A. Lange & Sohne re-launches icons for new generation

In 1990, under the skilful leadership of Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s great-grandson, Walter, A. Lange & Söhne re-launched itself as one of the leaders in Haute Horlogerie and developed a total of 51 hand-made calibres that are housed in cases made from precious materials such as gold or platinum

In simply 25 years, the brand has secured a prominent position among the world’s finest watch makers, creating innovative time-keeping instruments such as the Lange 1 and the Zeitwerk; both models have become icons of a brand that constantly tries to outperform its own achievements. In 2013, this ambition was achieved in a truly exceptional timepiece, The Grand Complication, which is one of the most complicated wristwatches ever built by A. Lange & Söhne. Like the iconic novelties, the new 2015 collection covers a range of clever functions combined with an aesthetically pleasing exterior.

Zeitwerk Minute Repeater

The Zeitwerk Minute Repeater timepiece is a technical sensation which is powered by a L043.5 calibre that controls the mechanical jumping numerals display and the decimal minute repeater, making it the first complex model to be manufactured in A. Lange & Söhne’s 200 year old history.  The watch features a striking mechanism that sounds the hours, ten-minute intervals and minutes whenever the elaborate pusher, positioned at the side of the case is pressed. The 44.2mm diameter platinum case houses a solid-silver dial in a rhodié hue finish that supports two individual apertures designed to show the hours and minutes. The lower part of the dial illustrates a seconds’ counter while the upper part of the dial displays the power reserve indicator that has a maximum of 36 hours reserve. The semi-circle indicator highlights the crucial 12 hour mark with a red dot, where should the power reserve fall below that point – the minute repeater would not work. Both counters are read with a single rhodiumed gold hand.

Datograph Perpetual

The union of solid white-gold and charcoal grey adds elegance and charisma to the combination of a flyback chronograph with a perpetual calendar that is the pride of the Datograph Perpetual timepiece. Consisting of three highly elaborate, technically advanced mechanisms, the watch is energised by a L952.1 calibre and fully delivers precision of short-time measurements; the column-wheel concept assures control of all chronograph functions, the jumping minute counter delivers distinct legibility of stopped times and the flyback system accurately measures the duration of events in quick succession. The charcoal grey dial boasts an outsize date, day of week, month and leap year indications, Moonphase and a perpetual calendar which is so precise that it requires no adjustment until the year 2100. Baton hour markers as well as rhodiumed gold hour and minute hands highlight the rich-contrast design that was first introduced in 2010 with the launch of the pink-gold version. The chronograph hand, minute counter and seconds’ hands are all made of blued steel, allowing them to stand out prominently against the bright rhodié background of the subsidiary dials which are all housed in a white gold case measuring 41mm in diameter.

Lange 1

Since 1994, the Lange 1 has been the icon of A. Lange & Söhne, so it was only natural that the new 2015 edition retains its exterior while the interior is endowed with the latest technically evolved manually wound L121.1 calibre. The escapement of the LANGE 1 has a balance wheel with eccentric poising weights and a free-sprung hairspring that has been crafted in-house. Beneath the hand-engraved balance cock, it still breathes with a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour. The reliable twin mainspring barrel with a power reserve of 72 hours also remains the same. The self-explanatory named timepiece comes in pink gold, yellow gold and platinum and is a fusion of innovative design, outstanding functionality and immaculate craftsmanship. Although the dial remains practically untouched, the bezel has been marginally narrowed which adds a sense of openness to the face of the watch, retaining the original diameter of 38.5mm.

Datograph Up/Down

This classic chronograph creation has been restyled after it was first presented three years ago. Available in a 41mm 18-carat pink gold case with a black solid silver dial, the Datograph Up/Down is the latest 2015 edition that incorporates milestone technical features, such as aclassic column-wheel control mechanism, a precisely jumping minute counter and a flyback function. The dial boasts two rectangular outsize date windows and two argenté subsidiary dials for the seconds and the minute counter. The power reserve indicator arcs at the 6 o’clock position on the dial, to show the maximum power reserve of 60 hours when fully wound. Composed of 451 parts and powered by a L951.6 manually wound calibre that beats at a frequency of 18,000 semi-oscillations per hour, the watch unites all typical Lange quality hallmarks, such as the sturdy three-quarter plate made of untreated German silver, lavishly finished movement parts, a hand-engraved balance cock and four gold chatons secured with screws.

Saxonia Classics

Three flawless models are available in the Saxonia Classics collection; the Saxonia, the Saxonia Automatic and the Saxonia Dual Time. Since it was launched 20 years ago, the Saxonia has been a permanent part of the manufactory’s repertoire. In their quest for a more prominent face that would capture the new generation’s attention, the designers sketched out numerous variations of the dial, differentiated by slight accents that affect the overall visual impact of the timepiece. The solid-gold applied hour markers have been moved toward the periphery of the dial and are finished as double baton appliques at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock and the slightly extended black graduations of the minute scale are also more striking in the new range of Saxonia’s. However, there are some differences between the three models; for the Saxonia Automatic and the Saxonia Dual Time, the tens markers of the subsidiary seconds dial have been endowed with numerals for better transparency. Also, two models have been blessed with smaller case sizes; the Saxonia with the improved L941.1 calibre is now 35mm whereas the Saxonia Dual Time is now the same size as the Saxonia Automatic at 38.5mm.