A. Lange & Söhne Minute Repeater Perpetual: A Symphony of Time at Watches & Wonders 2025

A. Lange & Söhne has a distinct sound (I can oddly close my eyes and hear it), and at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2025, they just debuted a horological marvel: the Minute Repeater Perpetual. Limited to just 50 pieces in 950 platinum, this timepiece unites two of watchmaking’s most sophisticated complications—a minute repeater and a perpetual calendar—driven by the newly developed Calibre L122.2. Paired with an in-house black enamel dial and artisanally finished to perfection, it’s a rare fusion of technical virtuosity and acoustic artistry.

The Minute Repeater Perpetual is a bold endeavor, even for a manufacturer with Lange’s pedigree. Each complication alone is a feat: the minute repeater chimes the time with crystalline clarity, while the perpetual calendar tracks it across decades. Combining them demands not only engineering brilliance but also the finesse to harmonize their mechanisms—a challenge Lange’s watchmakers met with aplomb. “We worked towards a perfect sound experience right from the start, combined with the acoustic properties of platinum,” explains Anthony de Haas, Director of Product Development. The result is a timepiece that sings as beautifully as it endures, limited to 50 pieces and available exclusively at select Lange boutiques.

Activate the slide on the left case flank, and the Minute Repeater Perpetual comes alive. Low tones mark the hours, double tones signal the quarters, and high-pitched strikes count the minutes—a repertoire of 720 unique sequences for every minute in a 12-hour cycle. Two hand-tuned gongs, visible through the sapphire caseback, deliver a lucid, reverberant sound tailored to platinum’s acoustic resonance. This isn’t a generic chime; it’s a singular timbre, refined by a master watchmaker through multiple assemblies and adjustments, akin to tuning a musical instrument.

Lange enhances this classic complication with ingenious features. A pause elimination system skips the silence between hour and minute strikes when no quarter-hour double tone is needed in the first 14 minutes past the hour. A safety device prevents the repeater from activating while the crown is pulled—and vice versa—protecting the 194-part mechanism. The patented hammer blocker ensures the gong hammers pause briefly after striking, preventing rebounds for a cleaner sound. It’s a level of refinement that echoes Lange’s striking masterpieces like the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater and Grand Complication.

While the minute repeater captures the moment, the perpetual calendar gazes into the future. This mechanism masters the Gregorian calendar’s complexities—28, 30, or 31-day months and leap years—requiring no correction until March 1, 2100, when the leap year is skipped. The moon-phase display, with twin 750 gold moons amid hand-engraved stars, mirrors the synodic orbit so precisely that it deviates by just one day every 122.6 years. In true Lange fashion, all calendar indications advance together via a single corrector, with separate adjusters for day, month/leap year, and moon phase, balancing sophistication with ease. The iconic outsize date at 12 o’clock—a hallmark since 1994—anchors the design with bold clarity.

The Minute Repeater Perpetual’s four-part dial, crafted in-house from 750 gold and filled with glossy black enamel, is a visual triumph. Its immaculate surface contrasts sharply with the white Roman numerals and 750 gold hands, ensuring legibility while exuding elegance. Subsidiary dials at 9 o’clock (day and 24-hour display), 3 o’clock (month and leap year), and 6 o’clock (small seconds and moon phase) are framed by circular lesenes—fine white-gold borders that elevate the dial’s depth. The 40.5mm platinum case, 12.1mm high, pairs with a hand-stitched black alligator strap and a deployant buckle, its heft a subtle reminder of the complexity within.

The manually wound Calibre L122.2, with 640 parts, is a showcase of Lange’s artisanal mastery. Visible through the sapphire caseback, its three-quarter plate of untreated German silver—decorated with black-rhodiumed engravings and Glashütte ribbing—nods to tradition, while four screwed gold chatons add a touch of opulence. The hand-engraved balance cock, topped with a whiplash spring, regulates a shock-resistant screw balance and in-house balance spring at 21,600 vph (3 Hz), delivering a 72-hour power reserve.

The striking mechanism steals the spotlight: two manually bent gongs encircle the movement, struck by black-polished hammers that reflect light in a mirror-like gloss from one angle and jet black from others—a painstaking finish requiring immense skill. A near-silent centrifugal governor, spinning at over 2,000 rpm, ensures a uniform chime cadence, while solarised bridges unify the aesthetic. It’s a movement that rewards scrutiny, every detail precision-adjusted in five positions to Lange’s exacting standards.

A. Lange & Söhne has a storied history with chiming watches, from the 2013 Grand Complication to the 2020 Zeitwerk Minute Repeater. The Minute Repeater Perpetual builds on this lineage, pairing auditory brilliance with perpetual precision in a way few can rival.

Specifications:

• Model: Minute Repeater Perpetual
• Reference: 607.091FE
• Movement: Lange manufacture Calibre L122.2, manually wound, 640 parts, 54 jewels, 4 screwed gold chatons
• Power Reserve: 72 hours
• Functions: Hours, minutes, subsidiary seconds with stop seconds; minute repeater; perpetual calendar (outsize date, day, 24-hour display, month, leap year); moon-phase display
• Case: 40.5mm, 950 platinum, 12.1mm height
• Dial: 750 gold, black enamel
• Hands: 750 gold
• Strap: Hand-stitched black alligator leather
• Buckle: Deployant buckle in 950 platinum
• Water Resistance: Up to 2 bar (20 meters)
• Limited Edition: 50 pieces