A. Lange & Sohne

The Lange 1 Tourbillon will always have a special place in the history of A. Lange & Söhne, as it is the second tourbillon from the Saxon brand to mark its centenary. The first is the historic pocket watch No. 41000, called Jahrhunderttourbillon, or Tourbillon of the Century, which was made in 1900 to mark the beginning of the 20th century. The Lange 1 Tourbillon, which was launched in 2000, therefore refers to the century twice: firstly to the beginning of the 21st century and secondly to the centenary of pocket watch No. 41000. And, of course, to the millennium. 

Before the Lange 1 Tourbillon, there were no watches in the Lange 1 collection, the brand’s flagship, with additional complications beyond the original outsize date and power reserve. Of course, integrating a tourbillon into a movement with the characteristic arrangement of the indications at the vertices of an equilateral triangle, one of the most important design features of the Lange 1, was a major technical challenge. However, the brand successfully overcame this challenge by using the L901.0 caliber as the basis for incorporating a tourbillon, retaining the 38.5 mm case diameter of the original Lange 1 from 1994 and allowing only a slight increase in case thickness from 9.8 to 10.2 mm. This is what makes the Lange 1 Tourbillon so special – it conveys the same overall impression as the original Lange 1, not only when you look at the dial, but also when you feel it on your wrist. 

In the year 2000, A. Lange & Söhne offered the Lange 1 Tourbillon in platinum (Ref. 704.025; limited to 150 pieces) and in rose gold (Ref. 704.032; limited to 250 pieces – this watch). Ten years later, in 2010, the brand reissued the Lange 1 Tourbillon in honey gold (Ref. 722.050; 165 pieces). The story continues with the Lange 1 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst in 2014 (Ref. 704.048F; 20 pieces in platinum), issued to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Lange 1, followed by the 25th anniversary edition in 2019 (Ref. 722.066F; 25 pieces in white gold). This timeline is complemented by some special editions that were not included in the catalogs, but their number is very small. The Lange 1 Tourbillon also underwent a technical modernization of the caliber during its timeline, which concerned two aspects: the introduction of a tourbillon stop mechanism and the adaptation of the large date mechanism to further open the tourbillon window. While the 2000 editions in platinum and rose gold are equipped with the original caliber L961.1, the models from 2010 onwards feature an updated movement with a tourbillon stop mechanism, and all editions from 2010 onwards, with the exception of the Lange 1 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst, are equipped with a transparent large date disc and the tourbillon has a larger opening. 

This Lange 1 Tourbillon Ref. 704.032 in rose gold, issued in a limited edition of 250 pieces, is an excellent opportunity for the collector to acquire an outstanding, very rare and attractive mechanical wristwatch from a world-famous traditional brand that is the undisputed leader in top German watchmaking. This watch is one of the most remarkable releases from the Saxon manufacture, combining the characteristic and now iconic asymmetrical dial design of the Lange 1 with the tourbillon, the king of complications. The integration of the tourbillon has undoubtedly elevated the class of the watch. In addition to the original decoration techniques used in finishing the Lange 1 caliber, the watch was given precious highlights unique to Lange tourbillons – the black polish of the tourbillon bridge, an intricate carriage whose design is inspired by the pocket tourbillons of early 20th century watchmaker Fridolin Stübner, and the icing on the cake – two diamond cap jewels used to hold the axis of the tourbillon cage.