A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 30th Anniversary Editions

Quick specs A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 30th Anniversary Editions
Price:
$ 53,800 | € 56.500 | approx. £ 47,000 | approx. CHF 53’000 (36.8 mm platinum)
$ 46,200 | € 46.400 | approx. £ 39,000 | approx. CHF 44’000 (36.8 mm pink gold)
$ 57,400 | € 60.000 | approx. £ 50,000 | approx. CHF 56’000 (38.5 mm platinum)
$ 50,200 | € 50.300 | approx. £ 42,000 | approx. CHF 47’000 (38.5 mm pink gold)
Size: 36.8 or 38.5 mm
Reference:
181.062 (36.8 mm platinum) – limited to 150 pieces
181.063 (36.8 mm pink gold) – limited to 150 pieces
191.062 (38.5 mm platinum) – limited to 300 pieces
191.063 (38.5 mm pink gold) – limited to 300 pieces

The A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 30th Anniversary Editions celebrate that the Lange 1 has reached its 30-year mark. No less than four new limited editions join the party, with two sizes and two colors, all with the same movement. Introduced in 1994, the new Lange 1 and Little Lange 1 keep their unique appeal intact through an off-center dial design and the distinctive Lange outsize or big date display.

These Anniversary Editions come in either 36.8 millimeters, which is the Little Lange 1, and in 38.5 millimeters: the Lange 1. They appear in two materials: platinum and pink gold. The platinum models feature a silver dial with a black onyx color. The pink gold models present a silver dial with a blue color.

Traditional Lange 1 dial

You can combine functions like the time, running seconds, a big date, and a power reserve indicator in just one dial layout. However, 30 years ago A. Lange & Söhne already decided to show these complications separately on the dial. So, at 9 o’clock there is one large sub dial showing the hours and minutes. This sub dial is adorned with Roman numerals, lancet-shaped hour markers, and a subtle minute track. Right under it is the “Made in Germany” quality mark.

At the noon position is the brand’s name and “Glashütte i/SA” meaning “Glashütte in Sachsen” or in English “Glashütte in Saxony”. At the 1 o’clock position is the big date in a framed double window. A 3 o’clock is the floating power reserve indicator and the small seconds are at 5 o’clock on a sub dial with a subtle seconds track. Between 6 and 8, at the flange, is the “doppelfederhaus” marking, German for “double spring barrel”.

Golden ratio design

The whole design follows the so-called “golden ratio”, a mathematical ratio approximately equal to 1.618. It’s considered an ideal proportion that occurs frequently in nature, art, and design. In watchmaking, applying the golden ratio helps create visually balanced and harmonious designs. Especially in the layout of elements on the watch dial.

The Lange 1, for instance, leverages the golden ratio by positioning its off-center time and date displays to achieve this sense of visual balance, which is a key part of its enduring appeal. This is also needed as the dials of the 36.8 or 38.5 differ a little when it comes to the size of the visuals and their mutual distances.

The A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 30th Anniversary Editions have a power reserve of 72 hours

All four Lange 1 30th Anniversary Editions use the manufacture A. Lange & Söhne caliber L121.1. A hand-wound movement was introduced in 2015 as an evolution of Lange’s in-house designs. A key feature of this movement is its twin mainspring barrel, which offers a power reserve of 72 hours, ensuring consistent performance.

The movement is viewable through a sapphire crystal case back, where the untreated German silver three-quarter plate and Glashütte ribbing are visible. Finishing touches on the L121.1 movement include a hand-engraved balance cock and eight gold chatons held in place by blued screws. Each movement is assembled by hand and adjusted to five positions, underscoring the precision and quality control applied at every stage.

Price of the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 and Little Lange 1 30th Anniversary Editions

First, the strap options for the limited-edition Lange 1 watches differ by case material. The platinum models are paired with hand-stitched black alligator leather straps, while the pink gold models come with blue alligator leather straps. The straps use a prong buckle that matches the case metal.

These Little Lange 1 and Lange 1 models have been priced in line with high-end competitors featuring similar in-house movements and finishes. The retail price for the models is around 40 to 60k, depending on your region. And they are a limited edition: 150 per reference number for the Little Lange 1 and 300 per reference number for the Lange 1.