The New A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus: Fit For Fight?
The wait has been over as today A. Lange & Söhne launched their very first sports watch crafted from stainless steel. They called this watch Odysseus, and one of the first things you notice about the watch is that it is different from all other watches by A. Lange & Söhne, yet still strongly infused with its DNA.
The case is quite modest in size, with a diameter of 40.5mm. This might be a stroke of genius because, in general, slightly more modest sized watches have more staying power over the years. With a height of 11.1mm, is it also not thick at all, which will see a great return of investment in wearing comfort. The watch also comes with a, for A. Lange & Söhne, unique complication, that of a day/date display, which can easily be adjusted by the tapered buttons positioned in the caseband at two and four o’clock.
The bracelet is another aspect that makes this watch stand out. While it looks integrated, it is not. This might be a stroke of genius by A. Lange & Söhne for the Odysseus, as it does give it a distinct look, but doesn’t rule out ordinary straps as well. The bracelet is developed with comfort in mind and can be adjusted by the owner in small steps, up to 7 millimeters.
The Odysseus is powered by a completely new movement, developed by A. Lange & Söhne, especially for this watch. Unique about this caliber L155.1 Datomatic is that it is equipped with a balance bridge, instead of the signature balance cock A. Lange & Söhne is so well known for, to ensure even better shock resistance. The centrally mounted oscillating weight has a platinum centrifugal mass attached to it for greater winding efficiency. Of course, is the movement finished as we would expect from A. Lange & Söhne, and on par with all of their other creations.
With the introduction of this watch, we get the inevitable question; is it fit for fight? Will it be able to make a stand against the domination of the Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak and the Nautilus by Patek Philippe in this category? In relation to this, the name of the new A. Lange & Söhne is interesting. Odysseus was the Greek hero that captured the city of Troy by hiding his soldiers in a giant hollow horse. This should end once and for all the prenotion that Germans don’t have a sense of humor.
But will the Odysseus live up to its reputation, and is it ‘fit’ enough to fight these horological behemoths? We most certainly think so. Although A. Lange & Söhne has never made a stainless steel sports watch in this fashion ever before, they did develop this one with care, and that shows. Its design is balanced and typical for the brand, the day/date complication fits perfectly into this theme, and combined with the bracelet and movement offer something that no other A. Lange & Söhne has. It also doesn’t look like any other high-end sports watch on the market. This originality is needed to carve out a piece of the market at this moment in time. While the bracelet is impressive, we expect that owners might also opt for a strap from time to time, especially one made from rubber. Nevertheless, we do expect that the Odysseus will soon be taking its place next to the Nautilus and Royal Oak as one of the most desirable stainless steel Haute Horlogerie sports watches on the market, with the shortage in supply that seems to come with the territory.
