Every so often, we’re lucky enough to encounter a release that feels so seamless, so organic, that it is hard to believe, reflecting on the announcement even minutes after it sounded, that life could possibly have existed without it. So natural is the pairing of Onyx with the Lange 1 layout that one cannot help but admit the question was never really “if” but rather “when” it would be deployed.

This release is perhaps even less surprising when one considers how we seem to be living through a hard stone dial renaissance. There are many potential reasons for this shift in tastes, but some obvious ones may be the perceived value of stone dials, a return to classic design which better suits such opulent material, and the increasing comfort of male buyers particularly in wearing watches with design elements previously considered more feminine (such as diamonds, mother of pearl, and stone dials). You could call it the “jewelification” of watchmaking; I’d simply dub it “about time.”

One other thing that supports the uptick of stone dials, is the trend towards smaller pieces. Smaller watches require less stone, which makes finding an aesthetically pleasing slice of whatever material a brand chooses to work with a lot easier and therefore cheaper.

And that makes the Lange 1 and Little Lange 1 all the more perfect dance partners. While it’s easy to assume the Lange 1 is an oversized piece when judging it from images on-screen alone thanks to the wealth of information displayed on its iconic dial (that has been delighting watch lovers the world over since its unveiling in 1994, since when it has barely changed), it is actually already a diminutive piece.

The case measures just 38.5 mm in diameter and a splendidly slender 10 mm. If you weren’t aware, allow yourself a moment to let that sink in. It’s even harder to believe when you see it next to the Little Lange 1, which looks positively minuscule in comparison.

That’s because for a watch with such an intricate display, it is! The Little Lange 1 comes in at 36.8 mm wide and 9.5 mm thick, which makes for a slightly stouter, more upright wearing experience, but a comfortable and elegant one nonetheless.

The triumph of the dial layout is in its airiness, even at such restrictive proportions. It feels spacious and yet boasts incredible connectivity. Every element, arranged so perfectly with the aid of the golden ratio, has room to breathe without feeling detached from its companions. There is, no doubt, a reason why it hasn’t altered in thirty years and continues to be the visage for which the brand is best known.

The vivid tension of the dial layout is truly superb. While most brands desperately chase an iconic case silhouette as seen on models like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, Patek Philippe Nautilus, or the Cartier Crash, A. Lange & Söhne has instead placed its faith in a dial format that is so unusual (especially outside of Germany), that it is almost enough alone to communicate the brand from a distance. That is an achievement that played a huge role in the revival and continued reverence of the brand that started the pendulum swinging in Glashütte, way back in 1845.

What we have here in this release are two new Lange 1 models and two new Little Lange 1 models in two new colorways. The options see either a platinum case paired with an onyx-faced silver dial with rhodium plated .750 gold hands, or a .750 pink gold case and hands working in harmony with a blue galvanically coated dial made from .925 sterling silver and finished with a fine sun-ray pattern.

Both models feel immediately “fresh and familiar”, which is, in this writer’s opinion, at least, the mark of a good novelty.

An onyx dial triumph

To be frank, however, it is the onyx dial that steals the show, despite its more reserved character. The fusion of onyx and platinum is just about the wildest stealth wealth flex one could attempt. Lange has excelled at finishing both the high-gloss Onyx and the less artisanal but no less handsome blue dial. Applied indices on the time-telling registers are a high-quality addition, which, along with the prominent and polished applied double date window adds a bit of height and depth to proceedings.

The cardinal hours (3, 6, 9, and 12) are indicated by elegant Roman Numerals, interspersed with small diamond-shaped indexes. The hands that point to these hand-fitted markers are expertly polished, retaining a strong, deliberate form despite simultaneously looking so fluid they might just suddenly run off your wrist. The quality of a watch’s hands can make or break an entire concept. Here, the hands are another talking point and an example of the excellence A. Lange & Söhne pours into every element of the design.

And if you were worried that the more clinical, less openly luxurious character of this supremely refined watch wasn’t “Lange” enough for you, you need only turn it over in your hands so you’re able to admire the untreated German silver movement, furnished with blued screws holding down polished gold Charon, contrasting with bright red rubies, surrounded by expertly applied Glashütte ribbing.

The warmth of German silver against the crisp whiteness of the casing material is a truly satisfying contrast and is a reminder that however serious an A. Lange & Söhne may seem from the front, the passion poured into its creation is immediately visible through the back. The beating hearts of these watches simply cannot be denied.

The L121.1 is composed of 368 parts. Assembling such a movement once would be task enough for most brands, but Lange famously assembles its movements twice. Once to check everything is running exactly as it should and that all fine adjustments are taken care of and then once more after the optimally tuned watch has been disassembled and cleaned once more.

The movement, despite its obviously artistic character, is no slough when it comes to performance. Boasting a shock-resistant balance wheel fitted with eccentric poising weights, topped by a superior-quality balance spring (which is made in-house) the L121.1 is well-equipped to survive the rigors of daily life.

While its operating frequency of 21,600 oscillations per hour is toward the slower end, it does help reduce power consumption which, along with those twin barrels, is why such slim watches are able to have such healthy power reserves. Most standard calibers these days operate at 28,800 vph as standard, although this was, once upon a time, seen as a hi-beat escapement and only became the norm following the invention of the 36,000 vph balance, first seen in Zenith’s 1969 El Primero chronograph movement. Considering high operating frequencies are most relevant for sports (or sports-inspired) watches that are expected to suffer a lot of shocks during regular wear, the more traditional 3 Hz operating frequency is more than sufficient. Besides, not many people buy a Lange & Söhne for the operating frequency (in fact, I’d be surprised if the operating frequency has ever been a good enough reason to not buy a watch); they’re more likely to lust over this high-end German maker due to the way those watches and their movements look.

The decoration is applied by hand, with the hand-engraved balance cock, topped by the recognizable swan neck regulator, a high point. Several gilt engravings showing the brand name, the fact it was made in Germany, the watch’s serial number, how many rubies (43) are used to reduce friction at key points throughout the caliber’s architecture, and how many positions (5) in which the watch has been regulated.

While the information has no effect on the function of the movement, it adds significantly to its appearance. For German speakers, it is perhaps less enthralling to see texts such as “Dreiundvierzig Rubine” (43 Rubies), or “In Fünf Laden Reguliert” (Regulated in Five Positions), but for international collectors proud to own an icon of German watchmaking, the use of the brand’s native tongue in these artful and elegant engravings was a wise choice. It adds something. It oozes authenticity. And, somehow, it sprinkles a little magic on what were already unbelievable watches.

With every element, Lange tells its story. With cases that defy the pressure to choose between strength and elegance, movements that arguably put all others that occupy the same class of Haute Horlogerie in the shade when it comes to aesthetics, hands that rank among the industry’s very best, dials, and traditional and hard stone, that have clearer had more thought put into their construction and layout than most complicated movements, A. Lange & Söhne continues to lead from the front with this new release.