Fifteen years after its introduction, the Lange 1 Time Zone from A. Lange & Söhne was equipped with a new manufacture caliber. The time in two different time zones can be read intuitively from the dial. But this watch offers much more, as we can confirm after scrutinizing one we were able to preview before the watch’s official launch.

A second time zone ranks among the most useful added functions a watch can have, along with a date, at least since people began traveling around the globe, working and communicating with associates in different time zones. This complication is extremely relevant nowadays, but it’s not as new as you might think. Soon after the International Meridian Conference in 1884, inventive watchmakers in Glashütte had devised and began making pocketwatches with two separately adjustable time displays. These antique timepieces are now coveted collectors’ items.

The new Lange 1 Time Zone, the watch we were able to preview, shows your home time on one circle and another, freely selectable time zone, in a second circle. The entire ensemble is clear, intuitive and, needless to say, designed in classic Lange 1 style. The large, off-center time circle on the left side of the dial shows the time at your current location or in your home time zone. Meanwhile, the time in a different zone is shown on a second, smaller time circle at the lower right, at the same position where the small seconds hand rotates in the classic Lange 1. The small seconds truly deserves its name because this is shown on a petite disk at 6 on the off-center main time subdial. This was the very arrangement that was used on the face of the first Lange 1 Time Zone, which debuted in 2005. Also familiar from the original Lange 1 is the city ring along the dial’s circumference, where two dozen place names correspond to the Earth’s 24 time zones. The positioning of this place-name ring lets you instantly see which zone’s time is currently displayed on the second time circle. The functionality of the Lange 1 Time Zone thus far exceeds that of a watch with a second, separately adjustable time display. Without claiming to be a world-time watch, it can still show all of the world’s time zones. This goal was already explicitly stated in the specs for the original Lange 1 Time Zone, for which the first sketches were available in fall 2002.

Two Disks Rotate to Indicate Day and Night
Times change. And some places alter their time zones. Although these zones were theoretically defined according to geographical longitude at the International Meridian Conference in 1884, in practice — then as now — they are far more difficult to define according to shifting political boundaries and national interests. This has practical consequences for watches with settings such as those offered by the Lange 1 Time Zone. Russia, for example, abolished two time zones between 2010 and 2014 and also maintained daylight saving time all year round for over three years starting in 2011. Now the semiannual changeover to daylight saving time is not taking place at all in Russia. To circumvent this confusion, “Moscow” was replaced by “ Riyadh” on the city ring of the Lange 1 Time Zone. Venezuela similarly changed its time zone, so “Caracas” was removed and “Santiago” added to the city ring. And these are only two of the perplexing updates.

The day-night indicators, which are very useful for a watch of this kind, have been completely redesigned on the new Lange 1 Time Zone. They appear as two disks, one at the center of the time circle for the home time and its counterpart at the center of the subdial for the second time zone.
The disks, printed with dark blue semicircular arcs to symbolize night, rotate once around their own axis every 24 hours while the corresponding hour-hands complete two orbits in the same interval. If the hour hands are above the blue arcs, then it is night, or more specifically, the period between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. If the hour hands are in the light-colored area of the dial, then the time shown refers to a daytime hour between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. These displays are not only intuitively understandable, but also look very harmonious compared to the formerly off-center positioning of the day/night disks on the old Lange 1 Time Zone.

Set the Second Time Zone After Synchronization
The convenient way to set the second time zone was adapted from the previous model. It is done by means of a ring, marked with the corresponding reference locations, that clicks into place in 24 steps and a pusher at 8 o’clock. When you press this pusher, the hour hand of the second time zone advances by one hour. At the same time, the city ring jumps one time zone onward from west to east. A golden arrow appliqué at the 5 in the small time circle indicates the reference point for the respective time zone. All the while, the already-set home time remains unchanged on the large time circle.

Before you choose a second time zone for whatever purpose you may have in mind — for example, to show the time in a business partner’s zone or at an intended destination — it’s recommended to synchronize the watch first. To start this process, press the pusher at the 8 one or more times to move the city ring into the desired position. It aligns with home time at the golden arrowhead. To set the hands, pull the knurled crown to the second position. This is easily accomplished with two fingernails. And the crown snaps smartly into place thanks to a secure detent. Now both pairs of hands move synchronously when you turn the crown — unless you press and hold down the pusher at the 8, thus preventing the hour hand for the second time zone from moving. This allows the two time displays to be synchronized. But be careful: precisely the right amount of pressure must be applied to the pusher. If you press and hold the pusher down too gently, the hour hand for the second time zone will continue to turn; but if you press the button with too much force, the city ring along the dial’s periphery will jump forward and you’ll have to start the procedure all over again. The synchronization works best if you perform the process in the counterclockwise direction. When setting the time, it is also important to make sure that the day-night indicator and the date display are in harmony. If necessary, this can be corrected by pressing the button at the 10. Unlike its counterpart, this pusher is very easy to operate. If you then set the watch to the nearest second (for which a stop-seconds function is provided), then two time zones will run perfectly parallel to one another.

To set a business partner’s time zone on the small time circle, simply press the pusher at the 8, which causes the city ring along the dial’s circumference to advance in single-hour increments until the desired reference city is opposite the tip of the golden arrowhead. The hour hand in the small time circle jumps accordingly. When the process is complete, this hand shows the corresponding hour in the desired second time zone.

When Traveling, Press the Button to Preserve Home Time
The same procedure as described above for synchronization is recommended if you want to change the main time during a longer stay in a new time zone. While you reset the new main time on the large time circle via the crown, you press the pusher at the 8 to keep your home time unchanged on the second time circle. The city ring is always linked to the second time zone, while the outsize date display advances in sync with the time shown on the main time circle. If jet lag is keeping you up late and your watch is running, you can observe the date display gradually advance during the first half hour after midnight.

The real artistry of the Lange 1 Time Zone becomes apparent when you switch the home time onto the second time circle and vice versa. Depress and hold down the pusher at the 8 and turn the hands of the main time counterclockwise via the crown until they reach the setting for the current second time zone. Meanwhile the hour hand on the subdial for the second time zone remains motionless. But when performing this operation, make sure that the day/night display is correct. Afterward, press the pusher at the 8 until the city name of your (former) home time appears opposite the arrow appliqué.

The Arrow Appliqué is Handsome and Multifunctional
This watch’s new daylight saving time indicator is also shown using the arrow appliqué. If the small window inside the arrow is filled with red, this means that daylight saving time is in effect at the corresponding location. If this is the case, then you need to mentally add one hour to the time shown by the second time zone display. If standard time is valid all year round at the location, then a white background appears in the little window on the arrow and the display automatically shows the correct time: no mental arithmetic is necessary.

The technical solution that makes this possible involves a coding on the underside of the city ring. This is new, of course, because the first Lange 1 Time Zone didn’t have a daylight saving time indicator. A long lever under the dial moves a red-and-white arc, which shows the daylight saving time coding of the city ring in the small window of the arrow appliqué.

This cadrature belongs to new manual-winding Lange manufacture Caliber L141.1, which means that all models in the Lange 1 watch family are now equipped with new movements rather than the original basic Caliber L901. The experience gained from 65 previous calibers has been incorporated into this latest one. Compared to the previous model, a single barrel provides the Lange 1 Time Zone with its 72-hour power reserve. This is why the German inscription for double barrel that was on the dial of the earlier model has been replaced by the German phrase “Gangreserve 72 Stunden” for 72-hour power reserve. The German words “Auf” (up) and “Ab” (down) that typically appear on Lange’s dials have been preserved unchanged at the 2 and the 4 on the right side of the face. Like the significant big date window at 1 o’clock, the positioning of the hands’ axes also follow Lange’s well-thought-out aesthetics in which nothing is left to chance. The time circles with Roman numerals and golden rhombic appliqués for the main time, and the Arabic numerals printed in black for the second time zone, are also nearly unchanged. Golden leaf-shaped hands are used throughout.

Travel Around the World at Will
To conserve space, the three gears that comprise the drive mechanism for the second time zone were already moved to the back of Caliber L901’s three-quarter plate, where they remain in new Caliber L141.1. Beautiful curved spokes adorn the wheels of the small transmission mechanism from the minute wheel of the main time zone to the minute wheel of the second time zone. Similarly shaped wheels were used on antique lathes. In typical Glashütte style, the large golden intermediate wheel is mounted in a hand-engraved cock with a screwed gold chaton.

Caliber L141.1 is, of course, manufactured in accordance with “the highest Lange quality criteria.” Its technical and aesthetic details include a classic screw balance that vibrates at 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour, a free-swinging balance spring made by Lange, a three-quarter plate crafted from nickel silver, two additional screwed gold chatons, blued screws and a hand-engraved balance cock, on which the swan’s neck fine adjustment for setting the beat is mounted. The beat is perfectly adjusted, although this specimen ran very slightly slow on our timing machine. This fact, however, is excluded from our evaluation because this particular Lange 1 Time Zone is a preview model and not a test piece. That is why we soon had to bid farewell to this beautiful timepiece from Glashütte — and also why we couldn’t keep it long enough to check its rate performance on the wrist over several days.

We would have loved to take this watch along on journeys around the world, but unfortunately we had neither the time nor the opportunity for that adventure. So it’s a good thing that we could circle the globe simply by operating this watch’s time zone function — and do it all without leaving home.

SPECS:
Manufacturer: A. Lange Uhren GmbH, Ferdinand-Adolph-Lange-Platz 1, 01768, Glashütte, Germany
Reference number: 136.032 (Pre-series model for editorial preview)
Functions: Off-center dial for hour and minute with integrated subdial for the seconds, second time zone, ring-shaped day-night displays for both time zones, city ring for second time zone, summer-time display, big date, power-reserve display
Movement: In-house Caliber L141.1, hand- winding, 21,600 vph, 38 rubies, 3 screwed gold chatons, Lange hairspring, screw balance, Kif shock absorption, swan’s neck fine adjustment, 72-hour (3 days) power reserve, diameter = 34.1 mm, height = 6.70 mm
Case: Rose gold, sapphire crystals rated 9 on the Mohs scale above the dial and in the back, water resistant to 30 m
Strap and cla­­sp: Hand-sewn, reddish-brown leather strap, rose-gold pin buckle
Dimensions: Diameter = 41.97 mm, height = 10.94 mm, weight = 114.0 g
Variations: With white-gold case (Ref. 136.029, $52,900); with yellow-gold case (Limited edition of 100 pieces, Ref. 136.021, $56,000)
Price: $52,900

1. Hublot

In the manually wound Caliber HUB9005, 11 vertically arranged barrels provide a power reserve of 50 days. Hublot includes a special power tool with each watch to make sure the winding process doesn’t also last for days. The hours, minutes, and power reserve are shown on cylinders; there’s a vertical tourbillon, too.

2. Corum

The Golden Bridge movement, created by Vincent Calabrese for Corum in 1980, has long been a cult object. In 2011, the brand upgraded the Golden Bridge with an automatic winding mechanism. Naturally, given the Golden Bridge’s unorthodox structure, the movement doesn’t have a traditional winding rotor; instead the winding weight moves linearly along two rails.

3. Montblanc

The hand-wound Caliber MB M68.40 from Montblanc gives the time in two time zones. It also powers two 24-hour rings that rotate around models of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. An added bonus is the patented tourbillon with a cylindrical balance spring, spinning at 12 o’clock.

4. Vacheron Constantin

A tourbillon that runs for two weeks? Amazing! With the hand-wound Caliber 2260, Vacheron Constantin has created a real long-distance runner.

5. Patek Philippe

Every lever, edge and screw recess has been meticulously finished in Patek Philippe’s hand-wound CHR 27-525 PS, a split-seconds chronograph movement. The work increases exponentially with a movement as complicated as this.

6. Roger Dubuis

Two tourbillons in a skeletonized environment give this watch a 3-D look. According to Roger Dubuis, 1,200 hours are needed to manufacture its manual-wind Caliber RD01SQ.

7. A. Lange & Söhne

With the manual-wind Caliber L043.5, the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk, which shows the hour and minutes digitally in two windows, is upgraded to become a minute repeater. The repeater chimes the time in decimal fashion, ringing out 10-minute intervals rather than quarter hours, as most minute repeaters do.

One of the most beautiful examples of the genre was achieved by A. Lange & Söhne with the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar, first presented in 2021. In order to preserve the signature design of the Lange 1 watch family with its off-center and non-overlapping displays, Langeʼs watchmakers opted for a completely new approach and developed a peripheral month ring that advances instantaneously at the end of each month. Premiered in 2012 with the launch of the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar, this innovative mechanism replaces the traditional design where the month display is controlled by a 48-step cam. 

“The commitment to tailor the complex mechanical requirements to the characteristic design of the Lange 1 presented our developers with constructive challenges, as the large peripheral ring has to be advanced instantaneously by 30 degrees from one month to the next. Throughout the month, energy is collected via a cam in order to provide the required power exactly on time, at midnight on the last day of the month,” explains Anthony de Haas, Director of Product Development. “Thanks to this design feature in the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar, this watch familyʼs distinctive face could be maintained.”

Adding a day/night indication to the moon-phase display is also typical of the manufactureʼs continued quest for precision and new ways to bring it to life. Designed across two levels, it consists of a solid-gold celestial disc with graduated blue hues that rotates around its own axis once during 24 hours. Against this backdrop, the white-gold moon performs its synodic orbit in 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 3 seconds ‒ with such precision that the display only needs to be corrected by one day after 122.6 years. First implemented in the Lange 1 Moon Phase in 2016, the indication depicts the earth’s satellite moving across a bright-blue sky during the day and a dark-blue starry sky at night, thus indicating the diurnal and nocturnal hours respectively. 

Platinum case and black dial

The initial white-gold model version with a solid pink-gold dial, limited to 150 pieces, and the pink-gold version featuring a grey solid-silver dial are now joined by a platinum execution with a black dial (above). The dark background creates a beautiful contrast to the moon phase and exudes a very elegant charisma. As with the previous versions, the month ring provides the framework for all the displays – large date, weekday, leap year and moon phase with integrated small seconds. All calendar indications switch instantaneously and therefore produce unambiguous readings at any given time. They can be advanced collectively or separately with correctors. 

The artisanal excellence maintained by the Saxon manufacture is immediately evident when you glance through the sapphire crystal case back. As is de rigueur for Lange, the caliber L021.3, which comprises of 621 parts, is meticulously hand-finished. The technical highlights of this in-house movement include a unidirectional winding rotor made of 21-carat gold, with a centrifugal mass crafted from 950 platinum.

The self-winding movement oscillates at a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour and boasts a power reserve of 50 hours. Its plates and bridges are crafted from untreated German silver and adorned with Glashütte ribbing. Five gold chatons secured by blued-steel screws and the balance cock, hand-engraved and featuring the whiplash spring mounted above for beat adjustment, exemplify the manufacture’s commitment to a high standard in every detail.

Pricing for the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar is available per request.

To learn more, visit A. Lange & Söhne, here.

The latest variant to join the cosmopolitain watch family is a variant in platinum 950 framing a rhodium dial. This monochrome color combination adds a new twist to the classic, highlighting the elegant charisma and smart display of its all indications. The dimensions of the Lange 1 Time Zone have not been modified: the case boasts a diameter of 41.9 mm and a height of 10.9mm.

As is key for every Lange timepiece, the Lange 1 Time Zone was designed with superb readability in mind. By placing the ring with the 24 reference cities on the periphery, the harmonious arrangement does not sacrifice the distinctive, off-center dial architecture of the Lange 1 watch family. The display of the home time, second time zone, the outsize date, and the power-reserve indicator are arrayed in a harmonious and very clear manner.

While the larger time circle indicates home time, the smaller sub dial displays the time in a second time zone. When the corrector button at 8 o’clock is actuated, the city ring switches in the easterly direction by one time zone. At the same time, the hour hand in the small sub dial advances by one hour and indicates the zone time of the city ‒ and corresponding time zone ‒ at which the gold applied arrow marker points.

The indication of daylight-saving time includes a refined technical feature. A color segment in the arrow shows whether the selected city and time zone implement daylight-saving time. If this is the case, the small aperture is filled in red. If standard time is observed in this location all year round, the background remains unchanged. 

To distinguish between day and night in both time zones, the Lange 1 Time Zones boasts colored ring-shaped day/night indicators linked to the hour hands. They are located in the center of both sub dials and inform whether the respective time indication is valid for the first or the second half of the day via a blue semi circle. 

Another clever feature of the Lange 1 Time Zone is a synchronization mechanism that allows the zone time to be transferred from the smaller sub dial to the larger one, thus making it possible to define a new main time as the home time. When the crown is pulled in the second position, the times of both zones can be adjusted synchronously. However, if the time-zone correction button is pressed and held, the hour hand of the time-zone dial will be stopped in its position. Now, the defined new main time can be set independently of the time zone. However, it may be necessary to correct the outsize date, which is connected with main time, by actuating the date correction button at 10 o’clock. 

At the heart of the Lange 1 Time Zone ticks the manufacture calibre L141.1, which provides a power reserve of 72 hours. Further sophisticated details include a classic screw balance and a freely oscillating balance spring crafted in-house that is calibrated for a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour.

The exhibition case back brings to life many Lange-typical quality hallmarks. Those include the three-quarter plate made of untreated German silver, the screwed gold chatons, blued screws, an elaborate whiplash precision index adjuster, and an intermediate-wheel cock. The hand-crafted decoration of the manually-wound movement reflects the brand’s high standards down to the smallest detail. 

Pricing for the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Time Zone is available upon request. 

To learn more, visit A. Lange & Söhne, here.

The rattrapante complication is considered to be one of the most ambitious in the world of high horology, since it is capable of measuring intermediate times and comparative times as well as determining minimum and maximum values in the course of one minute in addition to classic chronograph functions. As the balance wheel of the manufacture caliber L101.1 beats with six semi-oscillations per second, the stopped times can be recorded with an accuracy of one sixth of a second. Thanks to the additional graduation on the peripheral minute scale, these can be easily read.

While the rattrapante chronograph excels on the field of short-term measurement, the perpetual calendar is a long-distance champion. The complex mechanism ensures that the date, day of the week and month are correctly displayed ‒ every single day, during decades, even taking leap years into account. The calendar indications must only be corrected by one day but not until 1 March 2100 when the leap year will be skipped in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.  

The high-precision moon-phase display has also been programmed with the long term in mind. It so closely emulates the duration of the synodic orbit of the earth’s satellite that it would take 122.6 years for the display to be corrected by one day. 

It goes without saying that the German luxury manufacture presents these complications in a most classic design, channeling the classic aesthetics of vintage Lange pocket watches in accordance with the 1815 collection. The two pairs of combined calendar indications are arranged at 3 and 9 o’clock. The left subsidiary dial shows the date and day of the week, the right the month and leap year. Sharing an auxiliary dial with the subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock, the moon-phase display provides an expressive colorful accent. The minute counter and power-reserve indicator are located at 12 o’clock. The shorter gold hand in the inner circle reveals when it is time to deliver new power to the movement via the winding crown. The longer hand made of blued steel imparts information about the stopped minutes. 

The 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar, which has a diameter of 41mm, is powered by the manually wound movement L101.1. A feast for the eyes and a micro-mechanical gem, it totals an impressive number of 631 individual parts. The mechanism of the perpetual calendar alone requires 211 components, a further 206 account for the rattrapante-chronograph mechanism. A screw balance, which is driven by the balance spring developed and manufactured in-house, ensures high rate stability.

Lange-typical quality hallmarks such as screwed gold chatons, blued screws, an elaborate whiplash precision index adjuster and the hand-engraved balance cock are visible through the sapphire-crystal case back. The finissage of the movement, which is assembled twice as all Lange movements, displays the brand’s high standards in every detail. 

Particularly pleasing to connoisseurs is the display of the chronograph mechanism, with the classic two-column wheel transmission used to control the measurement of stopped and intermediate times. As is typical for A. Lange & Söhne, technical intricacy is coupled with a high degree of artisanship. The upper surfaces of all moving parts are decorated with straight graining while the peripheral chamfers are polished. Only an experienced finisseur has the skill to polish the bevels to sharp and flat perfection. 

“With three classic complications, the manufacture caliber L101.1 is one of our most complex movements. Each one in itself already constitutes a technical feat; when combined, they represent a far greater challenge. For our designers and our watchmakers in equal measure, since the tweaking and tuning process of all mechanisms requires an exceptionally high degree of dexterity and technical expertise,” explains Anthony de Haas, Director of Product Development at A. Lange & Söhne. 

Pricing of the 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar is available upon request.

To learn more, visit A. Lange & Söhne, here.