For this edition of Watches & Wonders 2022, the German maison has presented four new models for three collections so far. We proceed in descending order from the news that have thrilled us the most to the less exciting ones.
New Lange Odysseus in Titanium
The Odysseus line, launched in 2019, had already given us a lot of pleasure. It was a very successful attempt by Lange to enter the now predominant sports watch segment.
Today, 3 years after its launch, the collection is enriched with a new titanium model in a limited edition of just 250 pieces. Although it is a material already known to insiders, it is the first time that it has been used by the Sassone Maison, and to be honest it must be said that it was put to good use.
The case measures 40.5 mm in diameter and 11.1 mm in thickness and withstands up to 12 bar of pressure thanks to a screw-down crown. As for its predecessors, also in this case the dial is built on several levels thanks to a clever play of guilloché grooves. Instead, the color of the dial changes into an incredible ice blue, unquestionably elegant.
The bracelet is made of titanium exactly like the case and features a folding clasp that is adjustable up to 7 millimeters along the length of the closed bracelet.
Moving on to the mechanism, we find the very solid Manufacture caliber L155.1 Datomatic which can be observed through the sapphire crystal caseback. A power reserve of 50 hours and fluctuations at 28,800 vibrations / hour. On the oscillating weight we find in relief “DATOMATIC”, while on the bridges of the balance wheel a wave motif that evokes the water resistance of the watch.
This version of the Odysseus seems to be very successful, the color of the dial is endowed with an incredible elegance and I really appreciate the use of titanium which demonstrates Lange’s research as opposed to what until now could have seemed an excessive attachment to tradition.
Richard Lange Minute Repeater
In 2022 the Sassone maison also enriches its Richard Lange line with a highly sought-after minute complication in platinum, limited to 50 pieces.
On an aesthetic level, this model has a very classic look, perhaps too much. The dial has a solid gold core and is decorated in white enamel, it features a black second sub-dial and hour markers with Roman numerals. The hands are in burnished steel. The platinum case has a diameter of 39 millimeters and a height of 9.7 millimeters.
The masterpiece here, more than in aesthetics, is certainly in the technique. Minute repeaters are among the most complicated mechanisms in all watchmaking and Lange knows this well. The caliber is a new hand-wound L122.1 movement, equipped with a mechanism that eliminates the pause between the hour and minute chimes when the double strike of the first quarter of an hour does not need to be activated. Furthermore, thanks to a patented system, the hammers remain for a fraction of a second in their initial position after striking the gong, preventing them from bouncing and hitting them again inadvertently.
Two new Grande Lange 1
2022 also marks the arrival of two new Grande Lange 1s in 18-karat white and rose gold respectively, both with gray dials. The diameter of 41 millimeters remains constant compared to that of its predecessors while the thickness is reduced from 8.8 to 8.2 millimeters.
The models, with the exception of the diameter of the case, do not present any substantial differences compared to their predecessors also from the point of view of the movement. They too are powered by the L095.1 caliber. Compared to the Lange 1, however, the difference lies in the single barrel (there were two before) which allows a power reserve of 72 hours.
Conclusions
A. Lange & Sohne so far has pleased us greatly with the new Odysseus in titanium and we cannot wait to see it in person. Furthermore, the incredible difficulty of realizing such a complex minute repeater is in itself outstanding, even though the look could be considered too boring by many. Lastly, the Grand Lange 1 new color variants do not render the beauty of the Grande Lange 1 collection and, in my opinion, they turn off the timepiece a bit.
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