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The A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus is a first on several counts for Lange & Söhne. It is of course, the very first stainless steel, series-produced watch the company has ever made – there were 20 steel Lange 1 watches produced, as well as a single steel Homage To Walter Lange timepiece, and a single steel Double Split, but the company has steadfastly stuck to making watches in precious metals since its launch in 1994. It is also the first steel Lange timepiece with an integrated bracelet. It will be limited in production as are all Lange watches, but it will not be a limited edition; the watch also features a new movement, with a first-for-Lange big day-of-the-week and big-date display.
Lange enthusiasts have been asking for some time, and increasingly in recent years, for such a watch from A. Lange & Söhne, and to understand why it's such a major event for both the Lange faithful and the company itself, let's take a quick look back at the post-war history of the company, and how it got to where it is today.
Reunification And Rebirth
In 1994, A. Lange & Söhne launched its first wristwatches of the post-World War II, post-German Reunification era, and they immediately excited enormous attention from collectors and serious watch enthusiasts around the world. They have been so consistently a part of the overall world of very high-end watchmaking, for so long, that it is hard to remember that there was a time when they were the new kid on the block. "Kid," of course, is a relative term – Lange was originally founded in 1845 in Glashütte, a sleepy town not far from the Czech border in Saxony – but it had vanished as a brand in 1948, when all the Glashütte watchmakers were collectivized, and it was for all intents and purposes a new company when the first collection was launched.
The reason that Lange became a connoisseur's favorite almost immediately was simple: the quality of the watches was incredibly high. The level of precision in manufacturing and construction was unprecedented for a new watch brand in the 1990s, when the industry was still recovering from the repercussions of the Quartz Crisis and most newcomers (and many well-established brands) were relying on supplied movements and outsourced components, but that was just the beginning. The real closer for many enthusiasts was the level of movement finishing, which was a glove thrown down, and thrown down hard, to the traditional Swiss watch brands.
As the 1990s drew to a close, and the first high resolution digital images of watches and watch movements began to appear on the internet, as well as in enthusiast print magazines, it became clear that not only was Lange playing the watchmaking game at the highest level – high enough to go head to head qualitatively against Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, and Vacheron Constantin, then thought of by many as the "Big Three" of classic Swiss haute horlogerie – it was also playing, in a sense, a game that it chose to define on its own terms. At a single stroke, Lange had established a whole new category of high-watchmaking, but drawing on idiosyncratically Saxon construction and design cues, rather than mining the national watchmaking heritage of Switzerland. It was not only defying convention, in redefining a domain of German, rather than Swiss, luxury watchmaking; it was also reclaiming a decades-lost heritage of top-tier German high-end watchmaking.
The identity of A. Lange & Söhne has remained remarkably stable over the two and a half decades that have passed since Walter Lange and Günter Blümlein re-launched the company. While it has pioneered may new complications and designs (including the rightly renowned Double Split and Triple Split watches, as well as a range of groundbreaking striking timepieces and of course, the now-iconic Zeitwerk) the basic character of the watches has stayed the same: formal, rather more austere than not, and definitely intended to appeal to real connoisseurs in the original sense of the word, who have the range of horological experience to recognize just how much Lange watches stand apart qualitatively from the competition. The niche the company has carved out for itself could not be more respectable, but as the years have gone by, and more and more people with wider-ranging tastes have discovered the brand, it became increasingly clear to the company that creating a watch that still represented Lange & Söhne's core commitment to best-of-the-best, no-holds-barred fine watchmaking, but which had the versatility and contemporary feel of steel, was something to be investigated seriously.
Lange's long-time CEO, Wilhelm Schmid, told HODINKEE, "The first considerations regarding the general concept of the watch were actually initiated more than ten years ago. But we have discussed and rejected several ideas and designs until we started working on the final version about four years ago. Calibre L155.1 DATOMATIC is a completely new development. And it is the first Lange watch with a large day-of-week indication in combination with the outsize date."
The Odysseus: A Journey Towards The Future
The Odysseus is being launched as a watch that represents a new A. Lange & Söhne family, and even at first glance it's obvious why this is the case. The steel case is 40.5mm in diameter, and 11.1mm thick; it is the first Lange watch with a screw-down crown and it's water resistant to 120 meters. On the right hand side of the case, and lending a bit of angular asymmetry to the design, are two pushers for adjusting the big date display and the day-of-the-week display, which adds considerable complexity to the mechanism. This is owing to Lange's desire to make the two displays generous in size; as with the very first and all subsequent Lange big date displays, there are separate disks for the ones (unit) digits and the tens digits and this level of complexity, combined with the pusher mechanisms, adds a total of 99 additional parts to the mechanism.
One of the problems with producing watches of exclusively, and ubiquitously, high quality is that after a certain point there is a tendency to take it for granted. It is therefore worth stepping back for a moment and noting that reaching the level of execution that Lange does, as a matter of course, requires constant vigilance in terms of craft processes. The dial, hands, and dial markers all reward close inspection (which is not the case in very expensive watches nearly as much as it should be). The hands are slightly larger than normal for Lange, in order to improve nighttime legibility by offering a bit more real estate for the Super-LumiNova, and the indices are filled with luminous material as well. Both the lancet hands and dial markers are in white gold; there are some precious metals in the watch, but they're deployed in a very discreet fashion. The dial is subtly done but quite complex – the dial markers are placed on a sector of the dial that has very fine concentric circles (the technique, Lange says, is called azurage) and both the main dial and seconds sub-dial have an equally subtle but very pleasing grained texture.
Obviously one of the biggest departures from business-as-usual for the Odysseus is the new stainless steel bracelet. It's designed as an integral part of the overall design, with a complex five-in-a-row link design. Interestingly, the outward-facing surfaces of the bracelet are all brushed, in contrast to the common practice of having alternating brushed and polished finishes. Each link has polished chamfers as well. It's quite interesting to see in person; the overall effect is very similar to that produced by a movement bridge with Geneva stripes up top, and with polished flanks and anglage, and in the case of the Odysseus, this acts as a visual bridge to finishing of the movement itself. Lange's veteran Director of Product Development, Anthony de Haas, said to us, "It was our aim to integrate the bracelet perfectly into the design of the watch and its case and to create an optical unit without the bracelet appearing too dominant. In keeping with our commitment to a perfect finish, it has brushed surfaces and polished bevels, underlining the beauty of the movement. It is attached to the case in a way that it looks like it is part of it."
The bracelet size can be easily adjusted by the owner, and without recourse to any special tools – there's a pusher on the clasp (which is embossed with the Lange logo) that releases the clasp without opening it when it's pressed, and you can alter the length of the bracelet by up to 7 millimeters; Lange also says that, of course, links can be added or removed as required; removing links can be done by the owner, as there is a quick-release system in the form of two tiny recessed buttons on either side of each link.
The complexity of the case construction becomes even more apparent when the case is viewed from the side. The geometry of the pushers for adjusting the big date and day of the week displays has been really beautifully integrated into the overall design, and it gives the round case, which is on the edge of seeming a little too simple for its own good, some much needed angularity as a contrast, without overdoing it. This particular design element was part of the larger challenge of making a watch that was immediately recognizable as one from Lange, while at the same time breaking new ground. Schmid described the challenge to HODINKEE:
"When we design our watches, we keep one thing in mind: people must recognize that they are A. Lange & Söhne watches even without the logo on the dial. An unmistakable dial design was also our objective in the development of our sixth watch family. The same applies to the movement. It should be recognizable at first glance as a typical Lange calibre but still be special in its own way. This is why it features classic elements such as the three-quarter plate with Glashütte ribbing or a screwed gold chaton. At the same time we have integrated new elements such as the hand engraving of the bridge, which holds the oscillating system. The engraving does not consist of floral elements, as it is usual up to now, but of waves."
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For A New Watch Family, A New Caliber
The new movement, the L155.1 DATOMATIC, shares a number of features with other Lange movements. The fit and finish as we could observe it in the metal, are easily equal to that of Lange's other automatic movements (as it should be – the day that Lange abandons high-end horological finishing as an end in itself is the day I quit this business and apply for a job raking rock-garden sand in a Zen monastery). However, there are some significant new features as well, which are designed to adapt the movement to the more physically dynamic environment that the company expects it to inhabit.
The movement is a relatively large one. Here we can see one of the advantages of using an in-house caliber – at 32.9mm in diameter (and 6.5mm thick) it fills the case nicely; modern automatic movements tend to come in a bit smaller (for comparison, the ETA 2824 is 25.6mm in diameter). It runs in 31 jewels, with a unidirectional winding rotor with a platinum rim (this is the other place Lange has stealthed-in some precious metal) and the power reserve is 50 hours.
The first and most obvious new feature is visible on the dial side of the watch, where the mechanisms for displaying and switching the big date and big day display are situated. Here we can see the day disk on the left, which is indexed once per day by a 24 hour wheel, and the more complex arrangement on right, with the large disk, covering the full circumference of the movement. Coordinating the switching of the two date disks is a challenge that Lange solved with the first version of the Lange 1, and while big date complications have become much more common since 1994, Lange still executes theirs with a level of sophistication that's quite rare in modern watchmaking. A hint of this can be seen in the heat-blued screws, and in the complex shape and careful finish of the jumper spring located just above the number 1 on the date ones disk – obviously this is a part that is never going to be seen except by another watchmaker, but it's still given the same level of attention as any of the components visible through the caseback.
Though the majority of the visible train jewels are pressed in place, one of Lange's signature chatons is still used for the upper jewel of escape wheel. From an engineering standpoint there are a couple of firsts in the oscillating system. This is the first time that Lange has used a balance bridge, with two points of attachment, rather than a balance cock, to secure the balance; this is a feature often found in better quality sports watch movements as a balance bridge is generally thought to provide better shock resistance. The frequency of the balance is higher than usual for a Lange watch – 28,800 vph.
There is also no conventional regulator. Instead, Lange has opted for a freesprung balance, and to bring the balance to time, four adjustment screws are placed in recesses set into the rim of the balance (this reduces friction on the balance from drag due to air turbulence). The whiplash fine adjustment system is there to allow the watchmaker to adjust for beat error (basically, to make sure that ticks and tocks are of equal duration) and the balance bridge is hand-engraved, as is customary at Lange.
Building A Bridge To The 21st Century
Any new steel sports watch from one of the major fine watchmaking firms arrives during an interesting time for the genre as a whole. Gold and other precious metals have not been exclusively synonymous with high end watchmaking for many years, but the overwhelming demand for the most popular steel watches is unlike anything we've ever seen before – not only are steel watches on the same footing as their precious metal brethren, in some instances, they are overwhelmingly preferred, and this is even true leaving aside price considerations. The demand for the Patek Nautilus or the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak steel watches is definitely not driven by customers looking for a bargain.
The Odysseus is not entering an especially crowded marketplace but it is entering a highly competitive one and the natural comparisons, at its price of $28,800, will certainly be to the Patek 5711 and the Royal Oak – let's say for the sake of argument, the new 41mm Royal Oak Self-Winding. The Patek has everything going for it except, of course, availability; it is an absolutely classic design, which has stood the test of time, from one of the most highly respected names in fine watchmaking. The Royal Oak's value proposition is largely the same although there is a significant price discrepancy between the two; at retail, the Royal Oak is $19,200, and the Nautilus, $30,620. The natural and inevitable question probably everyone interested in this genre of watchmaking will have, is the degree to which the Odysseus is really a viable alternative to two classics which have been around for over four decades?
The question is an interesting one because, efforts to cement the reputation of some follow-ups to the Nautilus and the Royal Oak notwithstanding, the category is in a sense a category of two. No other stainless steel, integrated bracelet luxury sports watch has even come close to achieving the same near-legendary status as those two watches, but the Odysseus is clearly a very focused attempt on the part of Lange to make this a category of three, and if the watch finds an audience, it will be the first watch to have really done so since 1976, when the Nautilus was introduced. It has, however, on its side, a suite of features unique to it, relative to its competitors. For one thing, it is instantly recognizable as a Lange (no small thing in this category, where immediate visual identifiability is a big part of the draw). It has Lange's signature and very mechanically sophisticated big date display, accompanied for the first time by a day indication; it offers Lange's signature highly refined movement finishing, in which craft it takes second place to no other watch brand on the planet. Moreover it has the advantage over its two closest competitors, of having its own identity, and most significantly, of not being a me-too design, which as Jean-Claude Biver reminded us in an episode of Talking watches, even the Nautilus was thought to be when it first came out.
It is also comfortable, easily wearable, and designed to be a durable and accurate daily companion, with a versatility not found in Lange's precious metal offerings. Without a genuine working crystal ball it's impossible to say what the reaction of customers will be over the long term (and we ought to bear in mind that both the Royal Oak and Nautilus took time to find their respective audiences as well) but I think just taken on a feature to feature, craftsmanship, and quality of execution basis, it demands to be taken seriously.
A. Lange & Söhne is a company whose watchmaking can seem almost willfully anachronistic. At the same time, despite the air of Teutonic conservatism and solid old-fashioned watchmaking values that are evidenced by its approach to movement design and finish, and by its design choices in terms of dial furniture, typefaces, and case and dial design, it has consistently innovated – the Lange 1 was unprecedented in 1994 and the company has a slew of technical innovations to its credit as well. Creating various syntheses out of these apparent contradictions is, I think, one of the most salient characteristics of Lange watchmaking.
I mention this because at first glance, the Odysseus can be a startling, even shocking, experience, depending on who you are and how deeply steeped you are in Lange's history. It is a challenging experience to see all these traditional-to-Lange design cues in such a new context, and it can take a little getting used to. Seeing those typefaces, and those big day and date displays, used in a sports watch with a bracelet feels almost like coming home from a long vacation to your comfortable-as-an-old-shoe country home and finding out your beloved spouse of many years has redecorated in your absence.
But once in hand and on the wrist, I found the Odysseus extremely convincing. It is so comfortable, so easy to wear, and so well made as to really set you at your ease right away, and it manages to feel very much like daily wear sports watch without abandoning its identity as a Lange timepiece. If you're wondering what the future holds and whether the repertoire of steel watches at Lange is going to expand, Schmid is playing his cards, as you might expect, close to his chest, saying only that the Odysseus, " ... opens a new chapter in the history of A. Lange & Söhne exactly 25 years after the presentation of our best-known model LANGE 1. You know that we never reveal our plans in advance, but there are currently no plans to equip other models in our existing collection with such a case."
It is a truism in watch design (and I'm sure elsewhere) that a new design can take time to find its audience. This may well prove to be true for the Odysseus, but the watch is of such obviously high quality that in person, it's rather irresistible. Like any new member of a family, we shouldn't be surprised if there is a getting-to-know-you period, but I think the Odysseus, like its namesake adventurer, is at the very least destined for a long and interesting voyage.
The A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus: case, stainless steel, 40.50mm x 11.10mm; 120 meters water resistant, with screw-down crown and sapphire crystals front and back. Integrated pusher mechanism for the big day and big date displays flanking and enclosing the crown. Dial, brass, multi-level, with applied gold markers filled with luminous material; hands, white gold with lume. Movement, new Lange in-house caliber L 155.1 DATOMATIC, unidirectional winding with platinum oscillating mass. Adjusted to five positions; freesprung adjustable mass-type balance with fine adjustment for beat error; hand-engraved balance bridge. 312 parts total, including 99 for the date mechanisms; dimensions, 32.9mm x 6.2mm. Bracelet, stainless steel, with fine adjustment mechanism for the length. Price, $28,800. For more information, visit Lange online. Images, Tiffany Wade, except movement and headline pictures.
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