A. Lange & Söhne Updates the Lange 1 Time Zone
The Lange 1 Time Zone indicates the time at home and in another time zone at a glance. Fifteen years after its launch, it has now been endowed with a new manufacture caliber. Ring-shaped day/night indicators assure good legibility and the new daylight-saving time indication is a useful addition.
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 characterized 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 the 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.
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 centers 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-color 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 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: 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.
Synchronization Mechanism: The new model also retains the unique synchronization 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 Caliber: With the new manufacture caliber L141.1, all models of the Lange 1 watch family that were originally based on the caliber L901 are now endowed with new movements. The most recent one reflects the experience accrued with the development of 65 calibers 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.
Caliber L141.1: 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.
Two Versions: The dimensions of the new Lange 1 Time Zone remain unchanged. The case has a diameter of 41.9 millimeters and a height of 10.9 millimeters. The Lange 1 Time Zone comes in two case/dial combinations: white gold/black and rose gold/argenté.
