A. Lange & Söhne saved the best for the end. Debuted last January at the SIHH in Geneva, the launch of the 10 Lange 1 models - one per month - commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Lange collection ends today.
The Lange 1 Tourbillon before 2019
In the year 2000, the impressive Lange 1 Tourbillon had its debut as the world’s first wristwatch with the unusual combination of a tourbillon, an outsize date, a three-day movement and a power-reserve indicator. A watch for special occasions – this is how the Lange 1 Tourbillon was described when it was first presented. A. Lange & Söhne saluted the transition from the 20th to the 21st century with it, continuing a tradition that dates back to the belle époque in Paris. Lange’s first centennial tourbillon – still in a pocket watch format – attracted global attention at the 1900 Paris Exposition.
In 2010, as part of the “165 Years – Homage to F.A. Lange” anniversary collection, the Lange 1 Tourbillon was one of the first three watches of the manufactory with a case in honey gold, a material used exclusively by Lange.
When the Lange 1 celebrated its 20th birthday in 2014, it was introduced as the fourth model of the Handwerkskunst series in a limited edition of 20 platinum-cased watches with rare movement decorations and a black enamel dial.
Lange 1 Tourbillon « 25th Anniversary »
Like all ten special editions of the anniversary collection, the 2019 version of the Lange 1 Tourbillon is presented in silver and blue and in a limited edition of 25 pieces (except for the Lange 1 which is a 250-piece limited edition). The 38.5-millimetre white-gold case sets the stage for a solid-silver, argenté-coloured dial that contrasts with the blued steel hands. The inscriptions are printed in blue, including the numerals of the outsize date.
Suspended between two diamond endstones, the one-minute tourbillon features a stop-seconds mechanism. The patented system allows the balance inside the rotating tourbillon cage to be stopped instantaneously. It is clearly visible in a generous aperture in the dial and through the glass units disc of the outsize date.
The tourbillon cock, prominently integrated in the dial, is decorated with the black polishing technique. On the movement side, the tourbillon bridge and the intermediate-wheel cock are engraved by hand. The colour concept is echoed in the blue-filled recesses of the engraving. The unifying anniversary collection signature, a reliefed depiction of the outsize date, is located on the intermediate wheel cock.
The hand-stitched alligator leather strap is blue with grey seam and secured with a white-gold deployant buckle.
The complete Lange 1 “25th Anniversary” collection
Lange 1 - 250 watches - January 2019 (SIHH)
Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase - 25 watches - February 2019
Little Lange 1 - 25 watches - March 2019
Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar - 25 watches - April 2019
Lange 1 Time Zone - 25 watches - May 2019
Lange 1 Moon Phase - 25 watches - July 2019
Grand Lange 1 - 25 watches - July 2019
Lange 1 Daymatic - 25 watches - August 2019
Little Lange Moon Phase - 25 watches- September 2019
Lange 1 Tourbillon - 25 watches- September 2019