High-end watchmaking fascinates us because the world’s premier watchmakers are constantly innovating and forever creating new complications. Nowhere is that more apparent than with the big names of Haute Horlogerie. German watchmaker A. Lange & Sohne is up there with the best and although it’s known for classic styling, Lange is also renowned for packing bucketloads of top-class engineering into a single model. The latest iteration of the Lange 1 Time Zone is a great example. It includes the timeless elegance we’ve come to expect from the brand but, like its most notable watches, is also equipped with a whole host of mind-blowing features.
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The new Lange 1 Time Zone didn’t hit the world fully formed. The design was originally debuted by the brand in 2005 and took its name from the inclusion of an extra time zone. The second generation of watches, released in 2020, improved on the original and contained a new movement – Calibre L141.1 – and additional features.
This latest version adds a new platinum case and a monochrome colour scheme that includes a rhodium-coloured dial. The styling is exquisite and the legibility is superb, but it’s the collection of complications that has caught the eye of watch enthusiasts. Brace yourself, because there’s a lot to take in.
The beautiful off-centre architecture of the dial is the result of two independent timekeeping dials. The larger one displays the ‘home’ time and the smaller one shows the second time zone. Both include a small rotating disc in the centre with a blue area that synchronises with the hour hand to show the PM time.
There’s a handsome city ring sitting at the edge of the dial and this is controlled by the pusher at 8 o’clock. It lets the wearer choose which city to display as a second time zone. If that wasn’t enough, the discreet arrow that points to the city also displays red if that city observes Daylight Savings Time – and white if it doesn’t. Lange also managed to incorporate a power reserve indicator.
Of course, the Lange 1 Time Zone also has the brand’s signature oversized date window which reinforces the importance of legibility in the design. At 41.9mm, the new platinum case remains the same size as the previous model, and the dial is solid silver with rhodium colouring. The simple colour palette is rounded out with a classic black alligator leather strap.
To achieve this incredibly complex functionality the Lange 1 Time Zone is powered by the in-house Calibre L141.1 movement. The movement is decorated and assembled by hand and includes a staggering 448 parts. This latest addition to the Lange 1 family is only available from Lange boutiques.
A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Time Zone
Reference: 136.025
Diameter: 41.9mm
Height: 10.9mm
Case: 950 Platinum
Movement: Lange Manufacture Calibre L141.1
Strap: Hand-stitched Alligator Leather
