The latest A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual is crafted of precious platinum and limited to just 50 pieces.
Twenty years after the first A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual was introduced, the brand has continued the remarkable timepiece’s legacy with a new edition. When the Datograph Perpetual was presented in 2006, it was the first Lange to combine a chronograph, a perpetual calendar and the brand’s iconic outsize date display. A few iterations have been produced in the ensuing years. The new piece is the first Datograph Perpetual in platinum on a bracelet.
The new highly complicated watch is a prime example of A. Lange & Söhne’s mechanical prowess and innovation. The Glashütte, Germany-based brand was originally founded in 1845 in the former East Germany by Ferdinand Adolph Lange and ceased production in 1948 following World War II. Lange’s great-grandson Walter Lange, along with business partner Günter Blümlein, brought the brand back to life in 1990. Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s motto—“there is something one should expect not only of a watch but also of oneself: to never stand still”—remains a guiding principle at Lange to this day.
A. Lange & Söhne’s relaunch was not without its challenges as well as advantages. While most watch brands with over 150 years of history have historical archives to pull from, Lange had to start over. “We have no archives because the Russians took everything in 1948,” Anthony de Haas, director of product development, said in an interview. “We don’t have the books, we don’t have the machines anymore, nothing at all. Mr. Lange and Mr. Blümlein had to start from scratch. You could say well, that was an advantage because they had a clean sheet of paper. You have opportunities to do different, and you are forced to do different.”
A Big Date
One of A. Lange & Söhne’s most well-known design differences is the brand’s now-iconic outsize date display, which takes pride of place at the 12 o’clock position on the new Datograph Perpetual’s dial. The date marks the top of an equilateral triangle formed with the watch’s two auxiliary dials at 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock. At 9 o’clock, the auxiliary dial displays the small seconds, day of the week and day/night indicator, while the 3 o’clock auxiliary dial holds the month, the leap year and the chronograph’s jumping minute counter. The watch’s moon phase indicator, meanwhile, sits just above the 6 o’clock position.
Accuracy Achieved
The dial’s design, including its diamond hour markers, is a fitting testimony to Lange’s mechanical mastery. The watch’s L952.1 manually wound movement contains 556 hand-finished parts and 45 jewels and will correctly display the date, day, day of the week and month accurately until 2100, when the leap year will be omitted in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Like all Lange movements, the L952.1 has German silver plates and bridges. It’s also assembled at least twice to ensure the highest quality and precision, carrying on Walter Lange and Blümlein’s ambitious mission.
It’s hard to believe now, but the two men were met with much skepticism before the relaunch, according to de Haas. “People from the industry asked them: are you sure you want to do that, make a luxury watch in Eastern Germany?” But they persevered. “Blümlein said to the team, we only have one chance. We know that the watch industry is not waiting for another brand to show up, especially from eastern Germany. One hundred percent is not enough—we have to give 200 percent in all aspects of our production.” The Datograph Perpetual is certainly a fitting testament to the 200 percent.