Pre-SIHH Intro: 25th Anniversary Lange 1

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.

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 polarizing. 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 caliber – 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-colored dial in solid silver with printed deep-blue numerals and hour markers, blue date numerals, and a color-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 caliber 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 caliber 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 symbolizes 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.”