A. Lange & Söhne A wristwatch of 18k gold. Model 1, ref. 101.001. Mechanical movement with manual winding, cal. L 901.0. Champagne-coloured dial with gold hour markers and hands. Brown A. Lange & Söhne alligator strap with A. Lange & Söhne C-type buckle of 18k gold. Watch diameter 38.5 mm. 1994. Case no. 110'081. Accompanied by A. Lange & Söhne box, manual, service recipts from Juwelier Lüttgen 2005 and 2013, and certificate from authorised retailer Türler 1995. Items made of crocodile or alligator skin require a CITES export permit in order to be exported from Denmark to a country outside The European Union. Buyers residing outside the European Union are required to obtain this permit. More information is available upon request. In the beginning of the 1990s, the watchmaking industry was more about quartz and mass-production than it was about handmade, simple watches of the highest quality. Yet, in 1990, A. Lange & Söhne, arguably the most important German watchmaking company, was reborn after a long hibernation following the Second World War. The aim was to revive the company to the level that it was known for in its hey-day. After four years of intense work, Walter Lange (great-grandson of the founder) and industry legend Günter Blümlein, introduced four models to kickstart the company. These were Lange 1, Arcade, Saxonia and Tourbillon pour le Mérite. Arguably the most iconic of the four is the Lange 1. On the day of the re-launch, 24 October 1994, the complete batch of 123 Lange 1 watches were sold. The Lange 1 is mainly characterized by its eccentric dial layout and the outsized date aperture. The date is inspired by the five-minute clock in the Semper opera in Dresden that was originally made by J. C. F. Gutkaes and his apprentice F. A. Lange. The dial layout follows what is known as “the rule of thirds”, which is a tool for improving composition in images by dividing it into thirds, using two vertical and two horizontal lines. This creates an incredible harmony that is difficult to put a finger on when handling the watch. The present timepiece offered on this auction is indeed one of the first 123 pieces sold to the retailers on the 24 October 1994. What mainly sets the first model apart from the newer editions is, that the case back is closed. Usually, when watchmaking companies spend as much time and energy on movement finishing as A. Lange & Söhne does, they would show it by fitting a transparent caseback to the watch. This was done to the following models just one year later and has been so ever since. That does not mean, however, that the movement is not well finished on the early ones – it is just as beautifully made as the newer editions. Moreover, the reference 101.001 was only available in yellow gold with a champagne dial. What we have here is an incredibly well made and highly collectible watch that has come to define the brand A. Lange & Söhne.
Condition
A. Lange & Söhne A wristwatch of 18k gold. Model 1, ref. 101.001. Mechanical movement with manual winding, cal. L 901.0. Champagne-coloured dial with gold hour markers and hands. Brown A. Lange & Söhne alligator strap with A. Lange & Söhne C-type buckle of 18k gold. Watch diameter 38.5 mm. 1994. Case no. 110'081. Accompanied by A. Lange & Söhne box, manual, service recipts from Juwelier Lüttgen 2005 and 2013, and certificate from authorised retailer Türler 1995. Items made of crocodile or alligator skin require a CITES export permit in order to be exported from Denmark to a country outside The European Union. Buyers residing outside the European Union are required to obtain this permit. More information is available upon request. In the beginning of the 1990s, the watchmaking industry was more about quartz and mass-production than it was about handmade, simple watches of the highest quality. Yet, in 1990, A. Lange & Söhne, arguably the most important German watchmaking company, was reborn after a long hibernation following the Second World War. The aim was to revive the company to the level that it was known for in its hey-day. After four years of intense work, Walter Lange (great-grandson of the founder) and industry legend Günter Blümlein, introduced four models to kickstart the company. These were Lange 1, Arcade, Saxonia and Tourbillon pour le Mérite. Arguably the most iconic of the four is the Lange 1. On the day of the re-launch, 24 October 1994, the complete batch of 123 Lange 1 watches were sold. The Lange 1 is mainly characterized by its eccentric dial layout and the outsized date aperture. The date is inspired by the five-minute clock in the Semper opera in Dresden that was originally made by J. C. F. Gutkaes and his apprentice F. A. Lange. The dial layout follows what is known as “the rule of thirds”, which is a tool for improving composition in images by dividing it into thirds, using two vertical and two horizontal lines. This creates an incredible harmony that is difficult to put a finger on when handling the watch. The present timepiece offered on this auction is indeed one of the first 123 pieces sold to the retailers on the 24 October 1994. What mainly sets the first model apart from the newer editions is, that the case back is closed. Usually, when watchmaking companies spend as much time and energy on movement finishing as A. Lange & Söhne does, they would show it by fitting a transparent caseback to the watch. This was done to the following models just one year later and has been so ever since. That does not mean, however, that the movement is not well finished on the early ones – it is just as beautifully made as the newer editions. Moreover, the reference 101.001 was only available in yellow gold with a champagne dial. What we have here is an incredibly well made and highly collectible watch that has come to define the brand A. Lange & Söhne.
Condition
.jpg?w=400 "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
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