteries,” Lisa says, having contemplated this comparison. She recharges her own batteries by pursuing sports activities and spending time with friends. “And the date display reminds me to stay in the here and now. That’s important in my work and helps me avoid mistakes.”

Today, many people find it difficult to stay concentrated for hours on end. Her friends are amazed at Lisa’s perseverance. “We practiced that from the moment we started training,” she recalls. “Initially, I had problems staying fully concentrated throughout the whole day, but in the meantime, I’ve become quite good at it.” She takes short breaks that act as her active “mini breaks”, which offer her the opportunity to exercise and relax her back, neck and eye muscles together with her colleagues for a few minutes. Briefly sitting upright and gazing outdoors helps too. The watchmakers’ benches in the bright atelier room face the large window fronts. A steep rock face surrounded by woodland is located just a few metres away. Occasionally, deer forage amid the trees. She has also spotted climbers.

A tour of Lisa’s department and of the other watchmaker ateliers quickly reveals that many young people work here. “In our working environment, the stereotype of the elderly white-haired watchmaker doesn’t apply at all,” says Lisa with a smile. In fact, of the more than 200 watchmakers who work in the manufactory, 30 percent are younger than 30, like Lisa.

The young woman from the nearby city of Bautzen, Germany, started training as a watchmaker when she was 19. “I wanted to learn an artisanal craft because I like working with my hands.” As a child, she was a fan of bricolage, and specialised in art as a bachelor’s degree. It was more by coincidence that she visited the A. Lange & Söhne information centre at a vocational recruitment event and tried her hand at working with watch parts on the spot. After three years of in-house training, she was assigned to the LANGE 1 assembly department. “For me, that was a great stroke of luck because this timepiece is really my favourite watch: it has the typical face that immediately comes to mind when the name Lange is mentioned.”

As the ninth of a total of ten special models, the LITTLE LANGE 1 MOON PHASE “25^th Anniversary” recalls the spectacular presentation of the LANGE 1 on 24 October 1994. The hallmarks of the two-toned anniversary edition include a white-gold case, an argenté-coloured dial in solid silver with blue-printed elements and blued steel hands. The colour concept is echoed in a characteristic movement detail: The blue-filled engraving of the balance cock in German silver features a reliefed depiction of the outsize date with the number “25” to match the anniversary. The watch is worn on a dark blue alligator leather strap with a white-gold buckle.

Like all manually wound timepieces of the LANGE 1 family, the LITTLE LANGE 1 MOON PHASE – first introduced in 2017 – has an off-centre dial with an outsize date and an UP/DOWN power-reserve indicator. The moon-phase display is so precise that it only has to be corrected by one day every 122.6 years. As was already the case with the GRAND LANGE 1 MOON PHASE “25^th Anniversary”, this special edition also features a hand-engraved lunar disc. Six stars and numerous little dots depict the starry sky and together with the golden moons form a three-dimensional heavenly canopy.

The manufacture calibre L121.2, painstakingly finished, polished and decorated by hand, runs at a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations an hour and thanks to its twin mainspring barrel only needs to be wound every three days.

The special facet of the GRAND LANGE 1 is what doesn’t meet the eye, at least not right away. On the asymmetrical dial, the proportionally enlarged displays for the time, the outsize date and the power-reserve indicator are arranged so that they do not overlap. What at first seemed trivial had far-reaching consequences: Because the hand arbors had to be slightly shifted toward the periphery, it was necessary to develop a bespoke movement for this model.

The manually wound calibre L095.1 reflects the prominent dial architecture down to the smallest detail. The larger movement diameter of 34.1 millimetres allows a more compact arrangement with only one spring barrel. Thus, in comparison with the LANGE 1, the case is thinner but the power reserve is still 72 hours.

The argenté-coloured, recessed dial of the special model is graced with thermally blued steel hands and blue inscriptions. A blue alligator leather strap and a white-gold prong buckle emphasise the elegance of the watch.

Visible through the sapphire-crystal caseback, the movement consists of 397 parts lavishly finished by hand. Seven of the 42 bearing jewels are seated in gold chatons secured with blued screws. The oscillator, composed of a classic screw balance and a Lange balance spring, is suspended beneath a hand-engraved balance cock. The discreet signature of the “25^th Anniversary” collection is integrated in its blue-filled motif: a framed 25 that echoes the Lange outsize date.

The moon stands out especially in the dark. By day, the sun usually outshines it, but even then, it accompanies us. The LANGE 1 MOON PHASE makes that visible. During the daytime, the moon is depicted against a bright blue starless sky; at night, it contrasts against the dark blue heavens with 383 sparkling stars. Thus, the moon always shows itself against a realistic background that doubles as a day/night indicator. This makes it easier to set the time because it assures that the date switches at midnight and not, inadvertently, at 12 noon.

The combination of the moon-phase display with a day/night indicator has two layers. It consists of a solid-gold celestial disc with blue gradation. The disc completes one full revolution about its own axis every 24 hours, mapping the rhythm of day and night. Against this background, the white-gold moon performs its synodic orbit in 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 3 seconds with such precision that it takes 122.6 years before a correction by one day is needed.

An exciting interplay of silvery and blue hues unfolds on the asymmetrical, argenté-coloured dial. The thermally blued steel hands and the colour-matched inscriptions harmonise with the gradated blue tones of the celestial disc. The watch features a blue alligator leather strap with a solid white-gold prong buckle.

Finished to the strictest Lange quality standards, the manually wound calibre L121.3 of the LANGE 1 MOON PHASE is based on the generic LANGE 1 calibre L121.1 launched in 2015. The 70 additional parts for the moon-phase display and the day/night indicator were integrated in the movement so compactly that the watch is only 0.4 millimetres thicker and has an unchanged diameter of 38.5 millimetres. It continues to stand out with the same technical features. They include a twin mainspring barrel with a power reserve of 72 hours, a power-reserve indicator with the UP/DOWN inscription and a precisely jumping outsize date display. The escapement, consisting of a cam-poised balance and a freely oscillating Lange balance spring, runs at a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour.

Like all other models of the “25^th Anniversary” collection, the LANGE 1 MOON PHASE is endowed with a special movement detail: The anniversary number 25 is integrated in the manually engraved, blue-filled balance cock. As regards typography and form, it corresponds to the Lange outsize date which is set to 25 in all photos. The same number also refers to the strict limitations of all anniversary models.

The moon phase indication is one of the oldest complications in the history of timekeeping devices. Many civilizations before us, such as the ancient Greeks, have tried to understand the moon’s cycles and effects. They built the Antikythera mechanism to observe the movements of the sun and moon. The displays, most of which were scaled as calendars, include a lunar calendar with a monthly scale.

The LANGE 1 MOON PHASE, the first moon phase model of A. Lange & Söhne, was introduced in 2002. Since then, it has become one of the cornerstones of the LANGE 1 family. In 2017, it was endowed with a new calibre named L121.3, combining the moon phase with a day/night indication. As with all Lange models, the double assembly of each watch is a delicate process that requires master craftsmanship.

Twin mainspring barrel assembly

The LANGE 1 was introduced in 1994 with – an unusual feature at this time – a twin mainspring barrel, which was indicated on the dial with the German name “Doppelfederhaus”. This was retained when the model received a newly developed calibre in 2015. The LANGE 1 MOON PHASE features the same basic movement. Each of the two barrels houses a mainspring; together they provide a power reserve of 72 hours. They are assembled to the main plate which is hand-decorated with a perlage finish.

The solarisation technique applied on the surface of the barrels is a reflection of their winding function. The ratchet wheel, which is mounted on each of the barrels, is finished with circular graining (left side of the image). During the first assembly, the watchmaker carves a tiny sign on both barrels to make sure they will be placed back into their correct position during the second assembly.

Assembly of the gear train

Respect for the art of watchmaking in all its aspects is an integral part of A. Lange & Söhne’s philosophy. Even though the parts under the three-quarter plate can never be seen by the owner, all of them are hand-finished with various techniques.

The first assembly of the gear train with its different tiny wheels is a very elaborate process. The teeth of each wheel must mesh perfectly with the teeth of its neighbouring wheels.

Adjustment of endshake

During the first assembly sequence, the watchmaker has to mount and remove the three-quarter plate several times in succession to adjust endshake. To perfectly fit each wheel of the gear train to its teammates, the endshake of each arbor is individually adjusted to run nearly wear-free but precisely. For this, the bearing jewel is pressed into its position in the gold chaton to an accuracy of hundredths of a millimetre. The watchmaker uses a stone setting tool for this time-consuming process which requires a high degree of sensitivity.

Not only the three-quarter plate, but all plates and bridges of Lange timepieces are made of German silver – an alloy composed of copper, zinc and nickel – which is highly valued on account of its favourable properties. The sensitivity of this material to moisture and acids is one of the main reasons for the double assembly. Every fingerprint could produce unsightly blemishes, which is why all Lange watchmakers wear finger cots during the whole assembly process.

Assembly of the three-quarter plate

In between the first and the second assembly, the three-quarter plate is decorated with Glashütte ribbing. All components are cleaned and returned to the watchmaker’s table for the second assembly. The watchmaker polishes the gold chatons and replaces the working screws with new blued steel screws during the second assembly.

The German silver remains untreated and has a beautiful golden hue. The aesthetic effect is particularly desirable because it allows the material to age gracefully, thus highlighting the Glashütte ribbing.

Assembly of the escapement

The last wheel of the gear train is the escape wheel. It is linked to the balance by the lever made of steel. Each lever is individually adapted by adjusting its ruby-stone pallets into their perfect position. From this moment on, the lever cannot be replaced by another one as it is set exactly to this specific watch.

With each semi-oscillation of the balance, the lever is moved back and forth, releasing one tooth of the escape wheel. This, in turn, transfers a precisely defined amount of energy to the oscillation system. Lavishly chamfered edges, sharp corners, grained sides and flat-polished or grinded surfaces require the utmost caution during the assembly.

Assembly of the balance system

The heart of the mechanism – the balance wheel – is assembled to the area which is not covered by the three-quarter plate. The cam-poised balance with a freely oscillating hairspring that was developed in-house and produced by Lange is held in place by a hand-engraved balance cock. Beating with a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour, it creates the hearable ticking of the watch.

Adjustment

The movement can be adjusted in five positions. By turning the eccentric poising weights, their mass is shifted as the weight is positioned accordingly – by turning inwards, the balance wheel moves faster and by turning outwards, it slows down. The special tool used has an blade that fits exactly into the slots of the screws.

After the casing has been added, the accuracy of the complete watch is once again checked on an automatic timing apparatus. A. Lange & Söhne movements attain a degree of precision that is at least as high as required for certification by the strict chronometer test.

Assembly of the power reserve mechanism

The components of the power reserve mechanism are assembled on the dial side of the movement and on the base plate which is decorated with a perlage finish. Each of the wheels is lavishly finished with circular graining.

In the photo, the stop lever of the mechanism is being placed. As a result of this arrangement, when the power reserve is depleted exactly after 72 hours. The level of the power reserve is indicated by the UP/DOWN indication on the dial.

Assembly of the outsize date

The outsize date is a signature feature of A. Lange & Söhne. Compared with other watches of comparable size, the display is about three times larger. The framed double aperture design was inspired by the Five-Minute Clock in the Dresden Semper Opera, which was built by Johann Christian Friedrich Gutkaes and Ferdinand Adolph Lange in 1841.

The mechanism relies on two separate display elements: The ring-shaped units disc with the numerals 0 to 9 switches forward once a day. The cross-shaped tens element with the numerals 1 to 3 and a white blank space advances by one increment every ten days only. For the LANGE 1 MOON PHASE “25^th Anniversary”, the numerals are printed in blue. The distance between the disc and the tens element that jump at midnight exactly is merely 0.15 millimetres. Great dexterity is needed to assemble this refined mechanism.

Assembly of the moon-phase indication

The 70 parts for the moon-phase display were so cleverly integrated into calibre L121.3 that it is only marginally larger than calibre L121.1 of the LANGE 1. The arrangement of the display is based on two main components. A celestial disc – made of solid gold with a blue coating – performs exactly one revolution every 24 hours. On the disc, the different times of day are represented by varying blue hues caused by interference effects. During the day, it shows a bright sky without stars, while at night it depicts a dark sky with prominently contrasting laser-cut stars. A separate solid-gold moon pursues its orbit in the foreground, thus always circulating against a realistic background that doubles as a day/night indicator when setting the watch. Thanks to a special gear arrangement, the moon is continuously on the move and accurate to 122.6 years.

The disc with the pre-assembled double-moon component is carefully added to the dial side as the last step before the dial is assembled.

Oiling and greasing

During the first assembly, different types of oil and grease are applied to the movement. They all have several additives that deliver the best possible lubrication effect for various applications. There are bearings that must sustain low pressures but high speeds and slowly rotating pinions that carry considerable loads. There are components that must withstand high acceleration and extreme slowness, and others that are exposed to significant levels of friction.

The oils and greases are removed during the cleaning process after the first assembly, so they have to be reapplied during the second assembly. This has to be done according to detailed instructions to assure that none of the 121 oiling and greasing points is forgotten.

In our globalised world, watches with several time zones rank among the most useful complications. GMT timepieces indicate the time in a further zone which needs to be remembered. A world-time watch simultaneously tells the time in several zones. Which may lead to confusion. Conversely, the LANGE 1 TIME ZONE provides a clearly legible double time indication with a city ring that simplifies the setting of a second time zone.

While the large numerals circle shows home time, the small circle indicates the time in a second time zone. Each of the 24 time zones is represented by a city name on the peripheral city ring. A golden arrow at 5 o’clock points at the name of the city that represents the currently displayed time zone. Actuated 24 times, the corrector at 8 o’clock travels around the entire world in an easterly direction. Every switching cycle advances the hour hand of the small subsidiary dial by one hour.

The dual day/night indication provides extra orientation. Each of the two time circles features a small arrow-shaped hand. The bright/dark segments tell the user whether it is day or night, separately for home time and for the second time zone.

A refined synchronisation mechanism makes it possible to swap the zone time on the subsidiary dial to the large dial – a unique feature. It is particularly convenient during longer stays abroad when zone time becomes the home time. The global launch of the LANGE 1 TIME ZONE in 2005 was accompanied by the tagline “Born in Saxony – at home around the world”. It takes on a double meaning here.

Silver and blue are the colours that dominate the “25^th Anniversary” edition of the LANGE 1 TIME ZONE. The 41.9-millimetre white-gold case is combined with an argenté-coloured dial, thermally blued screws, and blue inscriptions – including the outsize date. A blue alligator leather strap with a white-gold prong buckle completes the stringent colour concept.

Finished to the highest standards, the manually wound calibre L031.1 features a twin mainspring barrel with a power reserve of three days. The sapphire-crystal caseback exposes the three-quarter plate with the wheel train that powers the zone-time ensemble. Further quality hallmarks include four screwed gold chatons, a screw balance with a classic whiplash precision index adjuster as well as manually engraved intermediate wheel and balance cocks. The intermediate wheel cock is graced with a blue line engraving with the anniversary number 25: Its typography and shape correspond to the Lange outsize date. It is the shared attribute of all models of the ten-watch “25^th Anniversary” collection.

When the first collection of the new era was presented in October 1994, the innovative design of the LANGE 1 attracted considerable attention. As on a noble dashboard, the asymmetric arrangement of the displays in the compact space of the dial assured immediate recognisability due to its unusual configuration.

The same arrangement was adopted for the LANGE 1 TOURBILLON PERPETUAL CALENDAR model that was first launched in 2012. A rotating peripheral ring that indicates the month was devised to integrate all calendar indications in the dial architecture of the LANGE 1. The underside of the construction features a circumferential contour with wave-shaped recesses. A spring-loaded sampler lever glides along this contour and is deflected by a magnitude that corresponds to the depth of the respective recess. The more it is deflected, the shorter the month. All displays switch instantaneously.

A retrograde day-of-week display takes the place of a power-reserve indicator. The leap year is indicated in a small aperture at 6 o’clock. And the moon-phase display, calculated to an accuracy of 122.6 years, includes a hand-engraved lunar disc in white gold that is visible through an aperture on the seconds subdial. Thanks to the intuitive arrangement of the simultaneously switching calendar indications, a single glance delivers all of the information at once.
The argenté-coloured dial of the “25^th Anniversary” edition has discreetly nuanced shades of blue. The palette ranges from thermally blued-steel hands to all inscriptions, including the numerals of the outsize date and the alligator leather strap.

Only a modest epigraph at 12 o’clock reveals a further function. This is because the 69-part tourbillon with the patented stop-seconds mechanism is visible only from the movement side. There, the filigreed cage rotates about its axis once a minute to eliminate the influence of gravity on Lange’s proprietary cam-poised balance. The stop-seconds mechanism makes it possible to instantly stop the tourbillon cage with the balance at any time by pulling the crown so the watch can be set with one-second accuracy.

The tourbillon cock is graced with a blue engraving shaped like the Lange outsize date with the number 25. The 25 not only refers to the birthday but also to a special detail of the launch. It took place on 24 October 1994. On this day, the date displays of the debut watches were set to the 25th so they would be current when showcased in the following day’s newspapers. 

The high winding efficiency of the automatic calibre L082.1 is attained with a heavy central rotor featuring an outer centrifugal mass in platinum; its middle segment with the embossed A. Lange & Söhne signature is made of 21-carat gold. The Lange-typical quality hallmarks of the 624-part movement include the black polish on the upper side of the tourbillon cage and a diamond endstone bearing that holds the tourbillon.

In the anniversary year, with a collection of no fewer than ten models that stand for the key milestones of the LANGE 1 watch family, A. Lange & Söhne pays tribute to its no doubt most recognisable face. The LITTLE LANGE 1 “25^th Anniversary” in white gold is the third edition of this series.

Like its predecessors, it features an argenté-coloured dial in solid silver with deep-blue printed numerals and markers, blue date numerals, and a hand-engraved balance cock with blue accents. Even the relief-engraved number “25” that graces the balance cock as a reminder of the anniversary is blue. The blue hand-stitched alligator leather strap with a contrasting seam in grey is a tasteful match for this watch.

The LITTLE LANGE 1 was initially launched in 1998. Its case diameter is 1.7 millimetres smaller than that of the classic LANGE 1. But in terms of design and functionality facets, it corresponds with the original. This includes the off-centre dial with the typical Lange outsize date and the UP/DOWN power-reserve indicator. For design-related reasons, a push piece was recessed in the case for correcting the outsize date.

In 2018, the LITTLE LANGE 1 was fitted with the newly designed, manually wound calibre L121.1 that also runs in the anniversary model. It features a precisely jumping outsize date display as well as a large cam-poised balance with a freely oscillating Lange balance spring. The twin mainspring barrel delivers power for 72 hours.

The Lange 1 is A. Lange & Söhne’s iconic design classic. Since 1994, it has stood for the manufactory’s ambition to build the world’s finest watches. Without that watch, showcasing an asymmetric dial and the prominent outsize date, the traditional brand would not have become what it is today. In terms of technical and artisanal features, the Little Lange 1 has just as much to offer as its larger sibling. “Little” merely refers to its case diameter of 36.8 millimetres.

The eclectic interplay of colours and materials is the common denominator of the three new interpretations that each embody a specific style: A purple dial in guilloched gold framed by a white-gold case makes a fabulous statement. Hands and appliques in rhodiumed gold emit dazzling reflections against the dark background. This version is limited to 100 watches and is available exclusively at A. Lange & Söhne boutiques. The grey dial, also guilloched, of the second white-gold model radiates cool elegance. Conversely, the guilloched dial of the pink-gold version amplifies the brown-hued ensemble of the case, hands, and appliques. In all three versions, the alligator leather straps echo the colour of the respective dial to amplify its effect.

The manually wound calibre L121.1. movement, originally introduced with the Lange 1, ticks beneath the asymmetric dial. The technical features of the watch include the powerful twin mainspring barrel that keeps it running for three days, the characteristic Up/Down power-reserve indicator, the instantaneously jumping outsize date and the balance with eccentric poising weights and an in-house manufactured  hairspring. Manifestations of the artisanship nurtured by A. Lange & Söhne include the three-quarter plate made of German silver and decorated with Glashütte ribbing, eight screwed gold chatons, and the whiplash-spring beat adjustment device on the manually engraved balance cock.

More than 50 years after the first spacecraft landed on the moon’s surface, we have still not yet unlocked all of the secrets of our planet’s companion. Thus, even in 2016, scientists cannot conclusively answer questions about the origins of the moon. This mystery keeps humankind interested in our closest celestial neighbour and underpins the fascination of one of the most coveted astronomical complications: the moon-phase display. It tracks the lunar cycle – with an average duration of 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 3 seconds – so accurately that it takes 122.6 years for the display to deviate from the true synodic period by just one day.

The arrangement of the display is based on a new, particularly realistic concept. A separate solid-gold moon pursues its orbit in the foreground. Behind it, a celestial disc – also made of solid gold – performs exactly one revolution every 24 hours. On the disc, the different times of day are represented by varying blue hues caused by interference effects. During the day, it shows a bright sky without stars, while at night it depicts a dark sky with prominently contrasting laser-cut stars. Thus, the moon always orbits against a realistic background that doubles as a day/night indicator when setting the watch.

The now 20th Lange calibre with a moon-phase display is based on the Lange 1 movement introduced two years ago, and it has the same performance attributes. This includes the characteristic twin mainspring barrel with a maximum power reserve of 72 hours and the precisely jumping outsize date display. The Lange 1 Moon Phase also features an escapement with a cam-poised balance and a free-sprung Lange hairspring. Suspended beneath the hand-engraved balance cock, it beats with a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour.

The 70 parts for the moon-phase display were so cleverly integrated in the L121.3 manufacture calibre that it is only marginally larger than the calibre L121.1 inside the Lange 1. The asymmetric solid-silver dial sets a remarkably harmonious stage for the luminous time and power-reserve indications complemented with an outsize date, the moon-phase display, and the day/night indicator. The Lange 1 Moon Phase is available in white gold/black, pink gold/argenté, and platinum/rhodié case/dial combinations.

Compared to the Lange 1 Moon Phase, this latest version of the classic timepiece is 1.7 millimetres smaller. The warm gloss of the polished pink-gold case contrasts with the exquisitely guilloched, argenté-coloured gold dial of the Little Lange 1 Moon Phase. Featuring two golden moons, the lunar disc of this model is also argenté-coloured. The astronomical complication emulates the synodic orbit of the earth’s companion so accurately that it only needs to be corrected by one day every 122.6 years. Shiny pink-gold hands and appliques accentuate the asymmetric dial with its precisely jumping outsize date display. The delicately gradated colour concept is immaculately complemented with a white alligator leather strap that is secured with a pink-gold prong buckle.

The technical features of the manually wound L121.2 movement – it is based on the calibre of the Lange 1 introduced two years ago – include the characteristic twin mainspring barrel with a power reserve of 72 hours. The large cam-poised balance paired with a hairspring crafted in-house oscillates beneath the hand-engraved balance cock. The lavishly hand-finished movement of this timepiece is a true gem that can be admired through the sapphire-crystal caseback.