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 quintessential A. Lange & Söhne and the purest expression of Glashütte watchmaking.
Within this catalogue of original reference from 1994, the brand released a Lange 1 with a platinum case, silver dial and closed caseback. It became popular, with collectors nicknaming it ‘Stealth’ because of its monochromatic and discrete appearance. Since then, the watch has remained in the catalogue in one guise or another and the reference 101.025 is one of the most sought-after examples of this Lange 1 aesthetic.
Elemental to this aesthetic of course is the decentralised arrangement of the displays that express information. 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.
Dominating the opaline dial is the time display. This register is finished with closely packed concentric rings and quarter Roman numerals interspersed with diamond-shaped applied hour markers and a chapter of minutes printed in black. The slightly overlapping subsidiary seconds register also has a similar finish and a black printed sector-style chapter. At 3 o’clock, and without a separate register, is the ‘up-down’ power reserve indicator. The seconds hand is stick-style whereas the hours and minutes hands, as well as the one indicating the reserve, are alpha style. 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 underline the 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.
The three-part case features high-polished with the caseback also featuring a similar profile that gives way to a brushed rim that holds the display caseback in place with screws. In between the screws 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, 20mm apart, wear polished finishing. They wear a taupe-coloured strap with a signed platinum buckle bearing the mark of the marker, Brogioli.
Underpinning the aesthetic is the manual-winding calibre L901.0, offering 72 hours of autonomy. According to the brand’s nomenclature, this would date the calibre to early 1990. 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 comes with all its paperwork and box.
If sold within the United Kingdom, this A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 will be subject to 20% VAT
