With Christmas just three weeks away, A. Lange & Söhne has offered an early treat in the form of Honeygold. The brand has unveiled a very attractive limited edition Lange 1 Daymatic in its proprietary warm and soft gold alloy, paired with a dark brown dial for a low profile and unmistakably upscale look that feels completely in character for the top German watchmaker.

A full thirty nine point five millimetres of Honeygold

Day, date, and Honeygold

When the Lange 1 was launched in 1994, it immediately became a landmark because its asymmetrical dial layout was so well resolved that it settled into the minds of enthusiasts. This also meant that any added complication had to be introduced with care in order to preserve the familiar architecture.

One of the most successful examples of this is the Lange 1 Daymatic from 2010. In addition to the typical date display found on the hand-wound Lange 1, the Daymatic adds a day indication. To make this work, Lange reversed the layout on the dial, swapping the hour and seconds positions in a left-right mirror arrangement and replacing the power reserve indicator with a day indicator. At first glance it looks like a classic Lange 1. Only on a second look does it reveal itself as something more involved, with a day display added to the mix.

A charming detail is the retrograde day display, which runs from Monday to Sunday in a bottom to top arrangement. It comes across almost like a small visual guide to one’s mood through the week.

The applied markers and hands in gold act as highlights to an already gorgeous look

The strength of the Daymatic has long been its closeness to the hand-wound Lange 1. But that similarity has also been its weakness because it can feel nearly identical. The latest release changes that. Lange has given it a very tasteful makeover and the difference is immediate. The new version arrives in the brand’s proprietary Honeygold, a warm and soft alloy, paired with a dark brown dial. The combination creates a rich tone on tone effect that brings a stern and luxurious presence perfectly suited to a Lange. 

This beautiful example is, of course, limited to 250 pieces and should be in the hands of all 250 lucky owners by Christmas. It is also the third Lange 1 to be rendered in Honeygold, or the fourth if you count the quietly released base model of 20 pieces that appeared just before SIHH 2015 and was kept discreet among collectors. The first Honeygold Lange 1 was the tourbillon of 2010, followed by the base model in 2015, then the Lange 1 Time Zone in 2016. After a nine year pause, the Honeygold story continues with the new Lange 1 Daymatic.

Thoughtful date disc rendered in brown to match the overall palette

Automatic and elaborate

Inside the watch is the cal. L021.1, an automatic movement that remains something of an exception at Lange. Yet despite being automatic, it actually looks more elaborate than the hand wound L121.1 in the base model. One reason is the solid gold rotor, which is openworked so it does not obstruct the view. It is also finely decorated with engraving and a hammered finish that catches the light in a lively way.

Another reason is the architecture. The movement uses more individual plates than the typical hand wound calibre in the standard Lange 1, which adds to the sense of complexity.

The surprisingly beautiful automatic cal. L021.1

Beyond these differences, the movement is decorated to the usual Lange standard. This includes rounded bevels along the edges of the bridges, gold chatons, black polished steel parts, a swan neck mechanism, and the hand engraved balance cock. For timekeeping precision, Lange has opted for a free sprung balance. This means the swan neck no longer regulates the rate and is instead adapted to adjust beat error.

Notice the elaborate decoration of the multi-piece rotor, crafted from 21k gold with a platinum outer rim

Tech Specs: Lange 1 Daymatic Honeygold
Reference: 320.050
Movement: L021.1; automatic; 50 hours power reserve, 21,600 vph or 3 Hz
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, day, and date
Case: 39.5 mm x 10.4 mm; 18k Honeygold; water resistant to 30 m
Strap: Taupe alligator leather with 18k Honeygold pin buckle
Limited edition: 250 pieces in total