Watch of the week: A.Lange & Söhne Little Lange 1 Moon Phase

At Gentleman’s Journal, we make no secret of the fact that we love A.Lange & Söhne’s watches. So you can imagine our excitement when the German watchmaker announced the release of its Little Lange 1 Moon Phase – presented on the occasion of the 25th birthday of the original Lange 1.

As the ninth of a total of ten special models, the Little Lange 1 Moon Phase “25th Anniversary” recalls the spectacular presentation of the Lange 1 on 24 October 1994. The hallmarks of the two-toned anniversary edition include a white-gold case, an argenté-coloured dial in solid silver with blue-printed elements and blued steel hands.

The colour concept is echoed in a characteristic movement detail: the blue-filled engraving of the silver balance cock features a relief depiction of the outsize date with the number “25” to match the anniversary. The watch is worn on a dark blue alligator leather strap with a white-gold buckle.

The Lange 1 was one of the first watches made following the re-establishment of A. Lange & Söhne in 1990, and its extraordinary combination of tradition and innovation makes it a prime example of Lange watchmaking artistry. Like all manually wound timepieces of the Lange 1 family, the Little Lange 1 Moon Phase has an off-centre dial with an oversized date and an up/down power-reserve indicator. The moon phase display is so precise that it only has to be corrected by one day every 122.6 years.

This special edition also features a hand-engraved lunar disc. Six stars and numerous little dots depict the starry sky and, together with the golden moons, form a three-dimensional canopy. Heaven.

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