A. Lange & Söhne
The Odysseus Chronograph represents a ground-breaking achievement for the German luxury watchmaker, as it is its first self-winding chronograph created on the success of the original Odysseus, which made its debut four years ago. With the development of an individual movement, the L155.1 Datomatic calibre, a fusion of the words “date” and “automatic”, A. Lange & Söhne redefined the category of sporty-elegant watches.
Designing and building a chronograph calibre is considered one of the toughest to do as the watchmaker is required to retain the distinctive dial design of the Odysseus. To do this, the manufactory developed a customised movement that positions both chronograph hands in the centre, the minute counter with a lozenge-shaped or diamond-shaped tip, and the red chrono seconds hand. The small dials that keep track of time can be moved to different positions to make the date and day of the week easier to read. Typically, these dials are located at the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions on the watch face.
Introducing an extended measuring range from 30 to 60 minutes opened up new possibilities for the Odysseus Chronograph. The developers have implemented an innovative reset-to-zero function that adds dynamism to the watch’s functionality. When the reset-to-zero button at 4 o’clock is pressed after a timing event, the red chrono seconds hand instantly moves to cover the entire distance travelled previously within a fraction of a second, while the minute counter jumps back to its starting position in the traditional manner.
In cases where the minute counter has yet to reach the 30-minute mark, both hands move anticlockwise. However, if the minute counter has surpassed the 30-minute mark, both hands advance clockwise to zero. At high speeds, the chrono seconds hand completes a full revolution for each minute required to reach the full hour.
The watch is limited to 100 pieces and is equipped with a dial designed to create an illusion of depth, similar to the previous Odysseus models. The inner surface of the black main dial has a textured surface, the notched baton appliques are made of white gold, and the subsidiary seconds scale is underlaid with concentric circles.
A palladium-coloured flange with a printed twopart minute scale frames the dial. The scale for the fractions of a second is positioned on the outer circumference, while the scale for minutes and seconds is arranged further inside. Printed in red, the number 60 at 12 o’clock and the red chrono seconds hand accentuate the equally elegant and dynamic appearance of the Odysseus Chronograph.
This attractive wristwatch features a 42.5mm, three-part stainless steel case that can withstand a test pressure of 12 bar, making it durable enough to be worn during sports and other leisure activities.