Introducing A. Lange & Söhne’s Novelties at Watches & Wonders 2021

Little Lange 1 Moon Phase

Lange’s line up at Watches & Wonders kicks off with larger than life, Little Lange 1 Moon Phase, in white gold, with a dark blue dial that’s been coated with gold flux that sets the stage ablaze with a velvet moon and star lit sky, sure to drive any and all unnecessary shades of blue away.

Presented in the Little Lange 1’s 36.8 mm diameter and 10 mm high case formfactor, the timepiece is powered by the Lange manufacture calibre L121.2 that enables the time indicated in hours, minutes, and small seconds with stop seconds; power-reserve indicator and of course, Lange’s outsize date long with the moon-phase display integrated with the small seconds counter.

2021 Little Lange 1 Moon Phase in white gold
2021 Little Lange 1 Moon Phase in white gold
2021 Little Lange 1 Moon Phase in white gold
2021 Little Lange 1 Moon Phase in white gold
2021 Little Lange 1 Moon Phase in white gold

Says Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of A. Lange & Söhne, “People tend to forget that Little Lange 1, originally, was developed for the Japanese market, because in those days (1998) 38 and a half millimeter was deemed as too big for the Japanese market. Therefore, [Günter] Blümlein said, ‘let’s make a Lange 1, make it a little smaller. That’s why you don’t see the typical push button at 10 o’clock, where you can adjust the date. And that’s the only difference between the two movements used in the typical Lange 1 versus the Little Lange 1.”

Therein, Mr Schmid here re-establishes that the Little Lange 1 was never made to be a gender biased timepiece, simply a size option. Particularity in this season in time, when collectors seem to be driving the conversation of more discreet and wearable size, the Little Lange 1 fits the bill perfectly.

2021 Little Lange 1 Moon Phase in white gold; bezel set with 56 brilliant-cut diamonds
2021 Little Lange 1 Moon Phase in white gold; bezel set with 56 brilliant-cut diamonds
2021 Little Lange 1 Moon Phase in white gold; bezel set with 56 brilliant-cut diamonds
The 2021 Little Lange 1 is powered by the Lange manufacture calibre L121.2
The 2021 Little Lange 1 is powered by the Lange manufacture calibre L121.2

Tech Specs

White gold – 182.086: $44,900 USD

White gold diamond bezel – 182.886: $56,600 USD

Movement: Lange manufacture calibre L121.2, manually wound, crafted to the most exacting Lange quality standards, decorated and assembled by hand; precision-adjusted in five positions; plates and bridges made of untreated German silver; balance cock engraved by hand; time indicated in hours, minutes, and subsidiary seconds with stop seconds; power-reserve indicator; Lange outsize date; moon-phase display; 72-hour power reserve when fully wound

Case & Dial: Diameter: 36.8 millimetres; height: 10.0 millimetres; 18-carat white gold; Solid silver, coated with dark-blue gold flux that shimmers with a copper hue

Strap: Dark blue leather strap fitted with prong buckle in 18-carat white gold

Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar

The 2021 Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar in pink gold - 345.033
The 2021 Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar in pink gold - 345.033

Up next is the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar, a familiar face that is in fact, brand new. Familiar because this is a watch that is directly extrapolated from the 2012 Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar. What is different about the 2021 watch is, as suggested in the difference of the two watch’s names, that is the latter is sans tourbillon.

Speaking about the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Mr Schmid shares, “You know, usually all perpetual calendars, they work from the center and they use the 48-month wheel to display the four different years. Problem here is, we don’t have a centralized dial, we have a decentralized dial. So, we had to do it totally different from the word go.

“Instead of having a 48-month wheel, we have an outer rim that actually is displaying is 48 different months. So, talking different approach to the age-old challenge of, you know, creating mechanical perpetual calendars. And then we went the extra mile and again. What impressed me the most as we launched the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar was not only the idea of the 48-month ring, but also that everything jumps instantaneously at around 12 o’clock, which again, you know, I mean, it’s all tiny little differences. That’s why this year (2021), our big theme is subtle differences. I know that nobody is usually awake at 12 o’clock midnight to see all of the indications jump, but it’s there for the curious few.”

The 2021 Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar in pink gold - 345.033
The 2021 Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar in pink gold - 345.033
The 2021 Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar in pink gold - 345.033

Now speaking about the new watch, Mr Schmid says, “We started with the movement, this isn’t simply a case of us having taken the old movement, where we took the tourbillon out and replaced it with a normal escapement. It’s actually based on a completely different caliber. It’s actually the Daymatic caliber that we worked from. But we’ve kept all of the nuances of the movement that made the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar special. For instance, we all know that there is always a big red flag raised saying, ‘don’t touch your perpetual calendar around midnight,’ because all the indications are active and on the move. If you fiddle around with the watch in these crucial moments, there is a likelihood that you will damage something.

“Even at Lange, we advise that you not try anything half an hour out from 12 midnight, even though our perpetual calendar is not as sensitive. Of course, because you know, the Lange 1 perpetual calendar doesn’t switch over one-by-one, it switches all at once. I, at least, can’t see it with my eyes, the jump is too quick, even the outer month-ring, that jumps by a complete 30 degrees.”

The 2021 Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar in white gold - 345.056 with a solid pink gold dial - limited edition of 150 pieces
View from under the dial of the Lange manufacture calibre L021.3 that powers the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar
View from under the dial of the Lange manufacture calibre L021.3 that powers the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar
View from casebackl of the Lange manufacture calibre L021.3 that powers the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar
View from casebackl of the Lange manufacture calibre L021.3 that powers the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar

The 41.9mm, 2021 Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar will be offered in an 18-carat pink gold case with a solid silver, grey dial and an alternate 18-carat white gold case version with a solid pink gold dial. Interestingly the pink gold version has luminous hour and minute hands. The white gold version will be limited to 150 pieces. The watch is powered by the newly minted, self-winding caliber L021.3.

Tech Specs

Pink gold – 345.033: $104,500 USD Pricing TBC

White gold – 345.056: $116,000 USD; limited edition of 150 pieces

Movement: Lange manufacture calibre L021.3, self-winding, crafted to the most exacting Lange quality standards, decorated and assembled by hand; precision-adjusted in five positions; plates and bridges made of untreated German silver; unidirectional winding rotor in 21-carat gold with an additional centrifugal mass in platinum; balance cock engraved by hand; time indicated in hours, minutes, and subsidiary seconds; perpetual calendar with precisely jumping displays for the outsize date, the day of the week, the month, and leap year; moon-phase display with integrated day/night indicator; 50-hour power reserve when fully wound

Case & Dial: Diameter: 41.9 millimetres; height: 12.1 millimetres; 18-carat pink gold with solid silver, grey dial and, luminous hour and minute hands; 18-carat white gold with solid pink gold dial

Strap: Leather strap with prong buckle

Triple Split

2021 pink gold A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split Limited Edition of 100 Pieces - 424.037
2021 pink gold A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split Limited Edition of 100 Pieces - 424.037

Lange’s big number for the year, is a second variation on their behemoth: the Triple Split, in a color combination that has never been seen at Lange before. The Triple Split in its 2018 launch version — white gold, grey dial — is now officially sold out; the watch was limited to 100 executions.

Says Mr Schmid, “It’s a new iteration of the Triple Split. The Triple Split in white gold with gray dial is [now] sold out. Believe it or not, if you ask our watchmakers, what would you rather work on — a perpetual calendar, a tourbillon or a Triple Split, most will tend opt for the first two I mentioned. The Triple Split to work on, is not for the faint of heart. It really requires some talent to master this beast.

2021 pink gold A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split Limited Edition of 100 Pieces - 424.037
2021 pink gold A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split Limited Edition of 100 Pieces - 424.037

“And so that we didn’t lose this expertise that our watchmakers have nurtured, we decided that we needed a new take on the Triple Split, but on purpose, totally different. Because, I think we’ve never had the combination of a pink gold case with a dark blue dial, to my knowledge. So on purpose, the design language is totally different here for the 2021 version, when compared to the 2018 version and as well the Double Split. Which allows us to maintain a clear distinction between these.”

The 2021 Triple Split maintains its 43.2 mm by 15.6 mm dimensions in 18-carat pink gold with a blue solid silver dial and silver subdials, powered by the same powerhouse, labyrinth of a movement that is the calibre L132.1 composed of 567 parts.

A magnificent view of the Lange manufacture calibre L132.1 powering the Triple Split
A magnificent view of the Lange manufacture calibre L132.1 powering the Triple Split
A magnificent view of the Lange manufacture calibre L132.1 powering the Triple Split
A magnificent view of the Lange manufacture calibre L132.1 powering the Triple Split

Tech Specs

Pink gold Triple Split Limited Edition of 100 Pieces – 424.037:  $164,400 USD

Movement: Lange manufacture calibre L132.1, manually wound, crafted to the most exacting Lange quality standards, decorated and as-sembled by hand; precision-adjusted in five positions; plates and bridges made of untreated German silver; balance cock engraved by hand; time indicated in hours, minutes, and subsidiary seconds with stop seconds; flyback chronograph with triple rattrapante for addi-tive and intermediate time measurements between one sixth of a second and twelve hours, precisely jumping chrono and rat-trapante minute counter, continuous chrono and rattrapante hour counter, tachymeter scale, UP/DOWN power-reserve indicator; 55-hour power reserve when fully wound

Case & Dial: Diameter: 43.2 millimetres; height: 15.6 millimetres; 18-carat pink gold; solid silver, blue; subsidiary dials, rhodié; luminous hour and minute hands

Strap: Dark blue leather strap with grey seam; Deployant buckle in 18-carat pink gold

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