A. LANGE & SÖHNE presented a new limited edition of 200 watches, the GRAND LANGE 1 MOON PHASE “Lumen” at the latest SIHH. It combines a brilliant moon-phase display with a mystically luminous outsize date that reflects the characteristic style of the brand icon. This is however, not the first time the brand is doing a limited edition Lumen run. It was previously used for the Grand Lange 1, without the moonphase.
The A. Lange & Söhne Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase “Lumen”
The dial of the new model is made of blackened silver with ample apertures and blacktinted, semi-transparent sapphire-crystal glass.
We like how Lange has reinterpreted the classic genre with a sophisticated twist. Instead of making a blatant sports watch, simply by tweaking the dial, the Grand Lange 1 is given a certain stealthiness and modernity that is almost analogous to modern sports timepieces. In fact, the dial is the essence of the Lumen limited editions, in and of itself, a state of the art innovation. It is made of blackened silver with ample apertures and blacktinted, semi-transparent sapphire-crystal glass. The special coating applied to the glass pigments on the outsize-date mechanism and cause them to glow in the dark.
Different from Lange’s previous moon-phase models with solid-gold lunar discs, the GRAND LANGE 1 MOON PHASE has a disc made of glass.
The Lumen glows in the dark with a moonphase disc with 1164 stars.
As with the dial, the GRAND LANGE 1 MOON PHASE disc is also made of glass, different from Lange’s previous moon-phase models with solid-gold lunar discs. Initially, its surface is treated with a patented coating process. In a second step, a laser is used to cut out 1164 stars and the moon. Moreover, with Lange’s improved moonphase movement, the moonphase calculation is said to be highly accurate. Once properly set, it only needs to be corrected by one day every 122.6 years. Apart from the lume effect, we especially like how the translucent dial gives the watch a skeleton feel, revealing portions of its immaculately finished top plate.
The manually wound calibre L095.4 is elaborately finished and assembled twice and the large mainspring barrel delivers power for 72 hours.
Beautifully finished with hand engraved balance wheel bridge set above a perlage decorated base plate.
The watch runs on a manually wound calibre L095.4, elaborately finished and assembled twice. The three-quarter plate is made of untreated German silver and is decorated with Glashütte ribbing and fit with beautiful heated blue screws in well cut gold chaton jewel holders. The movement also features a freesprung balance spring with an excellent rate of accuracy. Running on a 3 days power reserve, the 45 jewels movement is cased in a 41 mm platinum case and presented as a limited edition of 200 pieces.
Presented in a limited edition of 200 watches, this model comes in a 41-millimetre platinum case.
All in all, we like the concept of the watch, the ingenuity of the Lumen dial, and the Lange attention to quality engineering and finishing. That said, for sticklers to tradition and puritan classicism, then perhaps the Lumen may be too progressive for you, and even blasphemous. But for the rest of us plebeians, if you can afford it, go get it.
It will be retail for €69,600 Euros.
For more information please visit A. Lange & Söhne
Technical Specifications
GRAND LANGE 1 MOON PHASE “Lumen” Ref. 139.035F
Movement: Lange manufacture calibre L095.4, manually wound, crafted to the most exacting Lange quality standards, decorated and assembled by hand; precision-adjusted in five positions; plates and bridges made of untreated German silver; balance cock engraved by hand
Movement parts: 446
Jewels: 45
Screwed gold chatons: 7
Escapement: Lever escapement
Oscillator: Shock-resistant screw balance; balance spring manufactured in-house with a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour, precision beat adjustment system with lateral setscrew and whiplash spring
Power reserve: 72 hours when fully wound
Functions
Time indicated in hours, minutes and subsidiary seconds with stop seconds; power-reserve indicator; luminous outsize date; moon-phase display
Operating elements
Crown for winding the watch and setting the time, one button for quick outsize date corrections, recessed push piece for correcting the moon-phase display
Case dimensions
Diameter: 41.0 millimetres; height: 9.5 millimetres
Movement dimensions
Diameter: 34.1 millimetres; height: 4.7 millimetres
Crystal and back: Sapphire crystal (Mohs hardness 9)
Case: Platinum
Dial: Basic dial (outer ring, hours, minutes, subsidiary seconds) in solid silver, black-oxidised; semi-transparent sapphire crystal; luminous details: outsize date, Roman numerals and markers for the time, power-reserve indicator and moon-phase display
Hands: Rhodiumed gold, luminous
Strap: Hand-stitched alligator leather strap, black
Buckle: Platinum deployant buckle
Limited edition of 200 watches
