A. Lange & Söhne subtly upgrades a holy grail – the Lange 1
If you're renowned for being sophisticated, classy and in a league of your own – just like watchmaking German gods A. Lange & Söhne – how do you go about celebrating the big 3-0? By unveiling an updated version of one of its icons, in two precious materials and two different sizes, that's how.
Before the world wars, the brand now known as A. Lange & Söhne had enjoyed a long and successful stint as Germany's finest watchmaker. But it was only after the reunification of its country in the '90s that the brand (thankfully) found its feet again.
Today, exactly 30 years to the day since it first came out in 1994, a dashing new Lange 1 has entered the conversation, and there's plenty to talk about. So, what does it look like? (‘I hope it is not square’, wrote someone in the comments section of Lange’s Instagram post announcing the imminent launch, a dig at the much talked-about Patek drop).
The Lange 1 finally returns in a platinum case,” rejoices watch writer Thomas Brechtel. “Nothing is more beautiful than a heavy platinum case combined with a deep black and shiny onyx dial. Black dial A Lange & Söhne watches do not come often, they are always rare. What an exclusive choice." The other new model released comes with a pink gold case and midnight blue dial. “The difference between the two anniversary watches could not be more contrasting,” adds Brechtel.
What makes the Lange 1 so popular within the IYKYK watch crowd is that i has always done its own thing. Not many watches exhibit an off-centre dial configuration and a typical outsized date window — but the Lange 1 does, and it just works.
“It's living proof that imbalance can be balanced," says J.J. Owens, founder of Daily Grail. “The Lange 1 is the first ever asymmetrical dial I’ve been drawn to… and it embodies the brand masterfully. The latest iterations only continue that — but if I had to choose one, the onyx dial adds the modern element a release needs to be just different enough to appeal to both Lange lovers and those uninitiated.”
As mentioned, the new Lange 1 comes in two sizes. The classic piece is 38.5mm and there's a baby brother too: a mini 36.8mm version called Little Lange 1. The Lange 1 and Little Lange 1 both tick thanks to the same manually wound movement, have a power reserve of 72 hours and come with a hand-stitched alligator leather strap.
“A Lange 1 should be in every serious collector’s watch box,” says collector Robin Wong, who is a fan of these 30th anniversary limited editions. “The platinum version with an onyx dial is a first for a Lange 1 and extremely rare, and the blue dial on the rose gold versions are also special as there are very few Lange 1s with coloured dials. If you don't have a Lange 1 yet, these are definitely worth considering,” he adds. Although the Little Lange 1s are limited to 150 pieces each and the Lange 1s 300 each, so good luck getting your hands on one.
Another reason why the Lange 1 is held in such high esteem is because it's largely remained unchanged since in was first introduced. “There was a significant revision in 2016, but the Lange 1 remains as we know it — a classic with no fashionable changes to its appearance. I like this conservative attitude of the brand,” he adds.
And who is another watchmaker known for making incremental rather than drastic change? “A. Lange & Söhne enjoys the same privilege as Rolex: they do boring so well. They don’t have to do much in order to make people happy," says watch collector and author Kristian Haagen. “Don’t get me wrong, an onyx dial is spectacular but I would have expected a super limited Handwerkskunst to mark the 30th anniversary." But why would A Lange & Söhne do what was expected?
“Nobody notices that new black Tom Ford tuxedo you got for your 30th birthday,” adds Haagen. "Rather, they see a man in a black tuxedo, which is also perfectly OK. Happy 30th, Lange 1. Don’t ever change.”
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