Watches and Wonders
Watches and Wonders: A. Lange & Söhne Shows Off New 1815, Minute Repeater Perpetual, and Odysseus Honeygold
From classic three-handers to mastery of mechanics and materials, the Maison has pulled out all the stops for its 180th birthday.
By Cait Bazemore
Contributor
Last year was significant for A. Lange & Söhne as it rang in the 30th anniversary of its flagship model: the Lange 1. Now, at Watches and Wonders 2025, the Maison is commemorating another important milestone: its 180th anniversary as a brand.
Ferdinand Adolph Lange founded his namesake company in the historic watchmaking town of Glashütte, Germany, in 1845. However, after being nationalized and ceasing production following the Soviet occupation in the wake of the Second World War, the brand spent four decades off the map until Walter Lange (the great-grandson of its founder) re-established the family business in 1990, making this the 35th anniversary since its revival.
In honor of this exciting anniversary year, A. Lange & Söhne presents four new models illustrating the diversity of its catalog: two new styles of its classic 1815, a complex platinum edition combining a minute repeater and a perpetual calendar, and, for the first time, its popular Odysseus in full Honeygold, from the case to the bracelet.
The 1815 in 750 White and Pink Gold
In perfect harmony with celebrating its anniversary as a brand, the Maison presents two new versions of the 1815, a collection with a name honoring the birthyear of its founder and watches marrying past and present, combining watchmaking traditions dating back to the 19th century with the latest technical advancements possible.
The initial 1815 reference, the Tourbillon “Pour le Merite,” introduced the signature design language of the collection, which features many of the elements found on historic pocket watches, from its Arabic numerals to its peripheral railway-track minute scale.
The latest editions offer an even more refined take on the 1815 with a compact 34mm by 6.4mm build, a time-only display, and a slender, slightly tiered bezel that frames the dial featuring all the hallmarks of the collection along with a subsidiary seconds dial positioned at 6 o’clock – an element that’s also reminiscent of early Lange pocket watches.
Both versions showcase classic blue dials, with the white gold iteration offering a matching blue leather strap and the pink gold coming with a contrasting brown strap.
Powering these three-handers is an all-new movement: the manufacture Calibre L152.1, housing a new oscillation system with a freely oscillating balance spring and a large screw balance crafted in-house. This marks the 75th calibre since the re-establishment of the manufacture 35 years ago.
Visible through the sapphire caseback, the L152.1 displays an exceptional level of decoration from the hand-engraved balance cock to the three-quarter plate, which was introduced in 1864 by Ferdinand Adolph Lange himself.
The Limited Edition Minute Repeater Perpetual in 950 Platinum
On the other end of the simple to complex spectrum from the time-only 1815 models is the Limited Edition Minute Repeater Perpetual in 950 Platinum, an exceptional model showcasing the brand’s mechanical mastery by combining two of the most sophisticated horological complications.
The Maison presented its first watch with a calendar complication in 2001 with the Langematik Perpetual. A decade later, the brand unveiled its first model with a striking mechanism in 2011: the Zeitwerk Striking Time. The new Minute Repeater Perpetual marries these sensibilities, creating a single sleek and blacked-out package.
To enhance the sound quality of the striking mechanism, A. Lange & Söhne has chosen a 950 platinum build for the case. Here, the clearest sound is assured by the hand-tuned gongs that harmonize perfectly with the acoustic characteristics of platinum.
Of course, while the minute repeater serves to mark time in the present with its symphony of chimes, the addition of the perpetual calendar provides the perfect foil to measure time well into the future – until 2100, to be exact. This impressive duo is powered by the newly developed Lange manufacture Calibre L122.2.
Alongside these two complications, the Maison puts its artistic skills on full display with the addition of a black enamel dial. Fun Fact: While elaborate enamel styles like cloisonne and champleve appear to be the most challenging, the technique required to achieve uniformity with a solid color is, in fact, the most challenging feat in enameling, with black being the most difficult to execute without flaw.
On the new Minute Repeater Perpetual, A. Lange & Söhne’s expert team has conquered this task with aplomb.
The Odysseus Honeygold
Launched in 2019, the Odysseus is A. Lange & Söhne’s newest watch family. The collection introduced the first serially produced stainless steel timepiece with a depth rating of 120 meters to the Maison’s catalog.
While the models within the line have taken a few different forms over the past several years – from white gold to titanium constructions and rubber to leather straps – this is the first time we get the sports watch rendered in the brand’s exclusive Honeygold.
Notable for its hardness thanks to mineral additives and a special heat treatment, Honeygold debuted back in 2010 as the case material of three different models as part of the Maison’s 165 Years – Homage to F.A. Lange collection. Now, for the first time, the brand has brought the trademark material to the Odysseus line.
Perfectly complementing the soft, warm glow of the Honeygold – which extends from the 40.5mm by 11.1mm case to the five-row integrated bracelet – is a brown dial. It’s also worth noting that this is the first time the Maison has rendered a bracelet using this special alloy.
Pricing & Availability
Each of the four models featured here is available today, with both editions of the 1815 joining the brand’s catalog as part of the permanent collection.
The Minute Repeater Perpetual will only be produced in 50 pieces. Meanwhile, the Odysseus Honeygold will be limited to 100 pieces. For pricing and more information, visit the A. Lange & Söhne website.