The first watch A. Lange & Sohne released was the phenomenal Lange 1. It is quite probably the most acclaimed mechanical wristwatch of the new era. This wonder had an incredulous outsized date, a double barrel mainspring and revived the old 3/4 plate for anchoring the movement and excellent workmanship.
The 3/4 plate can be seen through the sapphire glass back. This technique uses a large, stable plate (accounting for about 3/4 of the area of the movement, hence its name) for anchoring the movement, leaving only a cock for the fifth wheel, and the balance cock. However, this method presents some difficulty as it requires extreme precision, so that when the 3/4 plate is screwed into place, all the little moving parts fit properly with the required clearances. Typically, 3/4 plate arrangements are commonly found in high quality pocket watches.
This precision is afforded by the use of CNC Spark Erosion technology in the Glashutte manufacture, a procedure possible only in small production houses, as the time it takes to cut a stack of 6 plates runs from half an hour to 2 hours, depending on the complexity of the shape. In almost all other watches, these plates are stamped, a process which can allow thousands to be manufactured an hour. The watch is available in pink gold, white gold, yellow gold, and platinum. And in two sizes: regular 38.5mm case diameter, and the Little 1 in 36.5mm diameter. The Tourbillon Pour La Merite
Lange replica watches The Tourbillon by Lange Uhren is another example of the supreme quality of the workmanship. The Pour La Merite features a one minute tourbillon, and a fusee in chain. The latter is the first such occurance in a wrist watch. Fusees are usually found in pocket watches, where the case allows more space for the watchmaker to work on.
The planetery gear system which allows for the fusee to maintain power to the movement when the mainspring barrel is being wound is a work of art.
In the Lange Tourbillon, the fusee, which allows the mainspring to release its power uniformly throughout its length, is miniaturised within. The complexity is in the calculation of the exact size of the cone of the fusee, and the maintaining power mechanism which allows the watch to run while being wound.
In keeping with its high status, the balance endstones are diamond.
The Arkade
A.Lange & Sohne Replica The only ladies model in the collection, the Arkade is stunning with the outsized date, which seems to be quite impossible. If one uses a conventional date ring to present a date of the same size, the date ring would be at least double the size of the Arkade case. Available in various combinations, with or without subsidiary seconds hand, and with or without VVS diamonds encrusting the bezel.
This is also one of the few ladies watches to house a fine mechanical movement. Many watchmaking houses have felt that ladies watches need only to look good, be encased in jewellery, and often overlook the movement. For e.g. in Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak, all ladies versions of the famous watch hold quartz movements. Even for Patek Phillipe, only 2 watches from the Calatrava range and one from the Golden Elipse, the new (in 1997) moonphase, and the travel time (new in 1997) are found with a mechanical movement, all others feature quartz movements. The 1815
The original 1815 was introduced in 94 was intended to carry over the tradition line from the days of old Lange pocket watches. Its design, and dial layout follows strictly to those old designs. In 97, a power reserve indicator version was added to the series, and in Basel 99 a moonphase version was added.
The 1815 is based on the caliber L941. The power reserve indicator for the L942 was inserted into the same movement without changing the overall dimension of the movement...that is, it retains it original diameter and original height, and hence the same case is used. When the Moonphase was added in 99, the same caliber dimensions was kept.
Of particular interest on the 1815 moonphase is that the moon indication is accurate to 1 day in 386,435 days (1058 years) of uninterrupted operation. Most high accuracy moonphase operate to only 1 day in 122 years. This watch was released in Basel 99, and it took the watch making world by storm with the precision in the moonphase indication.
And finally in Basel 2000, rose gold cases were introduced into the 1815 range, and the base 1815, and the Ab/Auf now is available in rose gold case.
The Saxonia, a simple, handwound watch, with large date, it represents a dichotomy of styles...the tradition bound Lange style and workmanship with the large double date. Walt Odet's ode to the Saxonia is testament to its endearing beauty The Langematic
Released in 97 in Dresden, and available with or without the Lange outsized date, the same high quality is observed. The movement sports the traditional 3/4 plate movement.
It has one unusual feature, not seen in any timepiece as yet: the small seconds hand resets to zero when the crown is pulled out for setting the time. The idea is not new. It has been used to reset the chronograph hands, but its inclusion to aid resetting a constant seconds hand is insightful. This is achieved by a chronograph type cam mechanism which is activated, and stops the balance wheel (by engaging the hacking mechanism) allows for the constant seconds hand to return to zero when the crown is pulled to set the time.This allows for accurate time setting without having to wait for the small seconds hand to come to zero. When the seconds hand is in the second half of the dial, it resets by moving forward to zero, in the first half of the dial, it resets by reversing to zero. A very innovative feature, and a landmark achievement. Click here to link to the British Horological Institute's feature on this unique watch, and some technical discussion as to its execution.
As can be seen in the picture on the right, the rotor is planetary, and off centered. Made to run on bearings to reduce the overall height of the movement, it is virtually frictionless...if you have the opportunity to handle one, gently tilt the case as you watch the rotor through its sapphire glass back, and note the smoothness in which the rotor moves. Basel 98
No major or significant announcements were released in the 98 Basel. Lange Uhren showed various color combinations for the dial and case material (white gold, yellow gold and pink gold). The only "new" Lange to hit the streets will be the limited edition Lange 1A. The only difference from this release, apart from the limited edition status, is the dial is solid guilloched gold (instead of solid silver), and the movement features solid gold in unusual places. Basel 99
Basel 99 proved to be an interesting year for Lange Uhren. For the first time, it is participating in Basel with its own booth...prominent at the main hall, right of the entrance. Also significant, is the introduction of an all new caliber: the L951, Der Chronograph. As the first new chronograph to be designed for at least 20 years (all current chronographs are based on either the Valjoux 7750/7760, Lemania 5100, Piguet 1185, Zenith 400 or old stock made/designed before the quartz revolution). Basel 2000
In many ways, 2000 was a significant year for Lange. It was the 10th Anniversary of the re-founding by Walter Lange/Gunther Blumlein, it was the turn of the millinium, and in 1999 their parent company, Mannesmann was teken over by the British Telecommunications giant: Vodaphone. The last half of 1999 was a little unsettling for both the folks at Lange Uhren, and wellwishers. Whilst the saga of corporate takeovers continues...as it has forged ahead with the Swatch Group and LVMH swallowing up other small watchmakers (Renaud et Papi by Audemars Piguet, Breguet/Lemania by Swatch are some recent examples), Lange is as of today, still part of Mannesmann. Basel 2000 saw the introduction of an interesting new tourbillon, an enamel dial to celeberate the anniversary, and the long awaited pink gold cases to the rest of the line. DATOGRAPH
The DATOGRAPH reflects a totally new approach in the development of chronographs based on the classic column-wheel principle; it stands out as a worthy ambassador for the attribute "Made in Germany". With its impressive line-up of complicated mechanisms, it deserves to be called an exceptional phenomenon in the domain of mechanical watchmaking.
The DATOGRAPH stops events as long as 30 minutes with an accuracy of one-fifth of a second. Thanks to the precisely jumping minute counter, the stopped time is very easy to read. The flyback function allows the chronograph to be instantaneously reset to zero during an ongoing measurement, simply by pressing a push-piece in the case. As soon as it is released, a new timing cycle begins. This eliminates the need to stop a measurement and reset the stop hand before starting a new measurement.
The patented outsize date in the twin gold-framed aperture assures excellent legibility. The luminous hour and minute hands are made of rhodiumed gold. The hands in the subsidiary dials are crafted from blued steel. The tachometer scale along the circumference of the main dial adds a subtly dynamic touch to the personality of this remarkable watch. The DATOGRAPH is available in 18-carat pink gold or platinum. It is worn either on a crocodile strap or an exquisite precious-metal bracelet. The sapphire-crystal caseback, secured with six screws, showcases the technical and aesthetic finesse of Lange's L951.1 movement. SAXONIA
The SAXONIA is an inimitably graceful mid-sized watch. Self-confidently, it displays the name of the State of Saxony which rose to fame and glory as the 17th century began to unfold. Its solid-silver dial is studded with gold, lozenge-shaped index markers. Depending on the model, gold or blued steel hands indicate the hours, minutes, and seconds. The patented outsize date stands prominently in a double-aperture frame made of gold. It is four times more legible than the dates of conventional mechanical watches and can be conveniently advanced with a push-piece in the case.
The SAXONIA is available with a superbly polished case in 18-carat gold or platinum. It is worn with a hand-stitched crocodile strap with an engraved, precious-metal buckle. Its solid-gold winding crown with the embossed Lange signature is protected against the ingress of water. The see-through sapphire-crystal caseback reveals the SAXONIA's magnificent, consummately finished movement. LANGE DOUBLE SPLIT
As the world's first flyback chronograph with a double rattrapante mechanism, the LANGE DOUBLE SPLIT opens up a new dimension in mechanical time measurement. Beyond the ordinary stopwatch functions of a conventional chronograph, it can also handle lap-time measurements, time comparisons, and fastest/slowest lap measurements. Its additional flyback minute counter makes it possible for the first time to use these I rattrapante functions in a truly meaningful way, namely for events that last up to 30 minutes - as opposed to conventional rattrapante mechanisms that could only measure times of up to 60 seconds.
The newly developed balance of the LANGE DOUBLE SPLIT beats at a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour, allowing measurements to an accuracy of one-sixth of a second. Moreover, error-free readings are assured by the precisely jumping chrono minute counter and the precisely jumping rattrapante minute counter. During an ongoing time measurement, the flyback function will immediately stop and reset the chronograph hands (and, with them, the rattrapante hands if they are still running) with only one press of a button. A new measurement begins instantaneously when the button is released again. This skips the otherwise necessary "stop" and "reset" steps.
The remaining power reserve of the LANGE DOUBLE SPLIT is permanently indicated by the small gold hand at 12 o'clock. The hour and minute hands are made of rhodiumed gold; they are also luminous. The LANGE DOUBLE SPLIT is available in platinum and with a reinforced crocodile strap. A glance through the sapphire crystal caseback reveals the true art of horology in a fascinating cosmos composed of 465 parts - the Lange L001.1 movement.
