One of just 20 examples, the Lange 1 reference 101.050 is the smallest series A. Lange & Söhne has ever produced in its proprietary gold alloy, honey gold. Created in 2016, the reference blends several unusual details that perfectly complement the warm glow of the case metal while paying homage to the origins of the Lange 1, one of the foundational pieces with which the Glashütte brand was relaunched in the early 1990s.
Central to the offering here is the 38.5mm three-part case crafted from honeygold, an alloy known as much for its pale, understated hue, as it is for its scratch resistance. The subtly rounded bezel is polished with this finish extending to the flat facets where both the bezel exhibition caseback meet the horizontally satinated midcase. The caseback rim wears circular satination with engravings detailing the brand mark, place of origin, limited series, case number and precious metal and casemaker’s hallmarks.
The satinated midcase features a square pusher adjuster to quickset the date and is also the source of the stepped lugs that gently curve down. The lugs, stepped from the case and 20mm apart, wear polished finishing. They wear a rich brown, large-grained leather strap with a signed honeygold buckle bearing the same ‘CO’ maker’s mark as the case. The knurled crown is signed and well-suited to the task of winding the calibre.
The honeygold case is paired with an off-white grenage dial, a finish that is as unusual to the Lange 1 as it the brand’s wider catalogue. Its soft appearance reveals rich texture upon closer inspection.
It serves as the backdrop to the Lange 1’s signature layout, with the most consulted time display as the single largest element. While the register is marginally recessed into the dial, it too wears the same grenage finish. It is furnished with a quarter of gold Roman hours, interspersed with diamond-shaped markers and a black printed chapter of minutes. The subtly overlapping subsidiary seconds register also has a black printed sector-style chapter. At 3 o’clock, and without a dedicated register, is the ‘up-down’ power reserve indicator. The slim, gold alpha-style seconds hand is complemented by the similarly formed indicators for the hours, minutes and power reserve displays. The twin aperture date display, framed by a gold window, is believed to be inspired by the Five-Minute Clock at Semper Opera House in Dresden.
The rest of the dial further underlines the masterful 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.
Underpinning the aesthetic is the manual-winding calibre L901.0, that according to the brand’s nomenclature, dates its production to early 1990. However, this earliest iteration of the calibre is presented here in the most unusual of guises. While crafted from the brand’s signature German silver, in place of the usual Glashütte striping the three-quarter plate is adorned with a frosted finish that appears as a logical continuation of the adornment on the dial. The bridge bears gold engravings detailing the brand mark, place of origin, jewel count (53), adjustment to five positions and serial number. The screws are heat blued and the visible jewels set in gold chatons.
While this finish gives the movement an altogether more muted appearance, this is enlivened by the islands of hand craft. Although the brand reserves hand engraving for the balance bridge, in this series it extends to the escape bridge as well as the inset bridges anchoring the keyless works and the subsidiary seconds gear train. They are adorned with a floral pattern done freehand. The swan’s neck regulator is black polished, as is the tip of the escape bridge.
The twin mainsprings offer 72 hours of autonomy. It has a lever escapement and the balance beats at 21,600 A/h.
The watch comes with its full set, which includes original warranty paperwork.
The Lange 1 reference 101.050 balances its elements beautifully. It is the most classical of iterations of the Lange 1 aesthetic while being fresh. It is outwardly understated while reserving its beautiful hand craft solely for the wearer’s enjoyment. These details compound to make this as desirable as it is rare.
