What the Lange 1’s 25th birthday means for watch collectors
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What the Lange 1'southward 25th birthday means for spotter collectors
A. Lange & Sohne's iconic Lange ane turns 25 this year, with limited edition anniversary models to marker the festivities. Merely simply how significant is the OG watch to Federal republic of germany's Glashutte region, to the watchmaking industry, and ultimately to collectors? Noted Lange collector Peter Chong weighs in.
The Lange 1 – 25 years young. (Photo: A. Lange & Sohne)
09 Apr 2022 06:30AM (Updated: 04 Jul 2022 03:58PM)
The Lange one is the quintessential A. Lange & Sohne scout. When first introduced to the printing on Oct 24, 1994 in Dresden, it was an immediate success. Twelve major retailers from German-speaking countries: Germany, Austria and Switzerland had booked all the 123 watches offered for order two days before. The press reception was a success. The next day, on October 25, 1994 the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung read, "The economy of Germany's East is suddenly start to tick differently: A Lange & Sohne is back – the legend has come up home."
The iv watches introduced in 1994 were monumental. Each had its own special characteristics: The Lange 1, with its off-center hr display, subsidiary seconds, ability reserve brandish and the large appointment brandish; the Arkade, a ladies model, also fitted with the outsized date; the Saxonia, a elementary mid-sized golden watch, also with the outsized date; and the Tourbillon Pour le Merite, the height of the collection: A tourbillon with a fusee-and-chain manual organisation, and so a World Premiere.
While all are exclusive, and highly sought after, the Lange 1 is Lange's Calling Carte du jour. The iconic model which is representative of the values that the business firm wanted to communicate in the early on days. For the forty years prior, the Glashutte region's watchmaking was reduced to making robust mechanical and quartz watches under the German Democratic Commonwealth (Eastward German) regime. They were strangers to the world of luxury watchmaking. But in the masterstroke they displayed on Oct 24, 1994, Lange demonstrated to the globe that they are on meridian of the game.
Even so, in the early days, unlike the German language speaking retailers and journalists who hailed the new watches, the international community was more restrained. Many were doubtful a small visitor from Eastward Germany could produce watches which rivalled the best of Switzerland. "They make Trabants in Saxony, not luxury watches" was a common weep among the doubters. Trabants were basic, utilitarian cars that were prized possessions in the Gdr, not luxury vehicles past whatsoever stretch of imagination.
Merely the watches spoke for themselves. The early on retailers were all chosen not merely because they were well established in their respective markets, but as well because they were Authorised Retailers for other elevation brands. This made it piece of cake to compare watches side by side. And slowly, the collecting community realised that this was a First Class human activity, and that the Swiss made great watches, merely now, so did the Saxons.
The Lange 1 is probably the most successful of all Lange models, and has been in continuous production since 1994. The original release had a instance which was 38.5mm in diameter, in yellowish gilt, white gold and platinum. The selection of a solid case back in the same metal as the case was offered every bit an option to the sapphire case back which was standard.
A pink gold version was added circa 1998, and also about that time a serial of approximately 20 Lange 1's in Stainless Steel were made. These were mainly delivered as pocket-size batches to the Authorised Dealers of Orologeria Pisa in Milan, Cellini in New York and Sincere in Singapore. However, a few special commission pieces were besides delivered via dealers to private collectors. The Lange 1A was a special series express to 100 pieces, introduced in 1998. It came with a solid aureate guilloche dial and gilt escape lever and escape wheel.
The Lange i also spawned an entire family of watches, which currently counts 9 models. They come in various example diameters and are manually wound or self-winding. The family unit also included models with additional functions such equally a moon-phase display, a second time zone, or as a combination featuring a tourbillon and a perpetual calendar.
The original Lange 1 had the in-house calibre L901 which featured a double barrel mainspring and a power reserve of 96 hours. The movement remained until it was revised in 2022 as the L121. The new motility now features a shorter power reserve of 72 hours, but retained the double mainspring concept. A completely new bike train was installed, including an in-house manufactured balance bike with eccentric timing weights.
Peter Chong is the Co-Founder, Editorial Manager and Chief Photographer of Deployant . He founded the Lange Forum on Timezone.com in 1997 and in 2022 published the book A. Lange & Sohne: The Pour le Merite Drove .
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