Introducing: The A. Lange & Sohne Lange 1 '25th Anniversary'

January 10, 2019

It's been 25 years since Walter Lange and Gnther Blmlein announced the first wave of new watches to come out under the reorganized A. Lange & Sohne. Among those very first pieces was a design that was to go on to become Lange's icon, the watch that could be seen across a room and instantly identified: the Lange 1. Compared with other icons like the Calatrava or the Submariner, the Lange 1's 25 years make it young. Still it's difficult to think of a single watch family that has meant more to a brand than the Lange 1 has to A. Lange & Sohne. For the 25th Anniversary of what is by all accounts Lange's best-known timepiece, we have a white gold limited edition of 250 pieces featuring a white gold case, a solid silver dial, and most interestingly, a hunter case back. Open that case back and you will see a fully decorated manually wound Lange caliber 121.1 movement featuring a balance cock that has been decorated with blue accents as well as with a relief engraving of the number 25 that clearly recalls the big date display that has come to be known as one of the essential design elements of the Lange 1. With the hunter case closed, you can see that the engraved, hinged cuvette depicts a building that is in fact the the Lange manufacture building dating back to 1873, along with the names Gunther Blumlein and Walter Lange and the words "25 JAHRE LANGE 1." Lange collectors looking at this anniversary watch may have a sense that they've been here before. That's because the dial appears to be a strong nod to the Lange 1 ref. 101.027x, a cult classic, with its printed dial, blued steel hands, and the two-tone, recessed nature of the dial. This watch, like the 101.027x, also has a white gold case. This dial is also very similar to the silver dial variation of one of the rarest Lange 1s of all, the 101.026 in stainless steel. For an in-depth look at the most important Lange 1 models of the last 25 years, check out the Reference Points article I wrote in the HODINKEE Magazine Volume 3. The Lange 1 ref. 101.027x, produced from about 2002 to 2008 and a cult-classic to Lange collectors, appears to have been the inspiration of this limited-edition anniversary piece. Initial Thoughts Aesthetically, this is a white metal Lange 1 with blue accents all around. As one would expect, the movement used is the new 121.1. As far as I know, this is the only Lange 1 to feature a hunter caseback, a feature that ties this watch back to Lange's more distant history as a pocket watch maker and also recalls the early days of this reference, when it was available exclusively with a closed caseback. It was only when retailers and collectors started asking for open backs to display Lange's beautifully finished movements that the manufacture made that feature standard across the collection. The Basics Brand: A. Lange & SohneModel: Lange 1Reference Number: 191.066Diameter: 38.5mmThickness: 10.7mmCase Material: White goldDial Color: Solid silver, argent, blued steel handsIndexes: BlueLume: NoStrap/Bracelet: Hand-stitched blue alligator strap The Movement Caliber: Lange 121.1Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, power reserve indicator, large dateDiameter: 30.6mmThickness: 5.7mmPower Reserve: 72 hoursWinding: Manually woundFrequency: 3 Hz (21,600 vph)Jewels: 43 Pricing & Availability Price: $47,900 (subject to change during SIHH)Limited Edition: 250 piecesFor more click here.