A. Lange & Söhne Just Introduced A New Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar With A Dynamic Black Dial

In the world of haute horology, A. Lange & Söhne’s Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar stands as a testament to the fusion of craftsmanship and design innovation. Building on its legacy, a new iteration of the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar in platinum with a striking black dial has been introduced.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of A. Lange & Söhne

The Lange 1 range history begins in the early 1990s when the great-grandson of the founder of A. Lange & Söhne, Walter Lange, decided to revive the company. In 1990, following the reunification of Germany, Walter Lange set out to restore the legacy of A. Lange & Söhne. With the help of watch industry veteran Günter Blümlein and the financial support of the Swiss luxury conglomerate Richemont, the brand was re-established in Glashütte The Lange 1 collection was the first series of watches introduced by the reinvigorated A. Lange & Söhne in 1994. It marked a significant departure from traditional watch design and showcased the brand’s commitment to innovation and exceptional craftsmanship. The Lange 1 was the brainchild of watch designer Kurt Klaus, and over the years, the Lange 1 has evolved with models like the Lange 1 Tourbillon, the Lange 1 Moon Phase, and of course, the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of A. Lange & Söhne

The Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar features a month display, Lange’s signature outsize date, a retrograde day-of-week display, and a leap-year display. Notably, the moon-phase display includes an integrated day/night indicator, and the calendar indications switch instantaneously. Once set correctly, this mechanism ensures accurate month display adjustments until the year 2100.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of A. Lange & Söhne

Crafting a mechanical watch with a perpetual calendar that accurately accounts for different month durations and leap years while adhering to a specific design presented a formidable challenge. In 2001, A. Lange & Söhne introduced the Langematik Perpetual, marking the beginning of an ambitious journey.

To maintain the signature design of the Lange 1 watch family, Lange’s watchmakers devised an innovative solution: the peripheral month ring. This ring advances instantaneously by 30 degrees at the end of each month, accumulating energy via a cam throughout the month to provide the necessary power precisely at midnight on the last day of the month.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of A. Lange & Söhne

The Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar adds an intriguing feature to its moon-phase display—an integrated day/night indicator. This innovation consists of a solid-gold celestial disc with graduated blue hues that rotates once every 24 hours. Against this backdrop, a white-gold moon completes its synodic orbit with exceptional precision. This indication only requires correction by one day after a staggering 122.6 years.

The day/night indicator ingeniously portrays the moon’s journey across a bright-blue sky during the day and a dark-blue starry sky at night, offering an exquisite blend of artistry and functionality.

The excellence of A. Lange & Söhne is evident in the meticulous craftsmanship of Movement L021.3, visible through the sapphire-crystal caseback. This movement is assembled twice and intricately finished by hand. Its technical features include a unidirectional winding rotor in 21-carat gold with a centrifugal mass in 950 platinum, a 50-hour power reserve, and a balance with eccentric poising weights beating at 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of A. Lange & Söhne

The movement also showcases Lange’s hallmark quality details, including plates and bridges made of untreated German silver adorned with Glashütte ribbing, five gold chatons secured by blued-steel screws, and a hand-engraved balance cock with a mounted whiplash spring to regulate beat adjustments.