A. Lange & Söhne’s New Lumen Model Reveals the Lange Outsize Date’s Secrets

By Valerie Jack | December 17, 2012

Luxury watchmakers A. Lange & Söhne have got the watch world buzzing with an update on their classic Lange outsize date timepiece. The company have revealed the stunning new limited-edition Grand Lange 1 “Lumen”, a timepiece which reveals the Saxon watchmakers’ incredible mastery of haute horlogerie.

For years, the secret behind the complex mechanism responsible for the asymmetric dial on the Lange outsize date timepiece remained hidden beneath the solid-silver dial. Now, with its Latin attribute “Lumen”, the Grand Lange 1 is revealing this secret. Inside its platinum case, parts of the Grand Lange 1’s dial consist of semi-transparent sapphire crystal which reveals the disc mechanism of the outsize date that glows in the dark. The time and the power reserve are also legible in the dark, while the outer ring and the surfaces of the displays for hours, minutes and small seconds are made of blackened silver.

According to A. Lange & Söhne, the greatest technical challenge in creating the Grand Lange 1 was in ensuring maximum luminosity for the date display. The company’s Saxon product developers solved the issue by coating the tens cross with a white luminous compound before imprinting it with black numerals. Meanwhile, the units disc was done in transparent glass imprinted with black numerals; it rotates before a luminous background.

The sapphire crystal sections of the dial are treated with a special coating that blocks most of the visible spectrum of light. However, the invisible UV light spectrum is not stopped; therefore, UV radiation can pass through to the luminous surfaces of the outsize date unhindered. As a result the date platform, which is normally only ever seen by the watchmaker during the assembly process, is now visible to the wearer as well.

The Grand Lange 1’s L095.2 manufacture movement can also be admired from the other side through the sapphire-crystal caseback. No matter which way you look at it, this new A. Lange & Söhne timepiece is a beauty. With only 200 pieces set to be produced, it’s certain to become a true collector’s piece.