I’ve always been a big fan of A. Lange & Söhne, but I’ve never taken the plunge and purchased one. It is one of the brands that I really like but it doesn’t seem to fit my style and my lifestyle, as I typically gravitate toward very sporty watches or watches that are fitted with a bracelet. Now, I am not saying that you can’t wear a Lange watch with a pair of jeans and sneakers, nevertheless, every time that I try one on it seems to not go well with what I am wearing until the day that I took these pictures and the wristshot at the end of this article.
There are two watches in the A. Lange & Söhne lineup that I would definitely wear. I am talking about the Zeitwerk and the Lange 1 Perpetual. I think I could totally rock either if I were able to switch the alligator strap that comes with the watch for nylon, kevlar, or some other sporty strap —of course not a NATO.
Thanks to its generous 41.9 mm case, the pink gold Lange 1 Perpetual seems to be a perfect watch for many of you that are wanting to wear this brand but have not yet, because of the same reasons I have pointed out in my case. The larger case size —which is also considerably thick at 12.1 mm— makes this watch very wearable for those of us that prefer larger case sizes or watches that are at least 40 mm or larger.
Other than the case size —most perpetual calendars out there are smaller than 41.9 mm—, I also love that A. Lange & Söhne brings a decluttered layout with a non-traditional way of indicating the month on the periphery of the dial, the date with a double-digit outsize aperture, the time on a very prominent subdial, the day of the week with a retrograde hand between 10 and 8 o’clock, the leap year at 6 o’clock with a very tiny non-intrusive aperture, and a gorgeous moon phase indicator that includes a day/night indication on the same disc —at night the moon indication will be surrounded by stars and during the daytime, there’s just a plain moon without any stars around it.
Having a day/night indicator on a perpetual calendar is not common but it is extremely useful when setting the indications as it helps you avoid ruining the mechanism in case you are setting the indications past 8 pm. Oh, and did I mention that all indications truly jump instantaneously? Yes, they do.
While the Lange 1 Perpetual is available in pink or white gold, I personally love the combination between the warm tones of the pink gold case and the grey dial. The grey dial is easier to match with almost any outfit including shirts with patterns. Now, if you like to go with a monochromatic look, the grey dial blends in nicely almost with any color you choose to wear.
Then comes the automatic movement powering the Lange 1 Perpetual. Turning the watch over reveals a real treat for the eyes with the Lange calibre L021.3 composed of 621 parts and which provides a power reserve of 50 hours. What I like about this movement is that its architecture is flawless and the decoration of the oscillating weight is very special and less formal, when compared to other oscillating weights from the brand. I personally also prefer self-winding perpetual calendars over manual wound ones –not many out there though.
Finally, on the wrist, the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Perpetual wears true to its size and simply impeccably. While I don’t have a very large wrist size —about 7.25-7.5 inches in circumference—, I have large hands, and when I wear smaller case watches they just don’t look as good. While other A. Lange & Söhne watches are definitely a no go for me, the Lange 1 Perpetual is a perfect watch in every sense of the word.
Sticker Price $104,500 USD. For more info on A. Lange & Söhne click here.
