A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Moonphase - 109.021

Origin

‘The entire pursuit of a watchmaker should be the perfection of each and every watch.’ These fierce words were spoken by Ferdinand Adolph Lange, founder of A. Lange & Söhne in 1845, and still embody the spirit of the German watch brand. The fine watchmaking brand from Glashütte has lived up to these words ever since – undoubtedly challenging the status of its Swiss contenders.

Yet the history of the German watchmaker has not been without endeavour. The company’s main manufacture was destroyed during a bombing on the last night of war in 1945. A few years later, in 1948, the brand disappeared during the occupation by the Soviet Union. But the legendary watchmaker’s spirit did not pass on: a mere 40 years later – when Germany celebrated the fall of the Berlin wall – great-grandson Walter Lange revived the brand with watchmaking amour fou.

Lange & Söhne timepieces are known for their mechanical movements with outstanding functionality and avant-garde precision – all developed, produced and assembled in-house. Most Glashütte-crafted watches feature a gold or platinum case. The brand furthermore stands out in elegant time-only dress watches and complications such as chronographs and perpetual calendars.

From the rebirth of A. Lange & Söhne one watch in particular out: the Lange 1 model, a true modern design icon carrying the brand’s distinctive outside date. This highly valued model has been a collector’s item ever since, winning over forty awards.

The Watch

This A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Moonphase, ref. 109.021 watch, created in the early 2000s, manifests the skilled craftsmanship and artistry of the beloved brand from Dresden. With its idiosyncratic yet classic 18k yellow gold case (considered a rather unusual choice for the Saxonian watchmaker, more often manufacturing in pink gold) and moon-phase complication, the watch pays a tribute to Lange’s signature line – in style but with a handsome twist.

The Lange 1 Moonphase is an exquisite dress watch with superb proportions, featuring a traditional 38,5 mm round case with doomed bezel. It has a bright polished, slim profile – yet bold enough to please modern tastes – with delicate chamfer lugs, making it comfortable to wear.

The straw-toned white dial, giving the watch face a marvelous warm tincture, is handcrafted from solid silver and embellished with solid-gold appliques with Alpha-style, luminova-tipped, hands made of yellow gold. Characterized by its unique decentralized and asymmetrical dial design, it features a hours and minutes sub-dial with appliqué Roman numerals, a smaller moon-phase sub-dial at 5 o’clock, the characteristic oversized double window date display with quick-change feature (enabled by the push piece on the upper left part of the case) and a power reserve indicator tracing three days of reserve.

The moon-phase adds a layer of artistry refinement to this Lange 1 with its solid and defined gold moon disk (usually executed in brass), set off against a classic blue sky. The complication, corrected with the push piece recessed in the case, is infused with the highest levels of precision, with a gear train that is so accurately computed that it will take 122.6 years before the deviation of the display relative to the synodic moon adds up to one day, hinting to Lange’s heritage as it is conventionally the standard for perpetual calendars.

The yellow gold watch case is complemented by a Lange-signed yellow gold pin buckle. As yellow gold was considered a rare style choice in the 2000s, it is believed not many pieces of this model have been produced.

The Movement

The A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Moonphase ref. 109.021 features the in-house L901.5 caliber. This hand-wound movement is a trademark of the Lange 1-collection, with twin mainspring barrels that give the watch an exceptional 72-hour power reserve, making it the perfect watch for a timeless weekend away.

Some would argue that the perfectly proportioned caseback of this Moonphase-piece is the very centerpiece: a work of art made out of German silver, with its three-quarter plate as its signature aesthetic, hand-engraved balance cock and black polished swan-neck micrometer regulator. The movement counts 54 jewels and 398 parts that are all hand-assembled and -finished, beating at 21,600 A/h.

Condition

This discontinued and rare A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Moonphase timepiece is in as new condition and has perfect mechanical functioning. It comes as a full set, including outer box, inner box, manual and papers (2007).

If you desire to take a closer look at this precious timepiece, don't hesitate to contact us and make an appointment. 

Reference	109.021
Movement	Manual Wound
Caliber	Calibre L901.5
Dial	Silver/White
Size (Case)	38,5 mm
Material (Case)	Yellow gold
Bracelet	Grained blue
Glass	Sapphire
Condition	Very good
Year	2007
Papers	Yes
Box	Yes
Warranty	2 years