It celebrates the brand’s ability to preserve old traditions while celebrating new ones

Walter Lange, the founder’s greatgreat-grandson, returned to Glashütte to revive his ancestor’s legacy. He was able to successfully re-register the A. Lange & Söhne name, and the rest is history.

In 1994, the company introduced their first range of watches—the Lange 1. It has since then become one of the br and’s most easily recognisable models. Its asymmetrical dial won watch enthusiasts over, because the face maintained a clean, sleek look. Its indicators did not overlap with each other. This was also an introduction to the brand’s trademark outsize date, inspired by the Semper Opera House’s Five-Minute Clock. The timepiece paid respect to classical watchmaking traditions while embracing innovation. Needless to say, it was an instant success and remains so to this day.

When the Lange 1 was given an update, its iconic face was preserved—save for a slightly narrower bezel that adds an openness to the dial despite it maintaining its 38.5mm dial. The watch’s insides, though, tell a different story. The new model houses the calibre L121.1, the 50th calibre developed in-house by the brand since it re-opened.

The timepiece’s escapement now sports a larger balance wheel with eccentric poising weights and a freesprung hairspring. 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour still function under the handengraved balance cock and the d oublebarrel maintains its 72-hours of power reserve as well. Another notable change is the outsize date’s instant jump to midnight when the clock strikes 12am. When the watch loses its power reserve, the seconds hand will also stop at zero to ensure an accurate time re-set when necessary. The timepiece’s hallmarks—which include the Glashütte ribbing decoration of the threequarter plate made of untreated German silver and the eight gold chatons that are secured with thermally blued screws—are easily seen through its sapphire-crystal case back.

The new Lange 1 is available in three pairings: yellow gold with a champagne dial, pink gold with an argenté dial, and platinum with a rhodié dial. It celebrates the brand’s ability to preserve old traditions while celebrating new ones, looking to the past just as much as the future in order to innovate. It epitomises the principles that A. Lange & Söhne was built upon, the same ones that put Glashütte on the horological radar. It is a testament to adhering to tradition even while staying abreast of innovations.