Thoughts On The A. Lange & Sohne Cabaret Soirée Lady’s Watch

I’ve had the pleasure to see an enormous array of luxury watches. Among those have been a wealth of women’s watches, and my experience has been to view them from a male perspective – as someone who would potentially judge and observe someone wearing the watch, as opposed to considering their aesthetic value on my own wrist. In seeing women’s luxury watches, I have been able to place them in a few distinct categories, far fewer that those reserved for men’s watches. Among those categories are handsome functional watches, and beautiful, but impractical jewelry watches. Few timepieces are able to successfully straddle both of these characters. Continue Reading… »

Watch Collecting: A Perspective From One Who Tried, And Failed

Watch collecting is an interesting pursuit, and can mean very different things to different people.  There is no “right answer”–only what works for that individual.  Some people enjoy a rotation of 3-10 watches, happily going to the safety deposit bank or the safe to pull stuff off the winder.  Others keep a few timepieces on hand they wear regularly, and leave the others–sometimes many others–wrapped up in plastic for posterity or investment purposes (I’m thinking of the Patek crowd here, particularly)  Then there are the fanatics for vintage Rolex or Panerai limited editions, who enjoy the hyper-minutiae and sharing a latest rare acquisition with their equally obsessed buddies at get-togethers where festivity levels are just slightly less than that of a Roman bacchanalia.   Continue Reading… »

A. Lange & Sohne Lange Zeitwerk Watch: Continuing Thoughts

Now a few weeks after the announcement of the new Lange Zeitwerk watch I return to looking at it having had the ability to consider its design that was immediately impressive to me. Was this watch simply a good novelty or a lasting design ready to make an impact on future designs from not only A. Lange & Sohne, but other watch makers (where “flattering” mimicry of design often takes place)? Continue Reading… »

A. Lange & Sohne Datograph Perpetual In White Gold: Subtle Addition With Serious Beauty

While not the biggest news to come from A. Lange & Sohne of late (that would probably be the introduction of the brilliant Zeitwerk watch), the announcement that the complex Datograph Perpetual will be offered in 18-karat white gold is still some pretty tantalizing stuff.  The lovely grey dial of this new version is an absolute showstopper, and it gives this Dato Perpetual a distinctly different personality than its platinum stablemate. Continue Reading… »

A. Lange & Sohne Richard Lange “Pour le Merite”: A Watchmaking Gem Rarer Than A Tourbillon

When I first heard that A. Lange & Sohne was going to bring forth a new Richard Lange timepiece, I was intensely interested.  That interest became genuine awe when I discovered what this watch actually offered–the extraordinary fusee and chain energy transmission system has only appeared in two Lange masterpieces to date: the legendary Tourbillon “Pour le Merite” from 1994, and the formidable Tourbograph–a masterpiece with both tourbillon and split-second chronograph.

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A. Lange & Söhne Cabaret Tourbillon Makes Walter Lange A Proud “Dad” Once Again

I remember when A. Lange & Söhne made its reappearance in 1994–and I and other watch lovers became entranced with what we were presented.  But the crown jewel of the original Lange collection was the legendary Tourbillon Pour le Mérite watch, with its fusee-and-chain transmission mechanism with tourbillon.  A coveted collectors piece, and one of the most desirable A. Lange & Söhne watches, the “PLM”, as it is known among the cognoscenti, is the watch you most often see on the wrist of Continue Reading… »

A. Lange & Söhne Grande Lange 1 Dial Changes At SIHH 2008 Sure To Be Welcomed By Lange Faithful

Sometimes little changes can have great import; at the watch fairs, beside all the wondrous new introductions from various luxury watch brands, we also see subtle nuances here and there applied to existant models that can be very meaningful.

That can certainly be said for A. Lange & Söhne. Having dazzled us with their complex and gorgeous Cabaret tourbillon, the renowned manufacturer turned its eye to the Grande Lange 1, the larger version of their famed Lange 1 watch–the timepiece which first made the public aware of the wonderful renaissance of watchmaking which was stirring in Germany after the collapse of the Berlin wall.

The Grande Lange 1 has been around since 2003, and to go along with the bolder size, the watches featured striking and richly contrasted dials. These have an elaborate beauty, but there’s no denying the inherent perfection in the original argente silver dials of the original Lange 1 watch. Understanding this, A. Lange & Söhne has delivered the goods. The patient Lange faithful can now obtain the Grande Lange 1 watch with dial that evokes all the sublime elegance of the original model.

A. Lange & Söhne Datograph–A Grail Of Exceptional Watchmaking

For many passionate watch enthusiasts, the legendary A. Lange & Söhne Datograph has become a benchmark of excellence in classical chronographs, its name intoned with the greatest of respect and reverence. It’s certainly hard for this enthusiast to disagree. Before even considering the absolutely exquisite A. Lange & Söhne L951.1 movement, with its unsurpassed visual beauty and mechanical virtuosity, one simply cannot fail to be stunned by the delicious aesthetics that the Datograph watch possesses, from its massive gold or platinum case, all the way to the solid silver dial with its immediately recognizable yet classic layout, presided over by the famous Lange outsize date display.

When you DO turn this A. Lange & Söhne watch over, something incredible happens. You lose all sense of the time, and forget about any nagging aggravations–that intricate three-dimensional structure of beveled German silver bridges, steel chronograph levers and jumpers pulls you in. It’s a whole other world in there amidst the golden chatons, blued steel screws, and the column wheel, whose precise advances can be admired each time you operate the chronograph sequence. As much as probably any watch out there, the A. Lange & Söhne Datograph watch epitomizes the inexplicable magic and micro-mechanical wonder of exceptional haute horlogerie.

Even legendary independent watchmaker Philippe Dufour, who’s Simplicity, Duality and Grande Sonnerie wristwatches represent the summit of hand-craftsmanship for many collectors, owns and greatly admires the Datograph—there is no higher compliment that can be paid the watch, than this!

Another wonderful A. Lange & Sohne watch: The Saxonia Automatik

It seems like every time I drool over the wonderful watches of A. Lange & Sohne, I always come away with a new favorite–there is just so many fine details to admire and fall in love with across the breadth of this brand’s exceptional output.

This time, I feel the need to express rapture with the new Saxonia Automatik watch. Combining the elegance of the now discontinued A. Lange & Sohne 1815 model, with the technical fascination and presence of the A. Lange & Sohne technical exclusive–the outsize date–this superb watch is an incredibly satisfying statement of German high watchmaking. The movement inside this watch is surpassingly beautiful, and a
particular favorite of mine. Compared to the A. Lange manual-wind calibers which are beautiful, but comparatively obscured by their large three-quarter plate, the Manufacture L924.1 caliber reveals more of its mechanical architecture to the eye, and the amazingly detailed gold and platinum “three-quarter” rotor is truly spectacular. (Its also got an extremely neat zero reset mechanism, which automatically resets the second hand to zero when the crown is withdrawn) Such a beautifully constructed movement makes you almost want to want to wear this timepiece upside down, but then again, it would be a real shame not to be able to behold that solid silver dial with its nearly perfect details.

A. Lange & Sohne may make more complicated watches, but as a balance between classicism and horological sophistication, they don’t come any better.

Sporty provocation within A. Lange & Sohne’s Lange 1 watch collection: The Lange 1 “Luminous”

The A. Lange & Sohne Lange 1 watch is for many fine timepiece collectors, “the” watch which defines the unique Germanic luxury of this prestigious brand. Whether in yellow gold, pink gold, or platinum, this watch gets nothing but raves; friendly discussions about which dial brings out the Lange 1’s unique beauty best is a common thread in A. Lange & Sohne discussions, be it at the dinner table or an Internet forum.

That said, probably the “odd man out” is the Lange 1 “Luminous”. While it has a small circle of advocates, it seems that this very sporty dial is perhaps the least appreciated of all the various dials. I can see both sides of the issue—were I to acquire a Lange 1 watch, I can certainly see the logic in choosing a more classic variation, especially were it my first A. Lange & Sohne watch. However, if I had more than one A. Lange & Sohne timepiece, the Lange 1 Luminous might very well be tempting—it represents an underdog selection among a watch which is already in a very rare and exclusive group. While it may be different than its siblings, it’s no less beautifully crafted, with intricate applications of luminous material that give it a pilot watch-type feel–a style that I happen to like very much.

Plus, being a casual dresser by preference, this watch’s aesthetics match my lifestyle a bit better than the more classical dials. Yep, I really do like the Luminous, and I feel it’s a worthwhile and effective addition to the great A. Lange & Sohne Lange 1 lineup.