A. Lange & Söhne

A. Lange & Söhne never fails to present an air of elegance and sophistication, combined with the precision of German watchmaking. The uncompromising manual winding movement of the Lange 1 captures the true essence of Glashütte; it was one of the first four watches presented by the brand after its relaunch in 1994.

Every detail of the dial of the Lange 1 was carefully chosen to achieve such an attractive balance with asymmetrical elements.

The twin apertures for the date indication pays tribute to the Five-Minute Clock of the Semper Opera House in Dresden made in 1841. It was completed by Johann Christian Friedrich Gutkaes who was the mentor of Ferdinand A. Lange. That oversized digital date was the first patent from Lange Uhren GmbH in 1992.

Underneath the date, they placed the hands of the power reserve indication. It is in the middle of the vertical line drawn between the date and the subsidiary seconds. That hand is also aligned, this time horizontally, with the hour and minute off-centred dial. If the centre of the main dial, power reserve and date are connected, it creates an isosceles triangle that is mirrored by the connection between the main dial, power reserve and subsidiary seconds.

In fact, this layout is based on the golden section, the mathematical rule of the perfect artistic balance used in ancient times.

The dial contains other small details such as the location of the Manufacture, Glashütte I/SA, which is the short form of in Saxonia, which is written straight and slightly smaller to underline the curved signature of the maker.

Inscribed between 6 and 8 o’clock the “doppelfederhaus“ confirms that the movement is equipped with twin-barrels, ensuring a longer power reserve. Launched into the market in 2002, the Lange 1 Moonphase model adds some poetry to the perfect layout of the dial. It is cleverly displayed in the subsidiary seconds for a perfect integration.