
A. Lange & Söhne Wants You To Wear The World On Your Wrist
The Swiss manufacture dresses two of its most coveted complications in new metals.
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A. Lange & Söhne is outfitting two of its core models in new metals, with the Lange 1 Time Zone now available in platinum and the 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar receives a white gold update.
Unveiled in 2005, the Lange Time Zone 1 is one of the German manufacture’s most notable references. Designed to simultaneously keep track of two time zones, the asymmetrical dial layout houses a larger off-centre time circle to display home time while the second smaller subdial displays time in another location.
There’s also a daylight savings time indicator, date window, and a subtle power reserve indicator. Each city is listed around the periphery of the dial, with the corrector button at 8 o’clock used to change time zones. Complementing the 41.9mm platinum case is a tonal, rhodium-coloured dial to create a monochromatic effect. In its current iteration, the Lange Time Zone 1 is powered by the in-house calibre L141.1, which was introduced in 2020 and boasts a 72-hour power reserve.
Arguably the manufacture’s most complicated references, the 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar was introduced in 2013, released in both platinum and rose gold versions. Now attired in a 41.9mm white gold case with a salmon dial crafted from pink gold, the timepiece is powered by the in-house calibre L101.1, a highly complex manual-winding movement that houses three complications in one.
Playing host to a quartet of subdials, the dial arrangement recalls vintage complications and is named after the birth year of Ferdinand Adolph Lange. On the dial, a traditional railway track minutes scale features along the periphery, complemented by Arabic numerals. The calendar displays are arranged at 3 and 9 o’clock, while the subdial at 6 o’clock houses a moonphase display, with a minute counter and power-reserve indicator located at 12 o’clock.
Likely the manufacture’s most intricate movement to date, the calibre L101.1 is a feat of mechanical engineering; comprising 631 individual components. The perpetual calendar function—which won’t require adjustment until 2100—has 211 components, while the rattrepante chronograph comprises a further 206. The upper surfaces of all moving parts are decorated with straight graining while peripheral chamfers are polished. Naturally, typical A. Lange & Söhne hallmarks also feature, such as screwed gold chatons, blued screws, and a hand-engraved balance cock. The impressive movement is visible through a sapphire glass caseback. The 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar is limited to 100 pieces.
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