In the year 2000, the impressive A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon had its debut as the world’s first wristwatch with the unusual combination of a tourbillon, an outsize date, a three-day movement and a power-reserve indicator. In a 25-watch limited edition in white gold, it now completes the ten-part special series that celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Lange 1.

A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon “25th Anniversary”
A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon “25th Anniversary”

A watch for special occasions – this is how the Lange 1 Tourbillon was described when it was first presented. A. Lange & Söhne saluted the transition from the 20th to the 21st century with it, continuing a tradition that dates back to the belle époque in Paris. Lange’s first centennial tourbillon – still in a pocket watch format – attracted global attention at the 1900 Paris Exposition.

A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon
A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon “25th Anniversary”

In 2010, as part of the “165 Years – Homage to F.A. Lange” anniversary collection, the Lange 1 Tourbillon was one of the first three watches of the manufactory with a case in honey gold, a material used exclusively by Lange. When the Lange 1 celebrated its 20th birthday in 2014, it was introduced as the fourth model of the Handwerkskunst series in a limited edition of 20 platinum-cased watches with rare movement decorations and a black enamel dial.

Like all ten special editions of the anniversary collection, the 2019 version of the Lange 1 Tourbillon is presented in silver and blue. The 38.5-millimetre white- gold case sets the stage for a solid-silver, argenté-coloured dial that contrasts with the blued steel hands.

A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon “25th Anniversary” Movement
A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon “25th Anniversary”

The inscriptions are printed in blue, including the numerals of the outsize date.

Suspended between two diamond endstones, the one-minute tourbillon features a stop-seconds mechanism. The patented system allows the balance inside the rotating tourbillon cage to be stopped instantaneously. It is clearly visible in a generous aperture in the dial and through the glass units disc of the outsize date.

A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon “25th Anniversary” Watch Review
A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon “25th Anniversary”

The tourbillon cock, prominently integrated in the dial, is decorated with the black polishing technique. On the movement side, the tourbillon bridge and the intermediate-wheel cock are engraved by hand. The colour concept is echoed in the blue-filled recesses of the engraving.

The unifying anniversary collection signature, a reliefed depiction of the outsize date, is located on the intermediate wheel cock.

A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon “25th Anniversary”
A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon “25th Anniversary”

A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon “25th Anniversary”

Technical specifications:

Ref. 722.066

Movement: Lange manufacture calibre L961.4, manually wound, crafted to the most exacting Lange quality standards, decorated and assembled by hand; precision-adjusted in five positions; plates made of untreated German silver; steel tourbillion cock on the dial side, with black polishing; blue intermediate wheel and tourbillion cock engraved by hand, engraving of the Lange outsize date on the intermediate wheel cock

Movement parts: 381

Jewels: 51, of which 2 diamond endstones

Screwed gold chatons: 8

Escapement: Lever escapement

Oscillation system: Shock-resistant screw balance; balance spring manufactured in-house with a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour

Power reserve: 72 hours when fully wound

Functions: Time indicated in hours, minutes and subsidiary seconds; one- minute tourbillon with stop-seconds mechanism; Lange outsize date; power-reserve indicator AUF/AB

Operating elements: Crown for winding the watch and setting the time; button for quick outsize date corrections

Case dimensions: Diameter: 38.5 millimetres; height: 9.8 millimetres

Movement dimensions: Diameter: 30.6 millimetres; height: 5.9 millimetres

Case: White gold

Dial: Solid silver, argenté

Hands: Blued steel

Glass and caseback: Sapphire crystal (Mohs hardness 9)

Strap: Hand-stitched alligator leather, blue, grey seam

Buckle: White-gold deployant buckle

Limited edition: 25 watches, engraved 01/25 ... 25/25

The price for the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon “25th Anniversary” is € 165,000 (including VAT).

For more information visit A. Lange & Söhne Online.