When A. Lange & Söhne was resurrected by Walter Lange (great grandson of founder Ferdinand Adolph Lange) and Günter Blümlein (who had previously overseen the resurgence of IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre), they did so with four lines – Arkade, Saxonia, Tourbillon Pour le Mérite and the Lange 1. While each bore a distinct design language, the Lange 1 has come to be viewed as the quintessence of A. Lange & Söhne and the purest expression of Glashütte watchmaking.
The reference 101.022, in yellow gold yellow gold reference, is a warm, refined iteration of the original Lange 1 aesthetic.
Elemental to this is the decentralised nature of the display. Drawing lines from the centre of each display – the time, subsidiary seconds and the date – would result in an isosceles triangle. The layout is an inspired work of industrial design, revealing a deep understanding not just of proportional use of space but also how the wearer will interact with the watch face.
In keeping with this principle, the single largest element of the argenté dial is the time display. This register is finished with closely packed concentric rings and a quarter of Roman numerals interspersed with diamond-shaped hour markers and a chapter of minutes, all printed in black. The marginally overlapping subsidiary seconds register also has a similar base and a black printed sector-style chapter. At 3 o’clock, and without a dedicated register, is the ‘up-down’ power reserve indicator. The slim, blued alpha-style seconds hand is complemented by the similarly formed indicators for the hours, minutes and power reserve displays. The panoramic date, framed by a white gold window, is believed to be inspired by the Five-Minute Clock at Semper Opera House in Dresden.
The rest of the dial further underlines the masterful use of negative space, furnished only with the brand mark at 12 o’clock, the country of origin printed prominently underneath the time display and the ‘Doppelfederhaus’ mark running along the arc of the bottom half. It is worth noting the small print ‘Made in Germany’, an early trait of the Lange 1.
The three-part case features a high-polished bezel with the caseback’s faceted edge featuring a similar finish. This detail of the caseback gives way to a brushed rim that contains the display caseback. In between the screws that secure the caseback are engraved details such as the brand and Glashütte marks as well as the hallmarks of the precious metal of the case and the casemaker. The satinated midcase features a squared pusher adjuster to quickset the date and is also the source of the stepped lugs that gently curve down. The lugs, stepped from the case and 20mm apart, wear polished finishing. They wear a black alligator-grained leather strap with a signed yellow gold buckle bearing the mark of the specialist maker, Brogioli.
Underpinning the aesthetic is the manual-winding calibre L901.0, offering 72 hours of autonomy. The watch has a lever escapement and the balance beats at 21,600 A/h. In true A. Lange & Söhne style, the impressively finished movement, with its dominant three-quarter plate decorated with Glashütte ribbing features chamfering and anglage done by hand. The visible working jewels are ensconced in gold chatons while all visible screws are heat-hued to a vibrant blue. The bridges and plates are crafted from German silver, while the balance cock featuring intricate hand-engraving. Both are signature elements of A. Lange & Söhne.
The watch, which was originally retailed by Hübner in 2001, comes with its outer and inner boxes as well as its guarantee paperwork. The reference 101.022 presents an early, tasteful and timeless executions of the iconic Lange 1.
