The A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Daymatic Honeygold (incl. Video)

The Lange 1 is, without a doubt, one of the most emblematic watches ever to be produced in Germany, and in particular in the little town of Glashütte. But when mentioning the name Lange 1, we too often refer to a single model, the classic 38.5mm version that was presented in 1994 (when the brand was relaunched) and that is still in production (with some upgrades). There is, however, much more to the Lange 1 than the Lange 1. The name is a full collection, covering multiple complications, sizes and materials, as we explained in this in-depth article. One of them, and potentially the most underrated of them all, is the Daymatic, a more daily-oriented version of the icon. But this year, this discreet model has earned its place under the spotlights, with the Lange 1 Daymatic Honeygold. Let’s find out more with our video review. 

Context

The word icon is unfortunately used and abused by the industry, but when it comes to the Lange 1, it is perfectly justified. This is genuinely one of the most important watches around. And it’s not from the 1950s and 1960s, which makes it stand out from most other iconic watches we love and lust after. The Lange 1 was part of the inaugural 1994 collection of watches, after Walter Lange and Günther Blümlein resurrected the brand in 1990. Both men need little introduction, but to put things in perspective, it’s important to know that Walter Lange is the great-grandson of the company’s founder, Ferdinand Alexander Lange. Together with Günter Blümlein, he took the chance of resurrecting his great-grandfather’s watchmaking institute after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Blümlein, on the other hand, was a true industry veteran and instrumental in the revival of interest in mechanical watchmaking after the quartz revolution wreaked havoc in the industry. Under his guidance, brands like Jaeger-LeCoultre and IWC found their way upwards and onwards as part of an umbrella company called Les Manufactures Horlogères, now known as the Richemont Group. You discover his career in this in-depth article.

As mentioned, when A. Lange & Söhne announced its return in 1994, after registering as a company in 1990, the Lange 1 was part of the launch, alongside the Saxonia, Arkade and Tourbillon Pour le Mérite.  Out of the four, the Lange 1 has genuinely stood the test of time and remains as elegant now as it was on day one. But it’s more than just a very good-looking watch. It was a true game-changer, both for the brand and the industry. It embodied the rebirth of German watchmaking and paved a path for the appreciation of high-end watchmaking in general. With no overlapping displays, the design looks deceptively simple. Time is split between an hour and minutes sub-dial on the left, a small seconds sub-dial in the lower right corner, an Outsize Date display up top with two individual discs, and a practical power reserve display at 3 o’clock.

It might feel unbalanced at first, but if you were to draw a line from the centre of the hour and minute hands to the small seconds hand, then up to the centre of the date window and back to the hour and minute hands, you end up with a perfect triangle. Everything on the dial is the result of complex rules of symmetry and balance, relying on the mathematics of the Golden Ratio. The Lange 1 Daymatic made its debut in 2010 and quite literally flips the initial concept of the Lange 1. Where the Lange 1 and all spin-offs before the Daymatic have the hour and minute sub-dial on the left, the Daymatic inverted this and put it on the right. However, and this is essential to the collection, it honours that same perfectly balanced layout with none of its indications overlapping. Now that we have the admittedly extensive but important background out of the way, it’s time to take a look at the latest Lange 1 Daymatic, in 18k Honeygold and brown.

The Lange 1 Daymatic Honeygold

As ever, it starts with a beautifully proportioned case, now machined out of solid 18k Honeygold.  The soft, toned-down gold alloy – proprietary to Lange – has a unique colour and shine, comparable to honey, hence its name. It’s also harder than other gold alloys and platinum, so it’s harder to machine and finish while also being less prone to scratches and shocks. It’s always been reserved for limited editions, such as the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold Lumen, the Odysseus Honeygold or the recent Cabaret Tourbillon Honeygold.

The Honeygold case measures 39.5mm in diameter and 10.4mm in height, and offers a pleasing mix of polished and satin-finished elements. The centre case is ever-so-slightly smaller than the bezel and caseback, creating an interesting and subtle contemporary profile. On the right, there’s a knurled crown to set the time and wind the movement if needed. On the opposite end is a pusher to adjust the Outsize Date display, with a recessed corrector for the day of the week indication. Details such as the shape and curve of the lugs, the sloped bezel and the curved edge of the caseback to meet the sapphire crystal further enhance its elegance.

Moving to the face of the Lange 1 Daymatic Honeygold, A. Lange & Söhne uses a solid silver base finished with a deep, warm brown tone. It strikes a perfect harmony with the Honeygold case. The off-centred layout stands out, of course, with a recessed section for the hour and minute display, and another one for the small seconds display. Contrasting textures add refinement and depth, with applied Roman numerals and diamond-shaped markers, and Honeygold hands all around. The Outsize Date window is framed and bevelled with colour-matched discs underneath, and all remaining details are finely printed in white. The retrograde day of the week display replaces the typical power reserve indication of the Lange 1, but for good reason.

There’s something special about the Daymatic that you might not see at first sight. As said, the Daymatic mirrors the display of the classic Lange 1 so that the time display sits on the right-hand side, ensuring optimal viewing when the watch is worn beneath a shirt cuff. Add to that its self-winding movement and retrograde day-of-week display, and you have a perfect business-oriented watch for the office.

Inside the case is the calibre L021.1, an automatic movement, as mentioned above, instead of a manually wound one. It is almost entirely produced in-house, even down to the hairspring, which A. Lange & Söhne has been doing since 2003. That makes it one of the most complete watchmaking institutions in the world. Constructed out of 426 individual parts, the mainplate and bridges are made of German Silver, revered for its soft champagne tone that will slightly darken over time. And as ever with the work of Lange, there’s beauty everywhere you look. Gold chatons with heat-blued screws, broad Glashütte ribbing, bevelled and polished edges, perlage decorations, an engraved balance cock and so on – it really is a visual spectacle through and through.

Technically, the Daymatic Honeygold’s movement is also rather impressive, as the date mechanism is quite complex and relies on two oversized, overlapping discs. It’s regulated by a free-sprung balance with eccentric poising weights and a hairspring that’s coiled in-house. It runs at a rate of 21,600 vibrations/hour, and is wound by an openworked 21k yellow gold rotor with a platinum weight, to a maximum of 50 hours.

Thoughts, availability & price

On a personal note, this A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Daymatic Honeygold comes eerily close to watchmaking perfection. The size is brilliant, the materials and colours are exquisite, and the movement is simply splendid. Now, we can always debate about availability, prices and whether things are justified or not. And as always, there will be people who will agree with us, and people who will disagree, and that’s perfectly fine.

With watches like this Lange 1 Daymatic Honeygold, it’s not about finding faults or drawbacks for the sake of discussion; it’s about finding balance and peace in an object that virtually transcends the essence of what a watch is. It sounds a bit philosophical, maybe, but to me, it feels like the Lange 1 strikes a perfect balance between style and substance and honours a remarkable legacy, even if this Lange 1 Daymatic Honeygold breaks away from the purity of the original Lange 1 ever so slightly.

The Lange 1 Daymatic Honeygold is offered on a taupe hand-stitched alligator leather strap, closed with a Honeygold prong buckle. A limited edition of 250 pieces, the price is set at EUR 75,000. For more details, please visit alange-soehne.com.