Introducing Black Onyx And Pink Gold – These Are The 30th Anniversary Lange 1s From A. Lange & Söhne

The Lange 1 was launched on October 24, 1994 – 30 years ago to the day. For the 30th anniversary of the brand's decidedly asymmetrical design, A. Lange & Söhne have just unveiled a quartet of limited edition models. Presented in two colorways – black onyx with a platinum case or a blue dial with a pink gold case – each version is available in either the standard Lange 1 sizing or the slightly smaller footprint of the Little Lange 1.

I got a few minutes to check out these new Lange 1s while I was attending the Audrain Newport Concours d'Elegance in Newport, Rhode Island, a couple of weeks ago. Despite their continued success among collectors and brand acolytes, Lange remains a subtle brand, and these new Lange 1 models – and their Little Lange 1 counterparts–measure up as a very Lange way of celebrating a 30th anniversary.

As described above, there are two versions of the standard 38.5mm Lange 1, the 191.062, which has a 950 platinum case and a black onyx dial, and the 191.063, which has a 750 pink gold case and a blue dial with matching pink gold accents. For the Little Lange 1s, we have the 181.062 and the 181.063, respectively, which follow the same format aside from being 36.8mm wide. All four versions are between 9.5 and 10mm thick, and you can quickly tell the difference between the two sizes by checking for a pusher at 10 o'clock on the case flank. Only the Lange 1 (38.5mm) has this pusher.

Inside either of the sizes, we find Lange's L121.1 caliber. A manually-wound movement that supports the Lange 1's distinctive time display, as well as a power reserve and the model's well-known "outsize date." Ticking at 3 Hz, the L121.1 has 72 hours of power reserve and receives the high level of hand-finishing that comes with a watch from A. Lange & Söhne. This includes plates and bridges made of German silver and a balance cock that has been engraved by hand. This isn't news to anyone who has seen a Lange in person, but the finishing is lovely, and being able to turn the watch over and look at the movement is absolutely part of the experience when it comes to a Lange 1 (or any Lange, really). 

Being an anniversary edition, not to mention one with a novel dial execution, it's not all that surprising that A. Lange & Söhne would opt for limited production. As such, the 30th anniversary Lange 1s are limited to 300 pieces each for the Lange 1s and 150 pieces each for the Little Lange 1s. Pricing is largely "available upon request," but a representative from Lange did confirm that the pink gold 191.063 reference has a retail price of EUR 49,800. 

As a long-time admirer of the Lange 1 (as I'm sure is the same for many reading this), I really like both iterations, and it's remarkable just how different the two versions are in person. The pink gold feels classic, unassailable, and very self-aware of its "grandpa charm." In contrast, the platinum case with the black onyx dial is much more severe but, at the same time, quiet and reserved. It's cool and clinical, but the deep, almost glowing black of the onyx bestows the models with a masculine confidence that blends nicely with the jewelry-derived appeal of the onyx dial. 

The white-metal hands and completely monochromatic coloring underline the platinum's somewhat more serious and steel-adjacent look and feel. While either of these versions could be someone's one and only Lange 1, I think we would be talking about two very different prospective owners. 

And really, regardless of the model or the size, these four watches are meant as a reminder of the importance of the Lange 1 to A. Lange & Söhne and as service to collectors who have supported the brand over the past 30 years. In total, across four models, we are talking about 900 pieces, which is a lot for an LE from A. Lange & Söhne and, I think, speaks to the brand's perspective on the Lange 1 and its foundational connection to A. Lange & Söhne as the brand's most well-known model. 

The collectability cannot be overlooked, especially as we start contextualizing these new models as limited editions. Past LEs from the Lange 1 family remain entirely collectible, and the Lange 1 family has grown over the past 30 years to include some ten core derivations, from models with a moon phase to world time, tourbillons, and even a perpetual calendar model. 

Looking at the back catalog for the Lange 1, it's hard not to try to pick favorites. It would be amiss not to acknowledge that there's a clear tribute from the onyx variant to the collector-crowd-favorite Lange 1 101.035 "Darth," down to the platinum case and color-matched date discs. With this new limited edition, having the added luxury of a gemstone dial is sort of the perfect tribute to one of the icons in the model's 30-year history and continues to reinforce the brand's strategy to save the color-matched date discs for pieces in platinum. 

I will forever be in love with the 2003 101.029 Lange 1 "Luminous" (and, while it was made of white gold, it also bears some resemblance to the new onyx dial models sans black date discs). It's also hard to argue with a Lange 1 in yellow gold, like the 1998 100-piece limited edition 112.021. 

These new limited-edition anniversary models join a 30-year family legacy that has spawned a solid collection of limited-edition models, though many from the back catalog were much more limited, like the 2014 20th anniversary models, which included five references (two in platinum, two in pink gold, and one in white gold), each limited to just 20 pieces. 

Then, in 2019, for the 25th anniversary, we saw a single reference, the white gold 191.066 with an argente dial (also offered in the Little Lange 1 format as 181.066, limited to 25 pieces), come out as part of a 250-piece limited edition. This effectively paved the way for today's 30th-anniversary announcement. 

The Lange 1 is an undeniably loveable watch. It's a bit weird, totally distinctive, and, perhaps unpredictably, has become the face of A. Lange & Söhne from a design standpoint. But, after 30 years, what really stands out to me is how little Lange has evolved the original design. A modern example looks absolutely at home next to a model from 1994, and the design feels no less punchy and characterful than it did when it was released (exactly) 30 years ago. 

Happy birthday to the Lange 1 – the watch that helped establish A. Lange & Söhne as a brand willing to break the mold of the conventional dress watch and, in turn, create a three-decade legacy that blended a distinctively exciting design with top-tier watchmaking. 

Brand: A. Lange & Söhne
Model: Lange 1 & Little Lange
Reference Numbers: 191.062 (platinum, onyx), 191.063 (pink gold, blue), 181.062 (platinum, onyx, little), 181.063 (pink gold, blue, little)

Diameter: 38.5 (standard model), 36.8mm (Little Lange)
Thickness: 10mm (standard, platinum), 9.8mm (standard, gold), 9.98 (Little, platinum), 9.5mm (Little, gold)
Case Material: 950 platinum or 750 gold
Dial Color: Black onyx or blue
Water Resistance: Not listed
Strap/Bracelet: Color-matched hand-stitched alligator

Caliber: Lange L121.1
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds with hacking, power reserve, grand date
Diameter: 30.6mm
Thickness: 5.7mm
Power Reserve: 72 hours
Winding: Hand-wound
Frequency: 21, 600 vph
Jewels: 43
Additional Details: Decorated and assembled by hand; precision-adjusted in five positions; twin mainspring barrel; plates and bridges made of untreated German silver; balance cock engraved by hand

Price: EUR 49,800 for the 191.063 (Lange 1, pink gold); ALS has advised that the other models are "Price Upon Request" (I tried)
Limited Edition: 300 pieces each for both of the Lange 1 (standard size) and 150 each of the Little Lange models

For more, click here.

*Note: The case number, movement number, and series number have been removed from the included images at the request of A. Lange & Söhne.