A.Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar

When A. Lange & Söhne unveiled the Lange 1 in 1994, it immediately changed the conversation around modern watchmaking. Introduced as part of the manufacture's celebrated return following German reunification, the watch rejected convention in favor of a bold asymmetrical layout, an oversized date display, and distinctly Saxon design language. More than thirty years later, it remains the defining face of A. Lange & Söhne and is one of the most recognizable watches in haute horlogerie.

The challenge facing Lange's watchmakers was simple: how do you add one of watchmaking's most revered complications—the perpetual calendar—without compromising the character of the Lange 1? The answer arrived in 2022 with the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar, a watch that seamlessly integrates a full perpetual calendar into the collection's iconic architecture while preserving the balance and elegance that made the original famous.

This particular example, Ref. 345.033, pairs a warm pink gold case with a sophisticated grey dial, creating one of the most compelling combinations in the contemporary Lange catalog. Measuring 41.9mm in diameter, the case provides ample space for the calendar indications while maintaining excellent proportions on the wrist. The familiar Lange 1 elements remain front and center: the outsize date, the off-center time display, and the beautifully executed moonphase display integrated into the running seconds register. Meanwhile, the day, month, and leap-year indications are incorporated with remarkable subtlety, demonstrating the manufacture's talent for presenting immense complexity with exceptional clarity.

Turn the watch over, and the view is every bit as impressive. Visible through the sapphire display back is the self-winding Calibre L021.3, a movement comprising hundreds of components and finished to the exacting standards for which Lange is renowned. Untreated German silver bridges, hand-engraved details, gold chatons, blued screws, and a beautifully executed rotor featuring a platinum centrifugal mass combine to create a movement that is as captivating visually as it is mechanically sophisticated.

Accompanied by its inner and outer boxes, original papers, guarantee seal, and accessories from 2022, this Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar represents one of the most important modern creations from Glashütte. Combining the manufacture's signature design language with one of watchmaking's grandest complications, it is a masterclass in thoughtful engineering, mechanical artistry, and enduring design.

For Germany, Reunification represented a renaissance of sorts for a country that had been rent asunder by the Cold War. And for A. Lange & Söhne, whom fate had situated on the Eastern side of the Iron Curtain, it was indeed a rebirth.

Lange was founded in Glashütte in 1845, and its first century was truly a golden age. The brand imbued its products with a care and an attention to detail that brought worldwide renown. Its pocket watches, in particular, gained high marks in competition and saw use on the railroads of Europe.

But the coming of World War II and the subsequent Soviet occupation saw that golden age come to an end. The Soviet authorities expropriated the company in 1948 — the factory was shuttered, and the once-shining name of A. Lange & Söhne nearly faded into obscurity. That is, until 1990, when Walter Lange — great-grandson of the founder, Ferdinand A. Lange — resurrected his family’s old company and brought it to prominence once more.

Armed with Ferdinand Lange’s journal, Walter Lange sketched a watch that would adapt his great-grandfather’s designs to modern tastes, while still keeping an eye firmly on tradition. In the journal, Walter discovered sketches of a clock that Ferdinand designed with his mentor Johann Gutkaes. Commissioned by the Elector of Saxony for the Semperoper House in Dresden, the “Five Minute Clock” was nothing short of revolutionary.

With legibility as their primary concern, Johann Gutkaes and Ferdinand Lange designed a clock that, with its rectangular construction and two counter-rotating drums — one to show the hours, the other the minutes — was essentially the world’s first digital clock. Over one hundred years later, it was that clock that would inspire the modern manufacture’s first watch post-Reunification.

In 1992, Walter Lange filed a patent for a big date window, similar in style to the clock in the opera house. Two years later, it would appear on the Lange 1. Without question the firm’s flagship model, it features a big date function as its hallmark. Though found in watches like the Zeitwerk or the Langematik Sax-O-Mat, it’s in the Lange 1 that the big date is used to the greatest effect. Alongside other details such as asymmetrical sub-dials depicting the hours and sub-seconds, and the A. Lange & Söhne signature with its famous ampersand, it shows a clarity of vision that is wholly Lange.

Subsequent models — no less innovative — have only further cemented the brand’s footing as one of the most refined and fascinating watchmakers in business today. From the ludicrously complicated Zeitwerk to the elegant Saxonia to the recent Odysseus dive watch, Lange & Söhne is committed to pushing the horological envelope and reestablishing Germany as foremost amongst the world’s centers of watchmaking innovation.

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Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a two-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.