A. Lange & Sohne Richard Lange Minute Repeater, crafted in platinum with a white enamel white gold dial.
German watch brand A. Lange & Sohne is one of the most sought-after brands by serious watch collectors today. Not only are its timepieces exclusive and created in limited numbers, but also, they offer some of the most subtle German-influenced clean designs on the market. This year, when everyone was wondering if there was anything else this brand could introduce to surprise and delight watch lovers, the brand worked magic with several new timepieces.
The manufacture calibre L122.1 which drives the RICHARD LANGE MINUTE REPEATER.
The new, manually wound movement L122.1 addresses all expectations that are associated with the A. Lange & Söhne brand. The sapphire-crystal caseback reveals the entire scope of artisanal finissage. It includes the freehand engraving of the balance cock with the eye-catching whiplash spring. With its lateral setscrew, it can be used to precisely adjust the interaction be-tween the pallet lever and escapement, referred to as the “beat”. Six bearing jewels are set in polished gold chatons on a three-quarter plate made of untreated German silver and decorated with Glashütte ribbing. Four of the chatons are secured with thermally blued screws. The wind-ing train, decorated with solarisation, is visibly integrated into the plate.
Easily a head-turner at the recent Watches & Wonders Geneva show where the watch was introduced, is the new, highly classical looking, minute repeater. The Richard Lange Minute Repeater, crafted in platinum with a white enamel white gold dial, is truly music to the ears. On demand, the wearer can activate the slide on the side of the case to engage the striking mechanism (hammers against gongs that run along the periphery of the movement) to chime the hours, quarter hours and minutes.
Just 50 pieces of the platinum A. Lange & Sohne Richard Lange Minute Repeater will be made.
The watch required an all-new mechanical movement, Caliber L122.1, to be made. The caliber consist of 191 individually hand-finished pieces that work together seamlessly. So much so, in fact, that it skips a pause found in most minute repeaters that coms between the hour and minute strike when there is no quarter-hour double-strike tone. Just 50 pieces will be made. Price on request.
A. Lange & Sohne Titanium Odysseus, 2022
A. Lange & Sohne titanium Odysseus with ice-blue dial. Reference 363.117.
With the titanium ODYSSEUS, A. Lange & Söhne presents a casually elegant timepiece for high-end technical and aesthetic expectations. Additionally, it underscores the Saxon manufactory’s motto to never stand still. The new ice-blue colour and an exclusive surface structure adorn the dial of the brand’s first titanium timepiece in a 250-watch limited edition.
At the opposite end of the spectrum from the platinum-cased minute repeater, A. Lange & Sohne shocked its followers with a new Odysseus made in titanium. This marks the first time the brand has ever created a watch in titanium. It is fitting, too, that it chose to use the metal on the sporty chic Odysseus – a watch whose first appearance on the scene in 2019 caused shockwaves all by itself because of its sporty look and the fact that it was the first Lange watch to be made in stainless steel and with an integrated bracelet.
The new grade 5 titanium version boasts an ice-blue dial that is made of brass. The hands and markers are made in white gold and are coated with a luminous material. Just 250 pieces will be made. The outsized date and the large day-of-the-week display on this watch are particular favorited accents. The watch retails for $56,500 – a somewhat hefty sum for a titanium timepiece, but then again, it is A. Lange & Sohne.
A. Lange & Sohne titanium Odysseus with ice-blue dial.
(This article by Roberta Naas first appeared on Forbes.com.)
