The 24th of October 1994 is the most important date in A. Lange & Söhne’s recent history. It is the day on which company founder Walter Lange and his partner Günter Blümlein presented the first four new-era wristwatches at the Dresden Palace, including the LANGE 1. The asymmetric arrangement of its dial triggered discussions, and its technical facets – such as the outsize date and the twin mainspring barrel – were enthusiastically received.
In the beginning, every style-defining design is polarising. This is because it must overcome habitual expectations to unfold its aesthetic appeal. The Lange 1 is a good example. An outsize date and an asymmetric dial layout paired with a lavishly finished mechanical calibre – in the mid 1990s, this was deemed a provocation by many people. But the unusual design attracted considerable attention and made A. Lange & Söhne famous again overnight.
The historic event that put A. Lange & Söhne back on the map of international precision watchmaking in 1994 is recalled in the anniversary year of 2019 with a collection of different models in white gold that pay tribute to the key milestones of the Lange 1 watch family. The hallmarks they share are an argenté-coloured dial in solid silver with printed deep-blue numerals and hour markers, blue date numerals, and a colour-coordinated blue alligator leather strap with a grey seam.
The Lange 1 marks the kick-off of the “25th Anniversary” series: it has been crafted virtually unchanged since 1994. Its movement is what reflects its technical evolution. The manually wound calibre L121.1 introduced in 2015 includes a precisely jumping outsize date display and a freely oscillating Lange balance spring. Paired with a large cam-poised balance, it assures superb rate accuracy.
The opulently finished movement – as was the case with the first Lange 1 calibre L901.0 – features a twin mainspring barrel with a power reserve of 72 hours as well as typical Lange quality hallmarks. Noteworthy elements are the three-quarter plate made of untreated German silver, eight screwed gold chatons, and the hand-engraved balance cock. It exhibits a very special engraving: the outsize date with a “25” that symbolises the 25th anniversary. The manually executed lines of the new engraving pattern are blued for the first time and thus stand out with a particularly rich contrast.
The Lange 1 “25th Anniversary”, limited to 250 watches, has another prominent feature: the engraved hinged cuvette crafted from solid white gold. The engraving depicts the Lange headquarters that date back to 1873, the names of Walter Lange and Günter Blümlein, and a relief engraving of the inscription “25 YEARS LANGE 1” in german language (“25 JAHRE LANGE 1”).
A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 “25th Anniversary”
Reference number: 191.066
Movement: Lange manufacture calibre L121.1, manually wound, crafted to the most exacting Lange quality standards, decorated and assembled by hand; precision-adjusted in five positions; plates and bridges made of untreated German silver; balance cock engraved by hand
Movement parts: 368
No. of jewels: 43
Screwed gold chatons: 8
Escapement: Lever escapement
Oscillation system: Shock-resistant cam-poised balance; balance spring manufactured in-house, frequency 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour, precision beat adjustment system with lateral setscrew and whiplash spring
Power reserve: 72 hours when fully wound
Functions: Time indicated in hours, minutes, and subsidiary seconds with stop seconds; power-reserve indicator; jumping Lange outsize date
Operating elements: Crown for winding the watch and setting the time; push piece for rapid correction of the outsize date
Case dimensions: Diameter 38.5 millimetres, height 10.7 millimetres
Movement dimensions: Diameter 30.6 millimetres, height: 5.7 millimetres
Glass and caseback: Sapphire crystal (Mohs hardness 9)
Case: White gold; cuvette in white gold with engraving
Dial: Solid silver, argenté Hands Blued steel
Strap: Hand-stitched alligator leather, dark blue, grey stitching Buckle White-gold prong buckle
Limited edition 250 watches, engraved limitation number