It might seem surprising but, until recently, chronograph timepieces that possessed movements designed and built inhouse were not the norm. Just two decades ago, it was common for fine watchmaking brands to use third-party movements to power their chronographs.
In modern times, A. Lange & Söhne led the move towards in-house chronograph movements with the launch of the Datograph in 1999. The watch was powered by the calibre L951.1, which unites a column-wheel chronograph with a flyback function, a precise jumping chronograph minute counter and the brand’s signature outsize date.
This year, the Saxon manufacture celebrates the 25th anniversary of its classic flyback chronograph with two covetable limited editions that include the complication. First up, a 125-piece limited edition of the Datograph Up/Down, which was first introduced in 2012. It was driven by the calibre L951.6, an update of the original Datograph movement, with the addition of a power-reserve indicator and an increased power reserve of 60 hours.
The same hand-wound movement drives the new Datograph Up/Down, which is now crafted in a 41mm white gold case with a deep-blue dial, and matched with a blue alligator leather strap. The combination gives this Lange favourite a modern yet imposing feel, while retaining its distinctive configuration: The small seconds subdial and jumping chronograph minute counter sit slightly below, rather than at the horizontal centre axis of the dial. Together, they form the base of an imaginary equilateral triangle, with the outsize twin date windows at 12 o’clock forming the tip of this triangle. Symmetrical along the vertical axis, this layout is subtly unique and is optimised for legibility, Lange style.
DATOGRAPH PERPETUAL TOURBILLON HONEYGOLD “LUMEN”
While the new Datograph Up/Down is a fresh take on a Lange favourite, the latest edition of the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold “Lumen” brings more exclusive and desirable features to what is already one of the brand’s most complicated timepieces.
Like the Datograph Up/Down in white gold, the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold “Lumen” also marks the 25th anniversary of the brand’s Datograph. Naturally, one of the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon’s three key mechanisms is the Datograph’s signature feature — the flyback chronograph, paired with a large date.
As the name of the model suggests, it also houses a perpetual calendar and a tourbillon. Lange’s perpetual calendar has a precise moon phase that will only deviate from the actual position of the moon by one day in 122.6 years. The watch’s one-minute tourbillon is equipped with a stop-seconds feature — not a given, even in mechanical watches without a tourbillon — that lets the user stop the tourbillon for accurate time-setting.
As if all this horological goodness wasn’t alluring enough, Lange has gone and crafted it in its exclusive Honeygold alloy, a material with a subtle hue between that of pink gold and white gold, and almost twice the hardness of regular gold. Finally, making this 50-piece limited edition irresistible to collectors, the brand has given it the Lumen treatment, where a semi-transparent dial and luminous coatings allow the displays to glow. After the launch of the Zeitwerk Honeygold “Lumen” in 2021, this watch is just the second Lange model to combine honey gold with a Lumen finish.
