A. Lange & Söhne adds to 1815 and Odysseus collections
A. Lange & Söhne is unveiling new editions of the 1815 in white gold and pink gold, housing a new manually wound movement – the 75th calibre created by the brand since its re-establishment. With this new movement, the watchmakers have succeeded in increasing the power reserve to 72 hours and incorporating a new going train. The Odysseus, meanwhile, is presented in a new honey-gold case with a brown dial and is offered on a five-row bracelet, in a limited edition of 100
1815
In a unique way, the new 1815 embodies the maison’s aspiration to never stand still. On the one hand, it builds a bridge into the past with its many traditional references; whilst on the other, it is endowed with a newly developed movement. Available in 750 white or pink gold, the 1815 was designed with a view to Glashütte watch pioneer Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s quest for perfection: its name refers to his birth year.
It was Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s vision to craft pocket watches that are a harmonious fusion of precision, functionality, and elegance. The new 1815 follows this tradition; it comes in a 750 pink- or white-gold version whose case proportions exhibit graceful unpretentiousness. Its diameter of 34 millimetres and a height of only 6.4 millimetres comply with the wish of many watch aficionados for an even more discreet version of this classic three-hand watch. Its elegant appearance as well its remarkable wearing comfort makes the 1815 the ideal companion for a business day.
The slender, slightly tiered bezel frames the dial that was designed with attention to detail. The railway-track minute scale, Arabic numerals and the subsidiary seconds dial positioned at 6 o’clock are reminiscent of earlier Lange pocket watches. The lancet-shaped hands that rotate above a blue background match the case and emphasise the classic character of the 1815.
The white-gold model features a blue leather strap, and the pink-gold version comes with a reddish-brown strap. The high artisanal quality can also be admired in the polished prong buckle in white or pink gold.
The aesthetics of the newly developed manufacture calibre L152.1 are typified by characteristic design forms and traditional movement decorations that can be admired through the sapphire-crystal caseback. They include, in particular, the hand-engraved balance cock and the three-quarter plate that was introduced in 1864 by Ferdinand Adolph Lange in Glashütte. The prominent movement part is decorated with Glashütte ribbing. The four screwed gold chatons, the bearing jewels and the securing thermally blued screws provide colourful accents.
The manually wound movement of the new 1815 is the 75th calibre since the re-establishment of the manufacture. In addition, a new oscillation system with a freely oscillating balance spring and a large screw balance crafted in-house assure supreme precision across the entire power reserve of 72 hours.
Odysseus Honeygold
At Watches and Wonders 2025, A. Lange & Söhne presents the sporty-elegant Odysseus in a 750 honey-gold case, complemented with a brown dial and a honey-gold bracelet. The timepiece, limited to 100 watches, thus exhibits a particular brand of stylish elegance. The Odysseus was specially developed to meet the extremely high expectations that its wearers have of a precision mechanical watch ‒ even during their sports and leisure activities. To this end, it is equipped with a robust self-winding movement and a case that withstands a test pressure of 12 bar.
With its prominent design and large displays for the date and the day of week, the Odysseus sets benchmarks in the category of sporty-elegant timepieces. The slender case exudes an air of lightness while rounded and angular elements provide a dramatic contrast. The tapered pushers for correcting the date and the day of week are positioned above and below the screw-down crown, emphasising the watch’s distinctive appearance. The narrow bezel allows for a comparatively large dial. The captivating interplay of brushed surfaces and chamfered edges is echoed on the lugs and links of the bracelet in 750 honey gold.
For the first time, the manufacture presents the Odysseus with a honey-gold, five-row bracelet. It is harmoniously integrated into the case and eminently comfortable to wear. The safety deployment buckle has a user-friendly mechanism that, by pressing a pusher, allows its length to be adjusted by up to 7 millimetres, without even having to open the buckle. If required, the bracelet can also be adapted by adding or removing individual links.
The fourth colour and material version of the Odysseus pairs a honey-gold case, measuring 40.5 millimetres in diameter and 11.1 millimetres in height, with a brown dial. The elegant hue matches the warm lustre of the manufacture’s exclusive alloy ‒ characterised by its typical colour and particular hardness. The hands and notched baton appliques are also made of honey gold. With a height of 2.4 millimetres, the white numerals of the outsize date and the letters of the day-of-week display stand out against the brown background.
A luminous coating was applied to the lancet-shaped hands for hours and minutes as well as the hour markers, also assuring unambiguous time readings in the dark. The embossed groove structure between the hour markers and on the scale of the subsidiary seconds dial underscores the three-dimensional impact of the dial. It contrasts against the subtly gleaming inner surfaces of the main and subsidiary dials. The red number 60 provides a colourful accent on the peripheral minute scale that is printed on the bevelled, gold-coloured flange ring.
Specially developed for a wide range of uses, the manufacture calibre L155.1 Datomatic of the Odysseus is in a league of its own regarding reliability and robust design. The name Datomatic, visible on the central rotor, stands for the date mechanism combined with automatic winding. The unidirectionally winding rotor assures efficient winding and a constant delivery of energy.
The intricate, aesthetically appealing details of the artisanally finished movement that is assembled twice can be observed through the sapphire-crystal caseback. They include the skeletonised and partially black-rhodiumed rotor with a centrifugal mass in 950 platinum, the plates and bridges made of untreated German silver, blued screws and the screwed gold chaton above the escape wheel.
When fully wound, the mainspring barrel delivers a maximum power reserve of 50 hours. To guarantee high-rate accuracy regardless of external factors, the balance operates at a frequency of 28,800 semi-oscillations per hour (4 Hz). It is regulated with four recessed screws that are flush with the outside of the balance-wheel rim. This design reduces turbulence despite the higher frequency.
Together with the freely oscillating balance spring made in-house, the minimised air resistance has a positive impact on the movement’s rate accuracy and energy efficiency. Contrary to other Lange calibres, the oscillation system is held by a balance bridge secured at two points, instead of by a cock. It is manually engraved with a wave pattern alluding to the water resistance of the watch.
