It is hard to believe that the Lange 1 watch is a mere 25 years old. It was in 1994, that Walter Lange and Günter Blümlein unveiled the first four wristwatches (including the Lange 1) to usher in A. Lange & Söhne's revival after the fall of the Berlin wall.
It is hard to believe that the Lange 1 watch is a mere 25 years old. It was in 1994, that Walter Lange and Günter Blümlein unveiled the first four wristwatches (including the Lange 1) to usher in A. Lange & Söhne’s revival after the fall of the Berlin wall. In the watchmaking realm—where we frequently talk about timepieces with histories that stretch back more than six decades—a quarter-century is indeed young. Yet, what A. Lange & Söhne’s signature watch lacks in years, it certainly makes up for in recognition and respect. To honor this Lange 1 watch milestone, A. Lange & Söhne will roll out ten models to complete the “25th Anniversary” series by year’s end. And they kicked things off beautifully with the release of the white gold Lange 1 “25th Anniversary” at SIHH 2019.
Limited to just 250 pieces, the Lange 1 “25th Anniversary” (Reference: 191.066) features a 38.5mm case in 18k white gold. The dial has the familiar Lange 1 asymmetrical dial layout with an off-centered hour and minute subdial, a running seconds display, an oversized date double-window, and a power reserve indicator. Color-wise, A. Lange & Söhne opted for an argenté-dial in solid silver, accented with plenty of blue details including blue numerals, indices, and hands. In fact, the German watchmaker has announced that the running theme throughout all ten models of the commemorative Lange 1 collection will have silver dials with blue accents, blue alligator leather straps, and a hinged caseback.
That’s right, turn the Lange 1 “25th Anniversary” around and you’ll be met with a hunter-style caseback in solid white gold that can be opened to reveal the movement inside the watch. The caseback is engraved with a depiction of the 1873 Lange HQ, the names of Walter Lange and Günter Blümlein, and a “25 JAHRE LANGE 1” inscription. Flip the hinged cuvette open and you’ll see the sumptuously decorated Lange Caliber 121.1 movement introduced in 2015. The manually-wound movement includes a twin mainspring barrel with a power-reserve of 72 hours, along with the unmistakable three-quarter plate—a hallmark of German watchmaking. Look a little closer and you’ll spot a blue relief engraving of the number 25 in the style of A. Lange & Söhne’s outsize date design.
A solid start to the Lange 1 “25th Anniversary” series, we look forward to seeing what the other nine timepieces A. Lange & Söhne will present over the course of the year.
The new limited-edition Lange 1 “25th Anniversary” is currently priced at $47,900 (subject to change).
