This is the fourth installment of a series focusing on what I consider to be a "good watch," which is the theme of this year's "Watch Collectors Week." This time, we'll be featuring A. LANGE & SÖHNE.

The history of A. Lange & Söhne

A. Lange & Söhne is a German brand renowned for its mechanical watches. The brand's history began in 1845 with a watchmaking workshop established by Ferdinand Adolph Lange in Glashütte, a mountain village in the Duchy of Saxony (present-day Saxony state) in eastern Germany.

A. Lange & Söhne created a unique style known as the Saxon style, and its pocket watches were highly prized by the emperors of Prussia and Bavaria. However, after the division of Germany into East and West following World War II, the company was nationalized in East Germany, and the name "A. Lange & Söhne" disappeared for a time.

However, the brand was revived following German reunification in 1990, and since then, it has continued to produce watches that embody a distinctly German sense of functional beauty.

A. Lange & Söhne's mechanical watches combine functionality and convenience.

Their refusal to produce any quartz watches demonstrates their strong commitment to mechanical watchmaking, and a look at the movement reveals the delicate and meticulous craftsmanship involved.

The "Lange 1 Time Zone" displays the time in your current time zone and another time zone simultaneously. The "Lange 1" collection itself has become a symbol of A. Lange & Söhne's revival, and there are other models in the collection, but with this model's introduction equipped with a newly developed in-house caliber, the entire "Lange 1" collection now features in-house calibers.

While opportunities to travel abroad directly have temporarily decreased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, opportunities to communicate online with people in distant countries have increased, so the frequency of interaction with overseas partners will likely remain the same as before.

The Lange 1 Time Zone watch features an additional function: a second time zone display. The day/night indicator circle is easy to read, and the newly incorporated daylight saving time marker shows which cities observe daylight saving time, allowing you to instantly read the time in conjunction with your own country's time. The daylight saving time marker is hidden in a small window at the base of the gold triangular index at the 5 o'clock position. When the window turns red, it means that the selected region observes daylight saving time. In that case, you need to add one hour to the zone time from spring to autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, and from late summer to spring in the Southern Hemisphere. If the region observes standard time throughout the year, the window remains light in color.
The rotating 24-city ring, which allows for easy setting of a second time zone, is carried over from the previous model. Pressing the adjustment button at the 8 o'clock position rotates the 24-city ring from west to east, switching to the next time zone. Simultaneously, the hour hand on the small subdial advances by one hour, and the gold triangular index indicates the time in the representative city of the time zone. The large time display circle can display the home time or the time of a freely selected time zone. The home time index is displayed with three-dimensional gold Roman numerals, while the zone time is printed with Arabic numerals for easy identification.

Next, I'd like to introduce the "Zeitwerk Date." At first glance, you might be confused about which hand to look at to tell the time, but this model actually has a digital time display function using a rapidly changing numeral disc. The numbers displayed in the windows positioned on the left and right of the central part are what represent the time.

While digital displays are often associated with radio-controlled clocks, it's easy to imagine just how difficult it is to achieve this in a mechanical clock. The unparalleled mechanism, which advances the number discs by one unit in an instant, simultaneously advances all three number discs at the top of each hour. The moment it happens is truly breathtaking, and I highly recommend seeing it in person.

Furthermore, this model features a date display function, with the current date displayed in red on a glass date ring located around the edge of the dial.

You might be worried that adjusting the time one minute at a time using the crown, as in the traditional way, would take too long, since the number disc advances one unit at a time. However, there's no need to worry about that.

The button located at the 4 o'clock position is assigned the function of advancing only the hour display, an operation that became necessary due to the addition of the date display. For the date display to function, the time needs to be precisely set in 24-hour format, but to allow the hour display to be adjusted independently of the movement's switching process, the mechanism is designed so that each time the button is pressed, a clutch detaches the hour ring from the instantaneous numeral mechanism. At this time, when you release your hand from the button, a force is generated that rotates the hour ring.

The last watch we'll introduce is the "Odysseus," a timepiece that combines a luxurious feel with a sporty style, which has become a major trend in the watch industry in recent years.

Mechanical watches are not recommended for active situations unless they have the performance to withstand such conditions, but the "Odysseus" is the brand's first sporty watch developed for those who prefer an active lifestyle. Its sporty, three-dimensional design embodies this, while retaining the functional beauty that is characteristic of A. Lange & Söhne, such as its oversized date display.

The movement is the in-house caliber "L155.1 DATOMATIC," developed specifically for the "Odysseus." This name is a portmanteau of "Datumanzeige," meaning date display in German, and "Automatischer Aufzug," meaning automatic winding.

To ensure stable timekeeping even under external vibrations and shocks, the balance wheel continues to move at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz), and adjustment screws are embedded in the balance wheel to minimize the generation of turbulence that can disrupt the timekeeping. The movement can store approximately 50 hours of power reserve, and a large, black rhodium-finished center rotor contributes to the stable supply of power.


As with other collections, all parts of the movement, assembled using a two-step process, are meticulously finished and decorated by hand in accordance with the brand's philosophy. Through the transparent sapphire crystal case back, one can admire numerous details showcasing masterful craftsmanship, such as the beautifully patterned German silver base plate with Glashütte stripes, the hand-engraved curved balance bridge, and the screw-fastened gold chatons set in the escape wheel. This collection is sure to delight long-time A. Lange & Söhne fans.

A. Lange & Söhne, a German watch brand, solves the problem of the dial becoming difficult to read when many functions are packed into the small field of a wristwatch, with its reliable technology and meticulous attention to functional beauty.

If you consider a watch to be a "good watch" because it combines the romantic appeal and practicality unique to mechanical timepieces, all crafted with meticulous handiwork, then you should definitely consider this one.

►Click here for a list of articles from "2020 WATCH COLLECTOR'S WEEK"

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