It’s only fair that I commence my series of SIHH new releases’ reviews with a brand that holds a very special place in my heart, yet one that I haven’t been able to get “live” photos of until now, and that’s A. Lange & Söhne. Let’s start with the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase, officially announced about a month before SIHH.
Now when someone mentions Lange, you might conjure up images the Datograph or Double Split chronograph, or even one of their “high complication” pieces like the Tourbillon Pour Le Mérite or perhaps even last year’s award-winning Grand Complication. But for me, no other watch or collection is as synonymous with the A. Lange & Söhne brand as the Lange 1. The off-centered dial, the outsized date and the overall balanced aesthetics, as well as the architecture and superb finishing of the movement immediately made Lange a force to be reckoned among Switzerland’s revered top-tier manufactures. Essetially, the Lange 1 had put the brand and to a greater extent Germany itself back at the pinnacle of haute horlogerie.
And while I prefer my watches on the larger side, the original Grand Lange 1 was the perfect example of how NOT to make a tasteful, modern classic bigger. By keeping the same movement as the original Lange 1 and simply supersizing the case size from 38.9mm to 41.9mm, the harmony of the dial was lost to a scramble of overlapping indications. Something about the proportions just didn’t look nor feel right.
Thankfully, Lange remedied this two years ago with a redesigned Grand Lange 1 that saw a more reasonable 41mm case fitted with a new larger L095.1 that was able to reproduce the same layout and proportions as the original Lange 1. And with this latest Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase, the brand has a hit a homerun and produced quite possibly the most appealing (Grand) Lange 1 to date.
A welcome evolution to the older Lange 1 Moon Phase, which saw the lunar complication take on a more obvious and traditional placement on the seconds sub-dial, the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase puts the night sky right in center stage. Every time you look at the off-centered hours and minutes dial to read the time you’ll have the privilege and pleasure of feasting your eyes on the sublime moon phase, with its moon 382 golden stars set against a clear night sky. The moon phase disk itself is made of solid gold, with a patented plating process that results in a deep, rich blue sky effect without being too reflective. It has an almost translucent quality to it. I also find that the use of 4-point stars really brings out that celestial aspect of the moon phase without being as cartoonish as the more common 5-point star.
The moon phase is perpetual, in that it is accurate to one day’s deviation approximately every 122 years. Because the moon phase is directly linked to and driven by the hour gear train via seven gears, the moon phase is constantly in motion, unlike the majority of conventional moon phase indications that advance in one-day increments.
You have the choice between yellow gold, rose gold and platinum cases, each with a subtly different silvered dial tone. The polished hands, hour markers and date window stand out against the frosted dial. Each version has a different character and “temperature” if that makes sense. The platinum is cool and subdued with its silvery-grey nuances, the yellow gold quite bright with its champagne dial and the rose gold full of contrast between its lighter silver-white dial and rose gold moon and stars.
I understand that some may find the 41mm case too big for a dress watch, but I say the Lange 1 and Grand Lange 1 aren’t true dress watches to begin with and shouldn’t be considered as such. The Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase sits quite close to the wrist, thanks to the case’s slender profile with a height of just 8.8mm. It’s incredible that they’ve managed to keep the movement thickness under 5mm when you consider the added gear train for the moon phase.
Flip the case over and you’ll see that the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase isn’t big for the sake of being so. The L095.3 movement uses the interior space quite well and bears all the hallmarks of fine Saxon watchmaking such the 3/4 plate, screwed chatons and balance, and of course the impeccable finishing (even on parts you’ll never see) that we all adore A. Lange & Söhne for. The manual-winding movement provides a power reserve of 72 hours.
To me at least, the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase is the most appealing Lange with a moon phase display in a while; perhaps ever. It’s no easy feat integrating any kind of supplementary complication to a design as pure as the Lange 1, yet A. Lange & Söhne have done so exceedingly well with the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase.
The Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase will be available at a starting price of 38,900 € for the yellow and rose gold versions, with the platinum at an understandably more substantial 50,900 €.
More information on www.alange-soehne.com
For some excellent reading material on the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase, check out these hands-on impressions and reviews on HODINKEE, A Blog to Watch and World Tempus.
