Perfect Proportions for a Grand Classic: Grand Lange 1

With altered dimensions and a new inner life, the A. Lange & Sohne GRAND LANGE 1 exhibits true gran­deur. A new movement developed entirely from scratch makes it possible to trans­pose the subtly balanced dial layout of the LANGE 1 to its larger sibling and at the same time to slim down the silhouette.

Since it premiered in 1994, the LANGE 1 has been the icon of A. Lange & Söhne. With its particular combination of traditional elements that are unique to Saxony’s watch­making heritage – including the three-quarter plate, screwed gold chatons, or the screw balance – as well as groundbreaking innovations such as the off-centre dial design and the ingenious Lange outsize date, it earned global acclaim. The LANGE 1 soon became a multiple award winner in the realm of high-end mechanical timepieces and wrote horological history in its own right. Additionally, it stands for the competence of Lange’s master watch­makers and symbolises their untiring quest for the perfect watch. Eighteen years after its debut, the LANGE 1 is not only the strong foundation of a successful watch family. It is also a benchmark for many of the manufactory’s other developments.

This applies all the more to a debut within its own family, as is the case with the GRAND LANGE 1. It manifests clearly rebalanced proportions and an inner life me­ticulously crafted to match them. With a deliberate rearrangement of watch compo­nents, the totally new manually wound calibre L095.1 made it possible to transpose the graceful dial architecture of the LANGE 1 to the perceptibly larger model. The hours, minutes, and seconds as well as the outsize date and power-reserve indication are configured on the solid-silver dial without any overlap points. To faithfully preserve the harmonious proportions down to the last detail, the Lange outsize date was also enlarged by the same factor as the dial itself.

Furthermore, the larger movement diameter made it feasible to arrange more parts on one level. The re­sult is a movement height of merely 4.7 millimetres. The impressive 72-hour power reserve was achieved in a space-saving manner with only one main­spring barrel. This had a positive impact on the dimensions of the cases: With a di­ameter of 40.9 millimetres, they are only 8.8 milli­metres high, a very elegant ratio of width to height.

The Garnd Lange 1 will be available in three different cases, these being the stable yellow gold, pink gold, and platinum.

The sapphire-crystal caseback reveals the splendid manufacture movement, painstak­ingly decorated by hand and assembled twice. Embellished with Glashütte ribbing, the three-quarter plate made of untreated German silver assures optimised stability. Its gracefully curved cutout exposes the balance that beats with a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour and is carried by the hand-engraved balance cock. A propri­etary Lange-made balance spring assures exceptionally high rate accuracy. Seven screwed gold chatons secure the ruby jewels, accentuating the visual appeal of the movement on the plate side.