A.Lange & Söhne EP.6 All 10 @25th Anniversary

Horological sculptures born from passion, with a German dedication

10 imprints of time, a testament to 25 years of passion from A.Lange & Söhne

     To celebrate the brand's second founding following the end of World War II, Lange unveiled a 25th-anniversary collection at SIHH 2020 featuring 10 models, to be released one per month until the collection is complete. And from here, I would like to begin introducing these 10 ambassadors of Lange.

 

Lange 1, 25th Anniversary

     Following the comeback in 1994 with four original models, this time Lange pays high honor to the L1, one of the four pieces that rescued the brand and brought it back to prominence, eventually becoming an iconic watch for Lange and watch lovers alike. It leads the procession of this distinguished 25th-anniversary celebration. It is a watch that makes everyone fall in love and admire Lange's craftsmanship; a watch that willingly turned me into one of those admirers, ready to hold up a light stick and shamelessly declare myself its ultimate fan.

With a handsome, polished look in shades of gray and blue, a 38.5 mm white gold case, and an Isosceles Triangle dial layout on a silver-gray or Argenté background, it uses darker and lighter tones to create depth. The timekeeping elements use a deep blue theme to match the blued steel hands. The oversized date window is clearly visible yet remains harmonious. The symbol of the 25th-anniversary celebration is rendered through the brand's advanced engraving skills, featuring a prominent image of the newly established factory alongside the names of the two founders, Walter and Gunter. Everything looks simple yet truly elegant.

 

     The second watch to be released is still in the L1 family: the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase. Personally, I think this is another time that Lange has proven that their mechanisms and craftsmanship matter more to them than sales figures, because from the perspective of a typical watch buyer, this model might not be at the absolute pinnacle for Lange, but looking at it through the eyes of a horological art lover like me, I am not surprised by this choice at all.

The proportions of the watch remain similar to the standard model at 41 mm, on a silver Argenté dial like the L1, but without the tonal variation. The various time indicators use the same blue theme. Yes, to put it simply, it is like the L1 in every way, differing only in the base color and the moon phase. And that is the highlight; for me, Lange places great importance on the moon in the moon phase display. It uses white gold engraved to depict the moon; if you look closely, as in the picture, it appears as stars filling the sky, but from a distance, I see it as the surface texture of the moon. It is a masterful piece of design and engraving that allows for two interpretations within the same theme, blended perfectly.

And on the open case back revealing the movement and craftsmanship, the symbol of the 25th-anniversary celebration is hidden on the balance cock with the brand's famous floral engraving. This model is limited to 25 pieces.

 

     "Perfecto!!!" is the word that echoed in my head over and over. Not just "perfect," because "perfecto" seems to reflect a feeling that goes beyond "perfect." I couldn't stop saying "It’s so beautiful, I want it!" while staring at this little prince, the third watch in Lange's 25th-anniversary celebration. Even though the name implies it is just an L1 that has been downsized, the first time I saw it, I really didn't think that way at all. No overlapping images of the original L1 appeared; only a feeling of "love at first sight" took over.

The Little Lange 1 has been scaled down to 36.8 mm. The dial layout is completely lifted from the L1 25th Anniversary, with a silver Argenté dial in a single tone and all time indicators in deep blue. But what made me say "wow" is the missing corrector button at the 10 o'clock position. It's not that having one is ugly, but without it, it looks inexplicably pleasing to the eye. Combined with Lange's signature dial layout in white and blue, and the mid-size case in white gold, it creates a luxury minimalism, like a nobleman who doesn't boast but carries an aura that signals his special nature.

The back is open to show the movement and beautiful craftsmanship, along with the 25th-anniversary stamp on the balance cock, just like in the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase.

 

     Still within the L1 family for the 25th-anniversary watches, the fourth release is the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar, in a look that seems more youthful than typical tourbillon watches, which usually come in dark gold cases. By this point, one cannot deny the value the L1 brings to the brand.

The Lange 1 Tourbillon joins the celebration by wearing white gold like its predecessors, in a 42 mm body. The dial is bright with a silver Argenté finish, but this time all the dial elements are mirrored from the others. The oversized date window moves from 1 o'clock to 11, the main time dial moves to 3 o'clock, and the moon phase display takes its position at 7 o'clock, featuring the same beautiful moon engraving on the white gold plate as the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase. All the hands and the lunar display on the outer rim use a deep blue color. There is also an extra touch with a small leap year indicator at 6 o'clock and a retrograde day-of-the-week hand at 9 o'clock.

The front is special, but the back is even more so with a tourbillon mechanism that comes with a stop-seconds function, which is very rare in tourbillon watches. The masterful engraving on the back combined with the bright dial makes the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar wearable by both a young adult or a mature gentleman—assuming they don't fight over it first.

 

     Reaching the 5th model of the celebration: the A. Lange 1 Timezone, a watch designed for the convenience of those traveling across oceans. Once again, it demonstrates Lange's ability to design a dial that, despite having many details, remains neatly and beautifully arranged.

The L1 Timezone was launched in May 2019 with a 42 mm white gold case—the primary material for this celebratory collection—and deep blue hands on a silver Argenté dial. The main time dial and the second time zone dial feature dark-toned backgrounds. There is a day/night indicator paired with the second time zone, and the names of various cities are displayed on the outer periphery of the dial.

The back is beautiful, meeting the brand's high standards with polished and engraved work. It draws the eye with the wheel train for the second time zone, along with the "25" anniversary symbol, sitting alongside the balance wheel, which is just as beautiful. Throughout the five watches seen so far, it is evident that Lange truly pays attention to every detail of their work. The polishing and finishing are truly worthy of the dedication to watchmaking perfection.

 

     At this point, I think I can confidently say that the Lange 1 is not just an iconic watch, but truly the avatar of A. Lange & Söhne, because the entire celebratory collection remaining consists of children from the L1 family.

The L1 Moon Phase comes with a different look and size than the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase. It feels more like the "little brother" with its 38.5 mm size and minimalist white-and-blue look. Even though it has a moon phase like the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase, it acts more as a cohesive element of the watch rather than the highlight. The material used for the moon is not an engraved white gold plate, but rather a blue enamel plate matching the main theme. But no matter what image the moon phase from Lange takes, one must admit that it is always beautiful and captivating.

The beauty of the movement on the back, along with the 25-year symbol—looking at the workmanship of the Lange craftsmen is enough; there is no need for further description. Truly beautiful, polished, and precious.

 

     Grand Lange 1 is a larger Lange 1, growing from 38.5 to 41 mm. It looks the same, the only difference being that the case back is not solid but transparent, showing off the movement and craftsmanship. For every watch in the 25th-anniversary series, if it has an open case back, you will see the bright number 25. If not... you are on your own!

 

     The Lange 1 Daymatic is one of the few L1 models equipped with an automatic movement. It comes in a 39.5 mm size. The dial is true to its name, with the selling point being the day-of-the-week display, which uses a retrograde hand at the 9 o'clock position. The front is simple, but the back—the engraving on the 21K gold rotor is so magnificent that I almost want to flip the strap and wear it dial-side down.

 

     The Little L1 that secretly carries the moon in a small mouth at the sub-seconds dial. Even though the name says "little," the moon is a white gold plate, just like in the Grand L1 Moon Phase that shows a large moon on the main dial. It is a clever design by Lange; bringing the white gold moon into this 36.8 mm case helps create a focal point for the watch, and conversely, invites the viewer to focus on this beautiful engraving as well.

 

     And so, we reach the final piece of the 25th-anniversary caravan of A. Lange & Söhne with the Lange 1 Tourbillon—a standard Lange 1 look but equipped with a tourbillon cage, a time mechanism that has fought against gravity for hundreds of years. It is truly a flawless end to the collection.

For me, if the Little L1 is the pinnacle of beauty, this L1 Tourbillon is the pinnacle of harmony. Lange didn't change anything else from the standard L1, but they managed to place the tourbillon cage onto the 38.5 mm dial with the original layout seamlessly. It might seem easy to think about, but it is actually difficult. Compare it to taking photos: place a single vase and have 10 photographers shoot it from the same angle and position—you will get 10 different pictures because of different perspectives and interpretations. Similarly, this L1 Tourbillon is the reverse; the interpretation is different, but the result retains the original spirit and feel of the L1 flawlessly, even with the tourbillon cage standing proud. It reflects well-forged thought and imagination, letting those of us who have more than 10 photographers' worth of perspective see that we are looking at an L1 with a tourbillon, not a tourbillon watch that looks like an L1, which might lead one to think it was an "easy play."

As for the beauty on the back, I invite you to feast your eyes on it to your heart's content.

 
 
 

 

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References from
: https://www.alange-soehne.com
: https://www.alange-soehne.com/en/timepieces/
: https://watchilove.com/news-a-lange-sohne-opens-boutique-in-london
: https://www.timeandwatches.com/2019/04/a-lange-sohne-lange-1-tourbillon.html
: https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-lange-and-sohne-25th-anniversary-models-just-becuase