A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “25th Anniversary”
A. Lange & Söhne Launches The Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “25th Anniversary”
The new Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar 25th Anniversary has all the bells and whistles, and then some.
By Hyla Bauer
Contributor
It’s new, it’s complicated, and it’s highly collectible. The new Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar 25th Anniversary Edition watch raises the bar even for the revered German brand. Lange has created stellar timepieces year after year since its "New Era" began in 1994. 2019 marks the 25th anniversary of the brand's revival, and what better way to celebrate than to introduce some ultra-limited edition watches? The third unveiling this year, a perpetual calendar with a little thing called a tourbillon, is a testament to the brand's mastery of highly complicated watches.
It’s truly impressive that in just 25 years A. Lange & Söhne has created such an all-encompassing range of timepieces. The brand came out of the starting line in 1994 with the Lange 1, a watch with a highly engaging asymmetrical dial design. The timepiece was an instant hit even among the extremely critical horological community. Attention to detail and meticulous hand-finishing abound at the brand while staying true to its German roots.
Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar 25th Anniversary
The new Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar 25th Anniversary edition looks a lot like the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar that came out in 2012. It has the same combination of complications: a perpetual calendar and a tourbillon. But the watch has a new level of elegance and refinement.
Like its predecessor, the watch features all of the indications that come along with a perpetual calendar: day, date, month, and leap year. The Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar also, of course has a tourbillon, an in addition to that, a day/night indicator and a moonphase. In keeping with the brand’s understated aesthetic, the tourbillon is only visible from the caseback.
The Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar 25th Anniversary is understated to perfection, which is hard to pull off in a watch that’s so complicated. The case is crafted of 18K white gold, and the dial’s silver color sets off its blue color theme to perfection. Yes, that’s right, all of the indicators on this watch are blue, replacing the previous dials that had more of a colorful presence.
Moonphase
25th Anniversary’s moonphase design is out of this world. In the previous models, the moon phase indicator featured a gold moon and stars on a blue background. This time, the moon, stars, and sky are all hand-engraved on a white gold disc that rotates under the seconds sub-dial in lockstep with the moon phases. It's visible through an aperture on the sub-seconds dial, and will be accurate for a whopping 122.6 years before it will need to be reset.
The blue color scheme is echoed on the blued-steel hands, the outsized date, and all of the dial inscriptions. A blue alligator strap with a white gold deployant buckle adds the finishing touch to the subtle elegance of the watch.
An interesting feature of the display is the rotating peripheral ring displaying the months of the year. The current month is shown at 6 o'clock, and like the other indicators, makes an instantaneous leap from one month to the next.
Speaking of 6 o’clock, the leap years are displayed in a small arrow-shaped pointer that points to the current month. It’s another subtle and brilliant detail that is user-friendly and a masterstroke of innovation.
All of this exceptional timepiece’s functions are powered by Lange’s L082.1 self-winding movement. In a nod to the brand’s German heritage, its bridges and plates are made of German silver. It’s wound by a unidirectional 21-carat gold rotor. The limited edition has another subtle design detail that will only be appreciated by true Lange fanatics. The brand's now-iconic outsized date is hand-engraved on the tourbillon cock. Despite its numerous functions, the watch has a power reserve of 50 hours. What makes the movement even more special? It has a stop-seconds on the tourbillon that received a patent. Impressive, indeed.
The watches will go fast, as only 25 will be made. And 25 fortunate collectors will very likely wear this watch for a lifetime.
Watches & Wonders Shanghai: A. Lange & Söhne Unveils A Trio Of “Homage To F. A. Lange” Anniversary Editions
By Sophie Furley
, Contributor
A. Lange & Söhne is celebrating two big anniversaries this year – 175 years since its foundation and 30 years since its rebirth after the fall of...
Watches & Wonders 2020: A. Lange & Söhne’s Refined Odysseus And Crazy Zeitwerk Minute Repeater
By Thomas Hendricks
, Contributor
Lange does what it does best and leans into the sophisticated, in taste and in technicality.
Royal Seal Of Approval: The Hampton Court Palace Concours With A. Lange & Söhne
By Watchonista
The royal residence of Hampton Court Palace provided the Concours of Elegance a quintessential British essence. Watchonista was present at last weekend's...