Good things come in threes, they say. The adage is certainly true for A Lange & Söhne, which unveiled a masterful trio of novelties at this year’s Watches and Wonders. From the maison’s first pairing of a minute repeater with a perpetual calendar, to the new 34mm version of its iconic 1815, and the honey-gold Odysseus, we take a closer look at these models.
Minute Repeater Perpetual
Headlining the trio is the Minute Repeater Perpetual, which, as its name suggests, combines a minute repeater with a perpetual calendar. This combination of complications is itself a major feat; both are difficult to engineer, and pairing them requires deep technical expertise.
And here’s where the calibre L122.2 comes in. The new manually wound movement comprises 640 parts, visible through the sapphire caseback. Keep an eye out for the freehand-engraved balance cock, and the Glashütte-ribbed three-quarter plate in untreated German silver with black-rhodiumed engravings.
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Limited to just 50 pieces, the Minute Repeater Perpetual comes in a platinum case that measures 40.5mm in diameter, with a thickness of 12.1mm. On the left edge of the case is a slide that activates the minute repeater’s chiming mechanism. Indicating the hours, quarter-hours and minutes are low-pitched, double and high-pitched tones, respectively.
Whereas traditional minute repeaters have a pause between the hour and minute strikes for the first 14 minutes of the hour (because no double tone is needed), the Minute Repeater Perpetual has a pause-elimination feature that creates a smoother chime.
“Thanks to the development of a new movement, we were able to work towards a perfect sound experience, right from the start,” says A Lange & Söhne’s director of product development Anthony de Haas, citing other models by the maison with a striking maison: the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater, the Richard Lange Minute Repeater, and the Grand Complication.
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Creating a unique timbre was key to the L122.2’s development. “Combined with the acoustic properties of platinum, we succeeded in achieving a singular sonority and intensity of sound,” de Haas continues. The 194-part mechanism, including the hand-tuned gongs, offers a repertoire of 720 different sequences, with one for every minute in the 12-hour cycle.
On the front of the Minute Repeater Perpetual, a black enamelled dial has a date window at 12 o’clock, and three subdials for the calendar: at 3 o’clock, the month and leap-year displays; at 6 o’clock, the small-seconds and moonphase; and at 9 o’clock, the day and 24-hour.
So accurate is the perpetual calendar that it will need to be adjusted only on March 1, 2100, when a correction of one day will be needed. Likewise, the moonphase will stay accurate for 122.6 years before requiring a one-day correction. To this end, the calendar indications can be advanced together with a single corrector.
1815
Next on the list of novelties is a surprisingly diminutive edition of the 1815, measuring just 34mm in diameter.
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Available in two versions — 18-carat white gold and 18-carat pink gold — the new 1815 comes with a blue dial and lancet-shaped hands to match the case. The size makes it perfect for those seeking something a little more demure, while retaining the sleek, elegant lines of the 1815 (the current catalogue version measures 38.5mm).
Just as impressive as the 34mm watch’s small diameter is its thinness, coming in at 6.4mm. This was achieved with a new movement, the calibre L152.1, which measures 28.1mm around and 2.9mm tall.
Despite its reduced size, the new 1815 packs a punch in performance, with the 3 Hertz movement boasting a power reserve of 72 hours. For improved precision, a new oscillation system featuring a freely oscillating balance spring and large screw balance was added.
“The challenge with the new 1815 was to make the proportions of the timepiece even more elegant, yet at the same time, maintain its simplicity and functionality,” de Haas explains. “And despite the discreet case diameter, our watchmakers additionally succeeded in increasing the power reserve to 72 hours and incorporating a new going train.”
Odysseus Honeygold
Rounding out the trio is the Odysseus Honeygold, another limited edition with a run of just 100 pieces. This follows previous iterations of the Odysseus — first released in 2019 — which came in steel, white gold and titanium.
The 18-carat honey gold introduces a warm feel to the 40.5mm watch, especially paired with the rich brown brass dial. Completing the look is a five-link bracelet, also in honey gold, with a mix of brushed surfaces and chamfered edges.
On that note, the operative word with the Odysseus is certainly “texture”. In addition to the mix of metal finishes, embossed grooves between the hour markers and on the small-seconds subdial at 6 o’clock, as well as notched baton appliqués, add tons of visual interest that keep the eye dancing.
Like its predecessors in the collection, the Odysseus Honeygold has a date display at 3 o’clock, and a day-of-week display at 9 o’clock. Adding a touch of sportiness is the red “60” on the flange ring’s minute scale.
Powering the Odysseus Honeygold is the calibre L155.1 Datomatic, visible through the sapphire caseback. The movement runs at a frequency of 4 Hertz, with a power reserve of 50 hours when fully wound.
