Fifteen years after its launch, the A. Lange & Söhne LANGE 1 TIME ZONE watch has now been endowed with a new manufacture caliber.

Introduced in 2005, and equipped with the extremely practical time zone function, the original LANGE 1 TIME ZONE was based on the iconic Lange 1 series. The watch comfortably displays the time in 24 time zones.

The new edition of the LANGE 1 TIME ZONE combines functionality with legibility and superb craftsmanship. It boasts an asymmetric dial with two time displays, an outsize date and a power-reserve indicator. And it retains the switchable city ring that allows convenient setting of the second time zone.

In contrast to world time watches, the LANGE 1 TIME ZONE provides the time at home and the time in a second zone at a glance. While the larger time circle shows home time, the smaller of the two time circles can be set to a second time zone by adjusting the city ring. When the time is adjusted with the crown, both displayed times are corrected simultaneously.

One of the key innovations is that the day/night indicators for home time and zone time, originally displayed with rotating arrow hands, have been shifted to the centres of the two time circles. There, together with the hour hand, they inform the user whether the time indication applies to the first or second half of the day. The ring-shaped day/night indicators are not only harmoniously designed, they are also intuitively readable.

Featuring blue printed semicircles, the discs rotate once about their axes in 24 hours while the hour hand performs two revolutions in the same period. When it is located in the dial colour segment, the display spans the period from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on the blue background from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The new LANGE 1 TIME ZONE has another convenient feature. A small aperture of the golden arrow applique at 5 o’clock  indicates the reference location for the zone time that has been set. If the aperture is red, the respective city has a daylight saving time regime. If standard time applies to the city all year round, the display appears on a bright background. This feature is technically implemented with coding on the underside of the city ring.

A feature retained from the predecessor model is the convenient adjustment of the second time zone based on a switchable city ring with 24 time zones. They were defined in 1884 and are represented by 24 reference locations. When the corrector button at 8 o’clock is pressed, the city ring jumps from west to east by one time zone. At the same time, the hour hand in the small subsidiary dial advances by one hour and now indicates the zone time of the city beneath the golden arrow applique that stands for that particular time zone.

The hands on the large numerals circle can be set to display the time at home or the time in another freely selectable time zone. To simplify the distinction, zone time is indicated with printed Arabic numerals while home time is displayed with gold Roman numeral appliques.

The new model also retains the unique synchronisation mechanism that makes it possible to transfer zone time from the smaller to the larger dial. This is useful when – during an extended stay abroad, for instance – the user wishes to swap zone time and main time.

If the crown is pulled out to the second position, the times of both zones can be adjusted synchronously. But in the process, if the button for setting the second time zone is pressed and held, the hour hand for zone time will stay in its position. Now, the defined new main time can be set independently of zone time. Finally, it may be necessary to correct the outsize date which is connected with main time. This is done with the pusher at 10 o’clock.

With the new manufacture calibre L141.1, all models of the LANGE 1 watch family that were originally based on the calibre L901 are now endowed with new movements. The most recent one reflects the experience accrued with the development of 65 calibres so far.

In comparison with the predecessor model, the 72-hour power reserve is achieved with only one spring barrel. Further technical details include a classic screw balance and a freely oscillating balance spring crafted in-house and calibrated for a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour.

Lange-style quality hallmarks such as the three-quarter plate made of untreated German silver, screwed gold chatons, blued screws, an elaborate whiplash precision index adjuster as well as hand-engraved balance and intermediate-wheel cocks are visible through the sapphire-crystal caseback. The artisanal decoration of the movement, which is assembled twice, reflects A. Lange & Söhne’s high standards in every detail.

The dimensions of the new LANGE 1 TIME ZONE remain unchanged. The case has a diameter of 41.9 millimetres and a height of 10.9 millimetres.

The LANGE 1 TIME ZONE watch with new caliber comes in three case/dial combinations: white gold/black, pink gold/argenté, and – in a limited edition of 100 – yellow gold/champagne.

Technical details

Model: A. Lange & Söhne LANGE 1 TIME ZONE with New Manufacture Caliber

Versions

• Reference 136.032: 18K pink gold version with argenté-colored dial
• Reference 136.021: 18K yellow gold version with ivory argenté-coloured dial, Limited to 100 pieces, available exclusively in Lange boutiques
• Reference 136.029: 18K white gold version with black dial

Movement
Calibre L141.1
Manually wound movement
Power reserve: 72 hours
Number of movement parts: 448

Functions
Outsize date
Day/night indicator
Time-zone function
Power reserve indicator

Case
18K pink gold/18K yellow gold/18K white gold
Case back: sapphire glass
Diameter: 41.9 mm
Thickness: 10.9 mm
Lug width: 22mm
Water resistance: 3 bar

Dial
Pink gold version: Solid silver argenté-colored dial
Yellow gold version: Solid silver ivory argenté-coloured dial
White gold version: Solid silver black dial

Strap
Pink gold version: Reddish-brown alligator leather with 18-carat pink gold buckle
Yellow gold version: Middle brown alligator leather with 18-carat yellow gold buckle
White gold version: Dark brown alligator leather with 18-carat white gold buckle

• Find More Details about A. Lange & Söhne Watch Brand.

• A. LANGE & SÖHNE New Watch Models.

• A. LANGE & SÖHNE Archives (from 1994 to 2013).

Image Credit: Lange Uhren GmbH