The classic colour for festive occasions has triggered many a revolution – in the realms of fashion or art, for instance. But black can have many other meanings and functions. Five black timepieces by A. Lange & Söhne juxtapose with black objects to showcase the fascinating facets of the darkest of all colours.

In 1915, a black square with a side length of 79 cm launched a revolution in the art world. Eleven years after Kazimir Malevich’s foray into avant-garde art, the little black dress by Coco Chanel caused an éclat in the realm of fashion. It was dubbed “the uniform for all women of taste” and is still referred to that way. The examples illustrate: black has the potential for icon status. It is a designer’s favourite colour because it highlights the pure underlying form. Equally, it can have a technical function. Photographers prefer black cameras because they produce no reflections. And in a wristwatch, a black dial combined with bright markers or luminous displays assures high contrast and good legibility.

In the dialogue with hand-picked black objects, A. Lange & Söhne timepieces present both sides of the darkest of all colours – the aesthetic one and the technical one: More about that at our photos.