The incomparable Lange 1 turns 30 this year, and marks the occasion with trademark understatement
We are not being hyperbolic in suggesting that few ‘basic’ watches exude distinctiveness and character like the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1. It might not be the only watch that shows only the time and date yet oozes this much personality, but the Lange 1 certainly ranks among the most charismatic.
The Lange 1 was in stellar company when it debuted in 1994. Along with Saxonia, the now-discontinued Arkade, and the original Pour Le MériteTourbillon, the Lange 1 caused a stir at their high-stakes premiere, which marked the modern-day relaunch of A. Lange & Söhne.
Even in those nascent days, the Lange 1 arrived fully formed. Immediately distinguishable with its unique dial design featuring off-centered time displays paired with outsized date indicators, the watch was a huge hit and was quickly minted by industry insiders as the brand’s modern-day icon.
If you were wondering about the incongruity of the disparate elements on the dial of the Lange 1, which seem to just fit, well, there is a science to it. The reason why every Lange 1 dial looks balanced and proportionate is that it is designed in accordance with the rules of the golden ratio.
Employed in art and architecture, the golden ratio is a mathematical formula dating back to ancient Greece. It comprises a special number (approximately 1.618), where things divided in this ratio look especially pleasing and harmonious. Hence, every element of the Lange 1’s dial—from the design of its Roman numerals and lancet-shaped appliques, to the size and position of the hour and minute circles—never looks out of place, regardless of the model.
And A. Lange & Söhne has been careful not to mess with a good thing. Although the Lange 1 has incorporated new technical innovations, complications, and a slew of case and dial materials over the ensuing decades, its look and spirit remain unchanged.
To mark the collection’s 30th anniversary, the brand unveils two models that present new takes on the Lange 1’s aesthetic while staying reassuringly familiar for its fans.
The commemorative Lange 1 and Little Lange 1 are sized at 38.5mm and 36.8mm, respectively, and come in two versions. Limited to 300 pieces each—one in platinum with black onyx dial, and the other in pink gold with blue dial—the watches are driven by the company’s in-house L121.1 manufacture calibre. The hand-wound movement, introduced in 2015, features instantaneous switching of the date indicators, twin barrels for 72 hours of power reserve and a hand-engraved balance cock—a decorative signature for all A. Lange & Söhne’s watches.
Collectors with a penchant for gilded expressions will gravitate to the pink gold and blue dial offerings—a fail-safe combination that endows presence and unabashed glamour. The platinum model with black dial, on the other hand, not only exudes greater subtlety, but also comes with unusual white-on-black date displays that harks back to version (affectionately christened ‘Darth’) that was produced in the early 2000s.
“The Lange 1 is a timepiece that unites everything that distinguishes a refined mechanical watch: originality, timeless elegance and horological precision, down to the last detail. When it was launched thirty years ago, it broke the existing design rules and defined its very own style. This innovative force is embodied our ambition to never stand still,” says Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of A. Lange & Söhne.
