Lange & Sohne Lange 1 Timezone

What you’re looking at is a variation of perhaps the most important wristwatch of the last 30 years.

The Lange 1 is without question the manufacturer’s flagship model, and the big date function is its hallmark. Though found in watches like the Zeitwerk or the Langematik Sax-O-Mat, it’s in the Lange 1 that it’s shown to the greatest effect. Alongside other details such as asymmetrical sub-dials depicting the hours and sub-seconds, and the A. Lange & Söhne signature with its famous ampersand, it shows a clarity of vision that is wholly Lange.

The Lange 1 has seen many variations, from a tourbillon to the Timezone, seen here. Introduced in 2005, it maintains the classic lines of the Lange 1 by incorporating the world time and AM/PM indicator into the sub-seconds dial at 5 o’clock, plus a revolving outer GMT band with the names of 24 cities. Powered by the manually wound Calibre L031.1, it also includes hacking seconds, a power reserve indicator, an offset main dial with subsidiary seconds and AM/PM indicator — all the hallmarks of the classic Lange 1. Two pushers — one for the date at 10:00 and one for the world time function at 8 o’clock — are subtly integrated into the watch’s left side.

With its 42mm 18K rose gold case, this particular example features a lovely satin silver dial with applied rose gold indices and a matching rose gold 'alpha' handset, a turquoise pebbled-leather strap with a signed rose gold pin buckle, and perhaps the best part of any Lange - a sapphire caseback for clear viewing of the horological delight that is a Lange movement.

Lovely!

The Lange 1 is special enough on its own, an icon of horology. But this particular execution is one rung higher on the ladder of haute horlogerie.