The A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 may be the prototypical A. Lange & Söhne watch that one thinks of when the German luxury watch brand comes up - it's easily recognizable design, with its iconic digital date window and asymmetric dial configuration, standing out for decades now. A design almost unchanged since its inception.
One of the original models reintroduced when the brand relaunched in 1994, its origins go back to the old 'Lange' watchmaking brand and Ferdinand Adolph Lange, who worked on the five-minute clock inside the Dresden Opera House that also has a similar digital display. The Lange 1 itself recalls the original artistry that was the Lange watch brand and as such is one of the longest lasting watches in A. Lange & Söhne's catalogue.
A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 ref. 101.001 / Credit: Phillips
The first A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 was the reference 101.001, which was in solid yellow gold with a champagne dial and powered by the Cal. L901.0. The references 101.002 and 101.005 were also available, with the latter being in platinum. There were many variations of the Lange 1 over its 20-plus years of production, like the display caseback models released after 1997. There was also the 1998 Lange 1A (ref. 112.021), a limited edition of 100 pieces with an engine-turned gold dial.
Finally, in 2015, at the SIHH, the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 collection was updated for the first time ever, now powered by the in-house A. Lange & Söhne Cal. L121.1, that had a power reserve of 72 hours and a 21,600 bph rate⁴.
Ultimately, a pretty remarkable collection from A. Lange & Söhne, often compared to Patek Philippe's Calatrava and certainly building its way towards becoming such an icon.
By: Andres Ibarguen
Read more:
“How the Lange 1 Became a Modern Icon.” A Collected Man, December 15th, 2020, https://www.acollectedman.com/blogs/journal/lange-1-modern-icon.
Mazzardo, Alessandro. “History of the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1.” Time and Tide Watches, October 7th, 2014, https://www.timeandwatches.com/p/history-of-lange-1.html?m=1.
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