Haute Complications: A. Lange & Söhne Unveils Two New Masterpieces, The Lange 1 Time Zone & The 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar

Last week, A. Lange & Söhne updated two of its most complicated timepieces, the Lange 1 Time Zone and the 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar. In fact, these are two watches that capture the brand’s mastery in combining sophisticated complications with timeless design, offering watch enthusiasts a harmonious blend of functionality and elegance — in true A. Lange & Söhne fashion. Ahead, we take a further look at both new models, starting with the Lange 1 Time Zone.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of A. Lange & Söhne

The Lange 1 Time Zone boasts one of the most valuable additional functions in precision watchmaking – the simultaneous display of two time zones. This feature has garnered immense admiration from globally connected watch connoisseurs since it was introduced in 2005. This complication was given a distinct face in the Lange 1 Time Zone, where in addition to the home time, it showcased the time in a second zone through a clever selection of cities representing 24 different time zones. In its second generation, unveiled in 2020, the cosmopolitan model welcomed the new manufacture caliber L141.1, featuring an intuitive indication of daylight-saving time, further elevating the watch’s functionality. Now, the latest edition of the Lange 1 Time Zone comes in a 950-platinum case paired with a rhodium-colored solid silver dial, a captivatingly classic appearance that’s a first for this model.

The introduction of the Lange 1 Time Zone three years ago exemplified the exceptional innovation and creativity of the Lange watchmakers, seamlessly merging sophisticated micromechanical engineering with a timeless design that ensures excellent legibility. By positioning the ring with the 24 reference cities on the periphery, the harmonious display arrangement maintains the distinctive off-center dial architecture characteristic of the Lange 1 watch family. Home time, zone time, the outsize date, and the power-reserve indicator are all clearly visible at a glance.

The larger time circle indicates the home time, while the smaller time circle displays the time in the second time zone. Actuating the corrector button at 8 o’clock shifts the city ring in the easterly direction by one time zone. Simultaneously, the hour hand in the small subsidiary dial moves one hour forward, indicating the zone time of the selected city. A refined technical feature in the watch includes a color segment in the arrow indicating whether the selected city and time zone observe daylight-saving time, which is displayed in red, or standard time, indicated by an unchanged background.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of A. Lange & Söhne

To distinguish between day and night in both time zones, the Lange 1 Time Zone incorporates colored ring-shaped day/night indicators linked to the hour hands. Positioned in the center of each time circle, these indicators inform the wearer whether the respective time indication is valid for the first or second half of the day – dial-colored for the interval between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., and blue for the interval between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Notably, the Lange 1 Time Zone features a unique synchronization mechanism that allows the zone time to be transferred from the smaller subsidiary dial to the larger one, enabling the definition of a new main time as home time. By pulling the crown into the second position, both time zones can be adjusted synchronously. When the time-zone correction button is pressed and held, the hour hand of the zone-time dial is stopped, allowing the setting of the defined new main time independently of the zone time. Finally, the outsize date, which is linked with the main time, can be corrected by actuating the date correction button at 10 o’clock.

For the Lange-CEO Wilhelm Schmid, the Lange 1 Time Zone exemplifies the manufactory’s relentless pursuit of challenging conventions and achieving excellence in precision watchmaking through innovative advancements and constructions. The blend of progress and tradition fuels their quest for perfection, leading to the development of watches that offer unique functions and inimitable designs.

The beating heart of the Lange 1 Time Zone is the manufacture caliber L141.1, ensuring an impressive power reserve of 72 hours with only one mainspring barrel. Other technical highlights include a classic screw balance and a freely oscillating balance spring crafted in-house and calibrated to a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour. A glimpse through the sapphire-crystal caseback reveals Lange-typical quality hallmarks such as the three-quarter plate made of untreated German silver, screwed gold chatons, and blue screws, among others.

The Lange 1 Time Zoneretains its original dimensions, boasting a case diameter of 41.9 millimeters and a height of 10.9 millimeters. The new edition of this coveted timepiece adds a touch of timeless luxury with the 950 platinum case and rhodium-colored dial, joining the existing models in white gold/black and pink gold/argenté case/dial combinations.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of A. Lange & Söhne

Next is the 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar: a threefold complication, twofold assembly, and one-of-a-kind Lange.

The 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar showcases the rare and ambitious combination of a split-seconds or rattrapante chronograph with a perpetual calendar, now presented in an alluring 18-carat white gold case paired with a captivating pink-gold dial. Limited to just 100 pieces, this masterpiece is a celebration of technical prowess and artistry.

Introduced in 2013, the 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar marked a significant milestone in the history of Lange & Söhne. Prior to this, the Saxon manufactory had crafted an impressive seven chronograph calibers. This timepiece, equipped with a specially developed movement, seamlessly combines three of the most complex complications – a rare configuration in watchmaking. The classic and elegant design, typical of the 1815 watch family, complements the remarkable technical features of this extraordinary timepiece.

At the heart of the watch lies the rattrapante function, a true horological challenge. Beyond the conventional chronograph functions, this sophisticated complication allows for the measurement of intermediate times, comparative times, and the determination of minimum and maximum values within a minute. The precision is enhanced by the manufacture caliber L101.1, which features a balance wheel beating at six semi-oscillations per second, ensuring that the stopped times can be recorded with an accuracy of one-sixth of a second. The additional graduation on the peripheral minute scale further enhances the precision readings.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of A. Lange & Söhne

The perpetual calendar, the second remarkable feature of the timepiece, showcases its “long-term memory.” Designed to correctly display the date, day of the week, and month every single day, even taking leap years into account, this complex mechanism requires minimal adjustments and remains accurate for decades. Remarkably, the calendar indications will only require correction by one day on 1st March 2100, when a leap year will be skipped.

With an 18-carat pink gold dial featuring a traditional railway-track minute scale, Arabic numerals, and harmoniously arranged subsidiary dials, this timepiece captures the essence of the Lange watch family named after the birth year of Ferdinand Adolph Lange. The meticulously decorated manually wound movement L101.1 is a marvel, comprising 631 individual parts. The perpetual calendar alone requires 211 components, while the rattrapante-chronograph mechanism demands an additional 206. The movement incorporates Lange-typical quality hallmarks, such as screwed gold chatons, blued screws, a whiplash precision index adjuster, and a hand-engraved balance cock, visible through the sapphire-crystal caseback.

The 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar: is offered in three versions, each boasting the same impressive dimensions — a case diameter of 41.9 millimeters and a height of 14.7 millimeters. The new white gold case with a pink-gold dial, limited to 100 pieces, joins the existing models in platinum/argenté and pink-gold/argenté case/dial combinations.