Jubilee edition of A. Lange & Söhne’s best-known timepiece
The LANGE 1 was the first watch of the new era and has been A. Lange & Söhne’s undisputed icon for 25 years. This is why the manufactory is celebrating the anniversary of the award-winning watch with a “25th Anniversary” edition in white gold limited to 250 timepieces. Its special features include a deep-blue printed argenté dial with a recess, blue date numerals, a hinged cuvette with an engraving of Lange’s headquarters and a hand-engraved balance cock with blued lines.
LANGE 1 “25th Anniversary”
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 ha- bitual 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 watch- making 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 un- changed 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.
Lange manufacture calibre L121.1
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”.
About A. Lange & Söhne
Dresden watchmaker Ferdinand Adolph Lange laid the cornerstone of Saxony’s precision watchmaking industry when he established his manufactory in 1845. His precious pocket watches remain highly coveted among collectors all over the world. The company was expropriated after World War II, and the name A. Lange & Söhne nearly vanished. In 1990, Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s great-grandson Walter Lange had the courage to make a new start. Today, Lange crafts only a few thousand wristwatches in gold or platinum per year. They are endowed exclusively with proprietary movements that are lavishly decorated and assembled by hand. With 62 manufacture calibres developed since 1994, A. Lange & Söhne has secured a top-tier position in the world of watchmaking. Brand icons such as the LANGE 1 with the first outsize date in a regularly produced wristwatch and the ZEITWERK with its precisely jumping numerals display rank among the company’s greatest successes. Sophisticated complications such as the ZEITWERK MINUTE REPEATER, the TOURBOGRAPH PERPETUAL “Pour le Mérite” and the TRIPLE SPLIT reflect the manufactory’s determination to achieve ever new pinnacles in horological artistry.