A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Time Zone Crashes Patek’s Birthday Party: VIDEO BLOG

Yes, 2014 is the 175th anniversary of Patek Philippe. But an elite Saxon interloper is ready to crash the party.

2014 also marks the twentieth anniversary of the reborn A. Lange & Söhne watch manufacture in Glashutte, German state of Saxony. The Lange 1 Time Zone embodies all of the aesthetic and watchmaking innovations that have enabled A. Lange & Söhne to rival Patek Philippe at the forefront of the modern luxury watch industry.

Discerning collectors revere A. Lange & Söhne watches for the original character of their designs. From the 1994 debut of the first Lange 1 reference, the asymmetrical dial has been a trademark of the model.

Calculated for impact without dissonance, the off-center local time dial at 9 o’clock supplants the usual center hands. At 4:30, the reference time zone nestles against the reference city chapter ring. The power reserve indicator (72 hours) spans an expanse of dial localized at 3 o’clock, and the Lange Big Date, another company signature, is prominent at 1:30.

A. Lange & Söhne employs a dual-time complication that is not exactly a GMT and not exactly a world timer. Watch enthusiasts familiar with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Geographic models will be familiar with this one; simply synchronize the two times on the dial when the local time zone rests at the index (6 o’clock), then use the pusher at 8:00 to advance the city ring to the reference city of choice.

There is a reference city to represent each of the 24 conventional time zones of the globe.

As an added convenience, A. Lange & Söhne includes a small day/night indicator for each of the times displayed on the dial.
At 10:00, a second pusher operates the Lange Big Date. Simply push the plunger to advance the date in sequence.

On the case back, A. Lange & Söhne demonstrates how it has risen to rival Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin finish quality in only two decades. The movement, a Lange caliber L031.1, matches Geneva’s best but does so in a distinctly Saxon fashion.

“German Silver” bridges and plates are formed of the distinctive nickel-copper alloy used in traditional Glashutte pocket watches from the pre-Soviet era. The warm golden glow of the material represents a clear contrast with the brilliant rhodium of plated brass as seen in most Swiss movements. Over time, German Silver movements grow darker and more nuanced; their beauty only intensifies with age.

The three-quarter bridge of the caliber L031.1 is employed to cap the twin mainspring barrels of this formidable three-day movement, and it is blazon with Glashutte Stripes (not Geneva waves, since we’re in Germany now). The crowning glory of every Lange 1 is the engraving on the train bridge and balance cock. In the case of the cock, the engraving represents a personal signature of the artisan who hand-crafted the component.

It is possible to identify the artist who contributed to one’s Lange 1 with a pictorial guide available from A. Lange & Söhne.

Twenty years after its post-communist rebirth, A. Lange & Söhne is a watchmaker at the top of its game. Renowned, beloved, and endowed with the financial backing of the Richemont juggernaut, A. Lange & Söhne mints future classics at a rate of only 5,000 watches per year.

Become part of a new legacy of Saxon horology with this Lange 1 Time Zone from watchuwant.com. As befits a collectible, the Lange 1 Time Zone depicted here features all original A. Lange & Söhne boxes, papers, and manuals.