Introducing: The A. Lange & Sohne Richard Lange Jumping Seconds In White Gold With Black Dial

January 14, 2019

Sometimes a dial update is just a dial update, and other times it totally changes the character of a watch. I would say that this falls into the latter camp. The Richard Lange Jumping Seconds debuted back in 2016 in a platinum case with a silvered dial and then a rose gold version was added in 2017. Both were a bit conservative. With this new version and its white gold case and deep black dial with red accents, A. Lange & Sohne has taken a watch rooted in the nineteenth century and catapulted it firmly into the 21st century.Technically, nothing has changed. This is still a precision-oriented watch that pulls out all the stops to achieve its goal. The caliber L094.1 has a constant force escapement, a remontoire to drive the jumping seconds complication, as well as a combination stop-seconds/zero-reset mechanism, meaning that when you pull the crown, the seconds hand snaps back to zero and stays there until you push the crown back in. To emphasize this idea of scientific precision, Lange opted for a regulator-style dial with an oversized seconds register for that long jumping seconds hand and overlapping side-by-side sub-dials for the hours and minutes. Between the two lower registers is a low-power indicator that lets you know when you need to wind the watch up to avoid losing precision (10 hours before the reserve expires). This is one of the few watches that I feel ok calling "unique" without any qualifiers. Initial Thoughts This is a watch for which I've always had a soft spot. I know Jack feels the same way too. There's something so wonderfully pure about its take on precision chronometry and the way that it balances an old-world aesthetic with modern touches to keep it from feeling too fuddy-duddy. This new black and red dial majorly ups the contemporary factor here, and I love it. There's something a little aggressive about this Richard Lange. While its white-dialed predecessor might have politely suggested, "Sir, I keep pretty good time," this version confidently asks, "You think you can do better?" with a not-quite-haughty laugh.?While I haven't yet had a chance to try this new version on yet, one thing I always forget about this watch is just how reasonably sized it is. At 39.9mm in diameter and 10.6mm thick, this is extremely wearable. Like, almost too wearable considering what's at work inside. Many brands would make a watch like this oversized either to emphasize its complexity or due to technical limitations. That Lange was both able and willing to make this a watch that one can really enjoy is outstanding. The Basics Brand: A. Lange & SohneModel: Richard Lange Jumping SecondsReference Number: 252.029?Diameter: 39.9mmThickness: 10.6mmCase Material: White goldDial Color: Black with red and white accentsIndexes: Printed Arabic and Roman numeralsLume: NoneStrap/Bracelet: Black alligator strap with white gold prong buckle The Movement Caliber: L094.1Functions: Hours, minutes, and jumping seconds (in separate dials), end of power indicatorDiameter: 33.6mmThickness: 6mmPower Reserve: 42 hoursWinding: Manually woundFrequency: 3 Hz (21,600 vph)Jewels: 50Additional Details: Constant-force escapement with in-house remontoir spring; jumping seconds also feature a stop-seconds and zero-reset mechanism Pricing & Availability Price: $75,100 (subject to change at SIHH)Availability: April 2019For more click here.