A. Lange & Söhne’s Nordic quest
A. Lange & Söhne journeys to Iceland in search of an ideal setting to showcase the spectacular contrast between light and darkness for its three luminous models
Auroras – when fluorescent light cloaks the nocturnal darkness with mysterious green veils – rank among our planet’s most awe-inspiring natural phenomena. A. Lange & Söhne journeyed to Iceland for a first-hand encounter with one of Mother Nature’s most fascinating extravaganzas.
The Maison felt that the Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights, which plays on the spectacular contrast between light and darkness, is the ideal setting to showcase its three luminous models – the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase “Lumen”, first presented in January 2016, the Zeitwerk “Luminous”, and the Grand Lange 1 “Lumen”.
How luminous displays work
Watches with luminous displays need a light source that charges the luminous compound applied to the display elements and allows them to glow. Thanks to the semi-transparent black-tinted dial and an ingenious mechanism, the displays of the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase “Lumen” and the other “Lumen” models can be permanently charged with light energy.
Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase “Lumen” displays
The Moon Phase’s dial is made of blackened silver with generous apertures and a semi-transparent black-tinted sapphire-crystal glass wafer. The special coating applied to the glass blocks most of the visible light but not the UV spectra that “charge” the luminous pigments on the date mechanism and cause them to glow in the dark. The tens cross is coated with a white luminous compound and printed with black numerals. Conversely, the units disc, also featuring black numerals, is made of transparent glass and rotates in front of the luminous background of the date aperture.
The lunar disc is made of glass. First, the glass surface is coated with a patented process. Then 1,164 stars and the moon are cut out with a laser beam. The luminous compoundbehind the lunar disc makes the moon and the stars shine. The large moon-phase display occupies a prominent position on the main dial. Once properly set, it only needs to be corrected by one day every 122.6 years.
Photo shootlocations
In addition to the Northern Lights, other spectacular locales that provided fitting backdrops for A. Lange’s luminous models include the Vík í Mýrdal – the Black Beach, which consists of black lava – the perfect setting for the “Lumen” models, where black dials form an ideal background for the rhodiumed gold hands and appliques as well as the green shimmer of the luminous displays.
Another appropriate setting was the largest glacier of Iceland – the Vatnajökull, under which lies one of the island’s most active volcanoes. The alternation of hot and cold extremes characterises the “Lumen” models as well. The platinum used to manufacture the case is heated to about 1800 degrees Celsius and then cast into a die while it is molten. Then it is rolled to achieve the final thickness of the bezel, case middle and caseback. Within 30 minutes, the metal cools down uniformly to room temperature, making it particularly resilient.
