In the world of haute horology, A. Lange Söhne’s Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar stands as a testament to the fusion of craftsmanship and design innovation. Building on its legacy, a new iteration of the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar in platinum with a striking black dial has been introduced.
Building on its legacy, a new iteration of the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar in platinum with a striking black dial has been introduced.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of A. Lange Söhne
The Lange 1 range history begins in the early 1990s when the great-grandson of the founder of A. Lange Söhne, Walter Lange, decided to revive the company. In 1990, following the reunification of Germany, Walter Lange set out to restore the legacy of A. Lange Söhne. With the help of watch industry veteran Günter Blümlein and the financial support of the Swiss luxury conglomerate Richemont, the brand was re-established in Glashütte The Lange 1 collection was the first series of watches introduced by the reinvigorated A. Lange Söhne in 1994. It marked a significant departure from traditional watch design and showcased the brand’s commitment to innovation and exceptional craftsmanship. The Lange 1 was the brainchild of watch designer Kurt Klaus, and over the years, the Lange 1 has evolved with models like the Lange 1 Tourbillon, the Lange 1 Moon Phase, and of course, the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of A. Lange Söhne
The Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar features a month display, Lange’s signature outsize date, a retrograde day-of-week display, and a leap-year display. Notably, the moon-phase display includes an integrated day/night indicator, and the calendar indications switch instantaneously. Once set correctly, this mechanism ensures accurate month display adjustments until the year 2100.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of A. Lange Söhne
Crafting a mechanical watch with a perpetual calendar that accurately accounts for different month durations and leap years while adhering to a specific design presented a formidable challenge. In 2001, A. Lange Söhne introduced the Langematik Perpetual, marking the beginning of an ambitious journey.
To maintain the signature design of the Lange 1 watch family, Lange’s watchmakers devised an innovative solution: the peripheral month ring. This ring advances instantaneously by 30 degrees at the end of each month, accumulating energy via a cam throughout the month to provide the necessary power precisely at midnight on the last day of the month.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of A. Lange Söhne
The Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar adds an intriguing feature to its moon-phase display—an integrated day/night indicator. This innovation consists of a solid-gold celestial disc with graduated blue hues that rotates once every 24 hours. Against this backdrop, a white-gold moon completes its synodic orbit with exceptional precision. This indication only requires correction by one day after a staggering 122.6 years.
The day/night indicator ingeniously portrays the moon’s journey across a bright-blue sky during the day and a dark-blue starry sky at night, offering an exquisite blend of artistry and functionality.
The excellence of A. Lange Söhne is evident in the meticulous craftsmanship of Movement L021.3, visible through the sapphire-crystal caseback. This movement is assembled twice and intricately finished by hand. Its technical features include a unidirectional winding rotor in 21-carat gold with a centrifugal mass in 950 platinum, a 50-hour power reserve, and a balance with eccentric poising weights beating at 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of A. Lange Söhne
The movement also showcases Lange’s hallmark quality details, including plates and bridges made of untreated German silver adorned with Glashütte ribbing, five gold chatons secured by blued-steel screws, and a hand-engraved balance cock with a mounted whiplash spring to regulate beat adjustments.
