The new Odysseus Chronograph, like its predecessor, is hewn from stainless steel and measures in at 42.5mm in diameter, with a thickness of 14.2mm – similar to much of the Lange collections, the watch is generously proportioned, but not so much so that the watch is unwearable on a daily basis. The dial opening was specifically designed with a narrow bezel so that its sized is maximised, ensuring optimum legibility when paired with the lancet shaped hands, and the large displays for the day and date.

The hour and minute hands are made from white gold filled with luminescent material, as are the baton markers. A Lange & Söhne have consciously made the decision to design this watch with a clean aesthetic, and as such, two hands in the centre are designated for the chronograph – a red seconds hand that is made from aluminium (for good reason which we will delve into later), and a rhodium plated steel 60 minute counter, with a lozenge-shaped tip that is filled with luminescent material. The black dial features two different finishes – a grained finish in the middle of the dial, and azurage (concentric circles on the outer periphery of the dial where the hour markers are located.

At 9 and 3 o’clock are the day and date indicators respectively – their design takes their inspiration from the digital clock that resides in the Dresden Semper Opera (this clock was made by the apprentice-master and father-in-law of Ferdinand Adolph Lange, one of the founding fathers of German watchmaking in Glashutte). Finally, at 6 o’clock is the running seconds indicator, which together with the day and date, also pay tribute to one of A Lange & Söhne’s iconic models, the Zeitwerk.

Housed within the stainless steel case is the L156.1 DATOMATIC Calibre, a movement that derives its name from the words “date” and “automatic”. It is wound through the oscillations of a platinum 950 rotor, that is partially skeletonised and coated in black rhodium. The watch delivers a power reserve of 50 hours, and beats at 4Hz – an optimal frequency for precision timekeeping demanded by a chronograph. It wouldn’t be an A Lange & Söhne if the watch didn’t have some visual flourish, and this is evident in the operation of the chronograph. Once you have completed measuring your event, stopped the chronograph and hit the reset button, the minute hand flies directly back to zero, but the seconds hand returns to zero by making the the same number of rotations as the number of minutes that have elapsed, ie: if 10 minutes have passed, the seconds hand returns to zero by making 10 anti-clockwise rotations of the dial before coming to rest at zero. If by chance, the event lasts more than 30 minutes, the hands reset in a clockwise fashion, with the seconds hand also making the same number of rotations as the elapsed minutes.

(Check out the video below shot during the product presentation of the watch at Watches & Wonders 2023)

This is also why the seconds hand is crafted of aluminium, for its lightness. The movement also has a novel function selector system in the screw-down crown. When the crown is in its neutral position, the pushers at 2 and 4 o’clock control the chronograph in a typical fashion (start and stop at 2 o’clock, reset at 4 o’clock). Once the crown is pulled out, however, the pushers control the day and date functions (2 o’clock controls the date, and 4 o’clock controls the day). 

The watch is delivered on a stainless steel bracelet that plays with light – chamfers on the sides and its links give it extra refinement in combination with its brushed finish on its flat surfaces.

Arguably, A Lange & Söhne have given their fans a watch that quietly signifies its technique and prowess in watchmaking – the watch doesn’t necessarily blow everyone away, but for the connoisseur, they will appreciate the thought that has gone into the design of its movement, its functionality, as well as its everyday wearability. A high-end chronograph for everyday, the Odysseus Chronograph is rightfully limited to 100 pieces, exclusively sold through the brand’s boutique network, with the aim of supplying true connoisseurs with the finest automatic chronograph from Glashutte.

Technical Specifications – ODYSSEUS CHRONOGRAPH Ref. 463.178

Movement: Lange manufacture calibre L156.1 DATOMATIC®, self-winding, crafted to the most exacting Lange quality standards, decorated and assembled by hand; precision-adjusted in five positions; unidirectional winding central rotor with 950 platinum centrifugal mass; balance bridge engraved by hand

Movement parts: 516 

Jewels: 52
Screwed gold chatons: 4 

Escapement: Lever Escapement

Oscillation system: Shock-resistant cam-poised balance with four poising screws, superior-quality balance spring manufactured in-house, frequency 28,800 semi-oscillations per hour (4 hertz), precision beat adjustment system with cam and whiplash spring

Power reserve: 50 hours when fully wound

Functions: Time indicated in hours, minutes, and subsidiary seconds with stop seconds; date and day-of-week displays, chronograph with central chrono seconds hand and 60-minute counter

Operating elements: Screw-down crown for winding the watch and setting the time; two buttons for correcting the date and day of week as well as operating the chronograph

Case dimensions: Diameter: 42.5 millimetres; height: 14.2 millimetres  

Movement dimensions: Diameter: 34.9 millimetres; height: 8.4 millimetres 

Case: Stainless steel
Water resistance:  Up to 12 bar (120 metres)

Dial: Brass, black
Hands and appliques: Hours and minutes: white gold, luminous; subsidiary seconds: white gold; 60-minute counter: rhodiumed steel, luminous; red chrono seconds hand: aluminium; baton appliques: white gold, luminous

Crystal and caseback: Sapphire crystal (Mohs hardness 9)

Bracelet: Stainless steel
Buckle: Safety deployant buckle with precision adjustment mechanism for adjusting the length

Limited edition: 100 watches, edition engraving, boutique-exclusive

Launched to mark its 20^th anniversary this year, the new Langematik Perpetual is available in either white or pink gold. It measures 38.5mm wide and 10.2mm high, giving it rather elegant proportions. The novelty of this edition, however, is the midnight-blue dial, which creates a pleasing tone-on-tone effect against the moon phase disc in a more vibrant shade of blue at six o’clock.

The design of the dial is no doubt a masterclass of contrasts and complements. It features both Roman as well as Arabic numerals, both tighter as well as wider tracking for the typography and yet manages to be perfectly balanced and harmonious overall.

For enhanced readability, the chapter ring has been embossed with a radial pattern which creates a subtle depth. And though the dial is decidedly classical, the hands for the hours, minutes, days of the week and month are luminous, as are the hour markers along the minute scale.

Powering the watch is the beautiful self-winding cal. L922.1, which combines a traditional perpetual calendar with the brand’s outsize date display. It is characterised by a particularly long grand lever that samples a wheel with 48 notches, which corresponds to a full four-year cycle, pivoting further for longer months and less for shorter months.

Additionally, the movement features a zero-reset mechanism which allows for more precise synchronisation. All calendar displays can also be advanced collectively via a recessed corrector at 10 o’clock on the case.

Visible on the back of the movement is a distinctive off-centre, three-quarter micro-rotor. Apart from its size, the rotor is also made of 21k yellow gold along with a centrifugal mass in platinum so as to ensure substantial inertia to sufficiently wind the watch. In characteristic Lange fashion, the movement is beautifully decorated with perlage on the base plate, stripping on the bridges as well as hand-engraving on the balance cock. Notably it also features a black-polished cap for the cock of the escape wheel along with a sharp inward angle.

This year Lange revisits this milestone model with a Handwerkskunst limited edition of 30 pieces. The watch is mechanically identical to the discontinued model but features a fired enamel dial along with a hand-engraved lozenge pattern on dial center as well as the movement.

A Medley of Decorative Techniques

Made of solid white gold, the dial is extremely complex, with a contrast of textures incorporating a variety of decorative finishing. The middle section of the dial is rhodium-plated and engraved with a lozenge pattern, echoing the lozenge hour markers while the outer section is grained, creating a distinctive contrast. Additionally, a thin line of tremblage engraving, which produces a fine, granular texture, frames the big date as well as dial middle.

The hour markers as well as roman numerals are also engraved in relief, and finally the entire dial is topped with a transparent enamel layer, which creates an interesting effect, being engraved and grained yet glossy on the surface.

In keeping with the monochromatic scheme of the dial, the integrated sub-dials as well as hands are all made of rhodium-coloured gold.

Form Factor

Rendered in platinum, the case is substantial in size, measuring 39.2 mm by 29.5 mm and 10.3 mm high. It features a distinctive art deco design with protruding lugs and an angular, double stepped bezel. It is predominantly polished, punctuated with a satin-finished case middle.

Inside is a hand-wound form movement, the calibre L042.1 – the same movement that was used in the discontinued model. It is equipped with double barrels that offer a 120-hour power reserve, which is no doubt a reflection of the decade’s quest for lengthy power reserves when it was launched in 2008. Its long power reserve is all the more impressive given the need to power the tourbillon as well as the outsized date mechanism and was accomplished by the sheer size of the movement. 

The stop-seconds mechanism for the tourbillon incorporates a Y-shaped lever that pivots to embrace the cage when the crown is pulled out, thus stopping its rotation. One other unusual aspect of the movement is that the constant seconds counter is directly driven by the going train while the tourbillon is driven by an intermediate wheel. The reverse is typically more common, but perhaps this proves to be a more optimal solution for its unusual dial layout where the constant seconds is located at eight o’clock rather than in the center. The balance wheel is also free sprung, which is a more advanced system in which the hairspring is fixed, and the rate is adjusted by tightening or loosening the screws affixed to the balance wheel.

Visible through the case back, the three-quarter plate made of German silver has a frosted finish instead of the usual ribbing while the cocks for the tourbillon and intermediate wheel have been hand-engraved with the same lozenge pattern.

With a slew of green watches that have been launched this year, there’s no question which colour dominates 2021. In the midst of the emerald wave, A Lange & Söhne demonstrates how blue is still here to stay by releasing two strikingly beautiful references in their colour of choice.

Triple Split in Pink Gold with Blue Dial

Back in 2018, when the German marque launched the original Triple Split, chronograph lovers around the world rejoiced. Upping the ante on their famed Double Split, the Triple Split became the first and only split-seconds watch in the world that allows multi-hour comparative time measurements up to twelve hours. This monumental feat in watchmaking wasn’t all work and no play, because one look at the movement is likely to trigger a mental replay of a certain pop song by Berlin from a movie starring Tom Cruise.

The architecture is breathtaking, like staring into a living, breathing cityscape filled with glitter and flashes of red and blue. Activate the chronograph and watch as levers and gears respond to your touch. This is quite the engineering marvel to behold.

Flip it over to the dial side (funny how the sequence is reversed for this watch) and you see the German sensibilities at work. Understatement is the name of the game here, and I mean that as the highest compliment. White sub-dials against a grey backdrop, white gold hands and indexes, with the first set of chronograph hands in blue for high visibility and legibility. This is no doubt a Lange thoroughbred, and it allows the precision and finishing to speak volumes in perfect symmetry. It’s so easy to go wild with this sort of a watch and use every opportunity to declare its superiority and demand your attention, and yet it doesn’t.  The restraint exercised here speaks volumes of the brand.

This year, Lange has decided to inject a little more poetry into the Triple Split by way of a new colour scheme. Enter the pink gold case with a royal blue dial. While the original had the cool appeal of a slightly aloof professional, the new version is warm and welcoming and entices you to jump into the arms of luxury. This is a bold new colour scheme for Lange, a strong statement reserved for a worthy recipient. I, for one, am enamoured.

This being a limited edition timepiece means that the pleasure of owning one belongs to only 100 lucky souls. The rest of us mere mortals will have to be content with yearning longingly from afar.

Little Lange 1 Moon Phase Gold Flux

Lange introduced us to something they called the copper-blue gold flux on the dial of a Saxonia Thin back in 2018. This was created through a labour-intensive 17^th century process of adding tiny copper oxide crystals into melted glass sheets, which was then layered on top of a solid silver dial. The result is akin to gazing into the night sky filled with twinkling stars. This watch created quite a stir and ranked high on the desirability list at launch.

In the throes of the pandemic lockdown at the end of 2020, Lange launched another version of it, this time in the form of a black gold flux as opposed to the blue. This was limited to only 50 pieces and was sold out as quickly and suddenly as it was announced.

There is now an application of this dial in what I would consider the most natural fit in Lange’s entire collection: the Little Lange 1 Moon Phase.

Think about it: what goes perfectly well with a sky full of stars? Why, a moon, of course! More so in the brand’s most popular Lange 1 format, albeit in the Little Lange 1 dimensions. Roman numerals and tiny white gold stars adorn the deep blue sparkly dial as hour markers, and the moon-phase disc throws in 628 (count them) more minuscule laser cut stars.

If the Saxonia Thin was anything to go by, I will confidently say that none of the pictures, no matter how well-taken, will ever do justice to the actual view in the metal. This is something you need to get your hands on and spend the next few minutes tilting under the light to fully appreciate.

Even though the “Little” in the name might sound petite, I challenge the notion that a 36.8mm case size might potentially be gender specific. By all accounts, this is a dressy watch and dress watches, by definition, are encouraged to be more reasonably sized than the onslaught of large sports watches everyone else is wearing.

Movement-wise, it shares the inner workings with the rest of the Little Lange 1 Moon Phase watches over the last 4 years – the L121.2, manually wound with 72 hours of power reserve and a moon phase that’s accurate for up to 122.6 years before needing adjustment.

Oh, and if you need a little more twinkle in the night sky, there is a variant that includes 56 brilliant-cut diamonds on the bezel. Bright enough for you yet?

In any haute horology collection, we expect to see high complication variations. The challenge is the implementation in terms of function, design and wearability. When the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar was launched, the incorporation of the QP (watch nerd speak for perpetual calendar) into the dial design on the Lange 1 was perfectly executed with minimal intrusions. Pay attention and you’ll notice the addition of a discreet outer rotating ring indicating the months of the year, the little arrow pointing to the current month with a tiny window and a leap year counter above, the inclusion of a moon phase in the seconds counter, and a day/night indicator for good measure. Perfectly legible and visually uncomplicated despite what the movement suggests. You get to enjoy the look of the original Lange 1 (mirrored because it’s based on the Daymatic) and appreciate the ingenious inclusion of the QP.

To add to that feeling of being special, Lange included a hidden tourbillon that no one can see except when taken off the wrist for some private movement-admiring session. The only giveaway is a small line of block letters printed on the dial, or by the keen eyes of the occasional Lange fanatic who can spout reference numbers across model generations. It’s a perfectly stealthy watch. And also a very expensive one.

Now if you can splash out over 300 thousand Euros for the secret pleasure of knowing that you’re wearing something with more than meets the eye, then more power to you. But if you were looking for a high calendar complication without the unseen frills, then you were out of luck.

Not anymore.

Enter the new Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar. At first glance, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference. Careful scrutiny will inform you that the day/night indicator is gone (more on that in a bit), as is the word Tourbillon because, well, there’s no tourbillon within. The moon phase now consists of two layers – a white gold (or pink, depending on case material) moon rotating independent of a base disc with graduated shades of blue to indicate day or night – as found in the latest iteration of the Lange 1 Moon Phase. Now here’s the clincher: you can get all of this at a third of the cost of the tourbillon version.

This reduced price point is the direct result of removing the complicated tourbillon, but the movement that powers the newcomer is no slouch either. The new L021.3 automatic movement found within is based on the L021.1 of the Lange 1 Daymatic.

The upgrades include not only the QP but also a newly developed winding mechanism with a 21k gold unidirectional rotor with an added centrifugal mass in platinum. Calendar functions advance instantaneously, which is always a joy to experience, especially as you approach the end of a month. And as with all Lange timepieces, the movement is a thing of beauty.

Differentiating this from the tourbillon version is a new colour scheme. A pink gold case with a grey dial as part of its regular production model, and a white gold case with a pink gold dial 150 pieces limited edition model. It’s a solid pink gold dial and not a salmon-coloured dial, mind you. My (imaginary) money is on the limited edition piece, and I won’t be surprised if it’s already sold out by the time you’re reading this.

It’s no secret that I have a soft spot for A. Lange & Söhne. It is one of the few brands that has a line-up with no missteps. The German marque has a strong brand identity, knows what it wants to achieve and does not bend to market forces or trends. 

And so it was that when they announced a luxury steel sports watch, the community opinions were divided, since the watch stepped a touch too far away from what I know the brand to be about. Upon viewing the press photos, I still felt a little unsure, since it was a watch with a blue dial in a stainless steel case and on an integrated bracelet, which on balance, was an all too familiar recipe. 

Yet I was willing to give it a chance, and took the opportunity to judge the watch in person when I was invited to view it at the boutique. Upon seeing the watch in the metal, things started to make sense. 

Unsurprisingly, it’s another finely crafted Lange timepiece with all the refinements that you’ve come to expect. With contrasting dial textures, a practical outsized date at the 3 o’clock marker, balanced by the day window on the opposite end and a seconds sub dial at 6 o’clock. This was a Lange through and through. There was no marine inspired, screwed-down industrial chic redesign of the case. In fact, it’s identical to its siblings in shape and proportion, with the exception of two subtly protruding pushers aligned with the crown to quickly adjust the day and date functions. And even that is so on point with the brand, since the Lange 1 also has a pusher for date advancement. 

Highly debated aesthetics aside, the satin-finished bracelet with polished chamfered edges on every link boasts incredible comfort alongside practical everyday wear. While it can hardly be considered a beater watch, I can imagine having this on my wrist on any occasion, whether it’s making a quick grocery run or attending a meeting in full business garb. What’s more, the bracelet can be easily resized via a series of buttons on the underside, and the circular brand signature on the clasp actually houses yet another pusher that enables the bracelet to extend up to 7mm. It is obvious that a lot of thought has been put into designing a watch that stays true to the brand identity while offering the option of dressing things down. 

Would you wear a Datograph out when walking your dog at the park in your shorts and sandals? I know I wouldn’t but I can easily see how the Odysseus can fit that scenario quite nicely.

Having said that, it still is an expensive watch, and the thought of shelling out serious money for something in stainless steel was daunting. I for one have never understood why people would pay a premium for a stainless steel Nautilus, even more so those who pay a premium for a steel Daytona when a gold one is within the same price range. 

That was until Lange released another, in my mind, more sensible option – a white gold Odysseus for Watches and Wonders 2020, with a grey dial and either a calf leather or rubber strap. 

That was my tipping point. If I had not already been sold on the idea of a Lange sports model, I was now. A tough precious watch in a precious metal, now that makes sense. Yes I know that it’s more expensive than the stainless steel, but it’s white gold, and the math computes better in my head – so I bought one.

While blue dials seem to be the go-to colour for luxury sports watches, the grey dial in this version felt a little more special. Instead of simply changing the colour, Lange took a step further to differentiate it from the steel version with changes to the dial finishing. The granular central dial is replaced with a smoother frosting, contrasted with deep grooves in the hour chapter as well as the circumference of the seconds sub-dial. These changes make the watch look a tad more formal, but on a brown calf leather or rubber strap, a nice balance is struck between luxury and sportiness. 

And may I be so bold as to express my opinion that the watch on a strap should silence the naysayers in the looks department. Whatever awkwardness it may have suffered in the process of integrating a bracelet is nowhere to be found here. This is a seriously handsome timepiece.

More importantly, the comfort that can be had with the watch on a rubber strap is a huge plus. The soft, supple and grooved band provides all the ventilation needed in hot and humid weather.  Unfortunately, the boutique only had it on the calf leather when I bought it, so I promptly ordered the alternate strap. While waiting for its arrival, I am just as happy with the brown calf strap that complements the grey dial oh so well. 

The Odysseus also offers a quick release to allow for fast and easy strap change. So this is where I have a very minor gripe. While it allows for a quick strap change, there is no way to swap out the pin buckle easily. Which means I would either have to buy an additional pin buckle for my other strap, or go back to the boutique to have it swapped, which would defeat the purpose of the quick release. I think I may have been spoilt by the ingenuity of my Vacheron Constantin Overseas. (Click here for article) 

Behind the scenes, the L155.1 Datomatic movement continues to impress, regardless of case material. The engraved balance bridge is both a thing of beauty as well as functional engineering design, providing added stability to the balance wheel for when I decide to test its prowess as a sports watch. I don’t know if I ever will but at least I have the confidence that I can. And with that upcoming rubber strap, 120 metres water resistance and a screw down crown, I am pretty sure I can take it to the pool if I so desire. The question really isn’t about whether I will, but whether I can. And I most certainly can.

As a practical watch, the Odysseus checks all the boxes. It provides the essential information on the time, day and date with excellent legibility. It can withstand the rigours of daily wear and even cope with more active days. The self-winding movement has a healthy power reserve of 50 hours so I can put it aside over the weekend and pick it back up without having to resuscitate it. It looks great on my 6 ½ inch wrist and can fit a variety of outfits. 

Lastly, it is most definitely, a conversation starter, and I suspect I will be answering plenty of questions along the lines of why I decided to buy this instead of an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak or a Patek Philippe Nautilus, to which I will be happy to reply with a calm and knowing look of a Lange aficionado. 

With this being said, the one element that has been the talk of our industry, especially in the first half of 2020, was that of the tradeshow. Adi Soon, our editor has written extensively about his opinions on the demise of Baselworld (see his article: The Golden Goose (Baselworld) is Finally Dead), as well as the writer of this article (see Martin Goh’s article: Opinion – Baselworld’s Demise and the Meaning of Privilege).

The future of the watch industry tradeshow seemed very much in doubt last year, with cancellations and “postponements” being a result of the global health crisis – however, one tradeshow went ahead, and showed the possibility that brands bring the impetus needed to a digital version of a tradeshow, and this was Watches and Wonders, formerly the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH).

Four brands that arguably have the largest pull factor to the show – Chanel, Chopard, Patek Philippe and Rolex effectively heralded the death of Baselworld, with many of their executives expressing their dismay at the fair. In particular, Thierry Stern of Patek Philippe summed up their feeling as such: “Today Patek Philippe is not in line with Baselworld’s vision anymore, there have been too many discussions and unsolved problems, trust is no longer present”. As Wined Dined and Timed has written, much of the industry is based on gentlemen’s agreements, agreements that were very much violated during the “postponement” phase of Baselworld during the pandemic.

However, the 2020 edition of Watches and Wonders proved that a digital watch tradeshow can exist, and be successful. Furthermore, a press release dated in November 2020 from the organising committee of Watches and Wonders also shows the future of the watch tradeshow – with the continued pandemic raging in Europe, a digital version of the show was a no-brainer. Curiously, the 4 brands that were supposed to have a show concurrent to Watches and Wonders have now signed on to exhibit at Watches and Wonders – Chanel, Chopard, Patek Philippe and Rolex. This not only demonstrates the viability of the digital tradeshow, but also the level of trust between the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie and the 4 brands that left Baselworld. There is also no doubt that these brands will bring many more visitors to the digital tradeshow, given that their presence at Baselworld drew most of the crowds for watches.

There is no doubt that brands have changed their ways of communication during the pandemic, and rightfully so. However, I do not believe that a digital-only tradeshow or unveiling will be the way of the future. There will always be a place in the luxury industry for physical gatherings, and where possible, these will occur so that journalists and enthusiasts can touch, feel and experience the product. Watches are a part of the luxury industry that still needs physical presence for the watch to have an effect on the viewer, and so I believe that tradeshows will go back to being physical tradeshows when possible, but include much more digital interactivity than ever before. Unveilings may be made live, like with the recent Hublot x Murakami piece that was released at LVMH Watch Week in 2021, and keynote speakers may feature again, like at SIHH 2019 (recommended viewing: https://youtu.be/M9Pqi-QMoQw – Max Busser’s Keynote at SIHH 2019). 

The operation of a simultaneous digital and physical tradeshow will bring much more attendance through the following means – journalists and enthusiasts are brought together in one place to broadcast the new releases, and watch connoisseurs on far-flung sides of the Earth can enjoy the media and created content at their convenience. In this way, it is really a win-win situation for all parties involved – even the brands get more impressions on their pieces. Now, it just comes down to how much the brands are willing to invest into such an omni-channel experience. We can only hope that the brands see the value in this omni-channel method, from first viewing (online through watch media or through advertising) all the way to final purchase that can occur months or years down the line.

Check out my video on the new Lange Odysseus in White Gold on a rubber strap, the link above.

Thoughts around the new A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus

Yet after a while when the controversy over this feature and the other particulars of the watch had calmed down, many started to see what the brand was on about with this watch. In fact, I even wrote an article (which you can read here) stating 6 reasons why the Lange Odysseus would be a serious contender in the stainless steel watch genre. 

6 reasons why the Odysseus from A. Lange & Söhne is a serious contender in the stainless steel game 

Well, perhaps the Lange faithful who had not yet been converted last year in October when the watch was launched can find some solace in the new version launched this year for Watches & Wonders. The new watch is surprising because it at once, takes the collection backwards and forwards at the same time. What do I mean? 

Well, first of all, this new Lange Odysseus comes in white gold, which should cheer the purists who had come to believe that all Lange watches should only be in precious metals. The cheer continues by the fact that it is offered on an integrated leather strap – which as mandated by God, all Lange watches should come on. But then suddenly, just as Lange giveth, Lange taketh away by introducing another option – the same watch on an integrated rubber strap as well. 

At this point, the more forward looking members of the Lange faithful step up, putting aside their Hublot Big Bang’s and Patek Philippe Aquanauts – then strapping on their rubber clad Odysseus before jumping into a nearby pool. 

Ok, I have to admit, even though I am part of the second group, I have to get used to the sight of a Lange on a rubber strap. Yet I shouldn’t complain, since I did say that one of the main benefits of the Oydessus was being able to wear it while swimming, and rubber is a great option for this purpose. Not only that, it helps to make the weight more manageable with its white gold case, since a full white gold case and bracelet might be a little too heavy for comfortable wear. 

The rubber strap in the press pictures does look a little too sleek though, with a ribbed design that takes its line from the end links in the case. It seems mostly smooth throughout with an underside that is similarly ribbed, with deep channels for water, sweat (or air) to flow away. 

I’ll probably have to examine the real strap in person, since I think a little pebbled texture on the rubber might look better. But we’ll see. 

Those not convinced by rubber can still go the traditional route with a brown leather strap, with both options coming with a white gold prong buckle – though a deployant with some innovations as seen in the stainless steel bracelet might have been nice. 

The next thing about the new Odysseus as well, it comes with a grey dial with a special surface texture that is quite fetching, and more my speed than the original blue. The embossed groove structure beneath the applied hour markers and the subsidiary seconds scale has a kind of art deco feel to it and contrasts with the textured effect of the dial, causing it to feel a little more stately and business-like. It’s also nice to see that the background colour of the day and date windows colour matches the dial, following the original blue version. 

Well then, those are the major changes, and everything else is still there, the sweet-spot 40.5mm case, the luminous markers and hands for great legibility in the dark and the L155.1 DATOMATIC calibre that was developed exclusively for the Odysseus collection, that is the main reason why this watch will be off my wrist, as I peer at the movement while under-water. 

Hey – maybe that’s why it comes on a prong buckle! All the better to view the movement without a deployant in the way. 

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At that moment, all around the world, owners of more pedestrian watches with dumb calendars would be taking them off and manually advancing them from the number 30, then 31, and then to 1, thereby incurring sore thumbs in the process or if not, making their owners late 2 days for events in the coming month. How nice it is then to avoid all that and have your watch do it for you?

Now a perpetual calendar can achieve what these other watches cannot because of the additional parts it carries that make up the mechanism. At its core, the most important part – or the brain if you will – the part that gives instructions for the rest of the mechanism to carry out is, the programme wheel.

In most perpetual calendars, the programme wheel is usually within the diameter of the movement, relatively small, with a series of 48 notches of varying depths, with each notch representing each of the 48 months in a leap year cycle. Depending on whether a month ends with 28, 29, 30 or 31 days, the depth of the notch will differ, and a finger that comes in to the programme wheel will relay the length of each month to the rest of the mechanism to tell it what to do.

A.Lange & Söhne have produced in their portfolio, eight separate perpetual calendar movements. Interestingly, seven of the eight rely on the classical method described above, similar in principle to many well known perpetual calendar watches from other brands.

This fact alone is what makes the watch under discussion today so unique, since the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon has an entirely new perpetual calendar mechanism.

Now of course, this watch is a mountainous upgrade from the Lange 1 that I already own, and the pinnacle to the iconic Lange 1 family carrying the asymmetric dial layout with the outsized date. This version shown here is even better, as it is the 25th Anniversary version in 18k white gold introduced last year as a 25 piece limited edition, that comes with a few celebratory details that mark it out.

So let’s think about how this watch came about, because one can imagine that when the mandate for its development was set down that there would be a number of technical challenges to overcome.

The first thing to realise about creating a Lange 1 with a Perpetual Calendar is the need to work within the constraints of its singularly unique dial design. You would not, if you were an admirer, allow any disruption to the harmony of the dial. But then what do you do since all the space seems to be taken?

Well you have the date taken care off with the signature outsized date, so that helps. With the day of the week – well it’s not strictly necessary in a Perpetual Calendar so you could leave it out. But then since there is already precedent in its inclusion in the Lange 1 Daymatic, then let’s make this Perpetual Calendar an automatic watch with a day of the week indicator. Next there is the leap year indicator which requires a relatively small space, as seen in most Perpetual Calendars, so we’ll just slot it somewhere.

What’s left? The months. It’s hard to find a space for this since it needs to be quite readable and there are twelve of them. But then, you look carefully and realise that the edge of the dial is available. Ok, so you put it there, but then you think back to the key to the Perpetual Calendar and you realise that the programme wheel is connected to the months. What then can you do?

The solution: have the month ring rotate as normal once every year, but with another mechanism to inform the watch if it is a leap year or not when February arrives. Instead of one program wheel that turns once every four years. You have a month ring that turns once every year, then another mechanism that tells the ring if it is a leap year or if it isn’t.

In essence then the month ring becomes an inverted and larger programme wheel, with the series of waves shaped notches underneath it to communicate the number days of the month – but for only 12 months instead of 48 – and this is connected to a part called a sampler lever that reads what month it is and directs the the right date to be displayed come the end of each month and the beginning of another.

What happens come February? The sampler lever has another arm called an extender, that pushes to a leap year cam (that you can see as numbers 1,2,3 and 4 via a dial side aperture). If it encounters no resistance, the extender does nothing and everything proceeds as normal, since it is not a leap year. If resistance is encountered, then the mechanism “reads” that it is a leap year, and so does the things that make the date appear correctly.

That in a nutshell is how all this works, and if your brain just exploded at this explanation, don’t worry, it will take time to understand. And know that it is only one part of what the movement does, I haven’t even covered how A Lange & Söhne  manages the huge amount of power to turn the large month ring every month by 30 degrees, or even how the outsized date is given instructions to display correctly.

So spend some time looking at this video and try to work it out. If you give up, at least you’ll realise why the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar is such a masterpiece, and why you had to pay so much to get one.