A. Lange & Söhne celebrates 25 years since the launch of the iconic DATOGRAPH with the unveiling of a stunning new rendition: the DATOGRAPH PERPETUAL TOURBILLON HONEYGOLD “Lumen”. Making its debut at Watches and Wonders 2024, this exquisite timepiece combines a flyback chronograph, precise jumping minute counter, perpetual calendar, and tourbillon with a stop-seconds mechanism. What sets it apart is its exclusive use of Lange’s proprietary honey gold (HONEYGOLD®) and its limited “Lumen” version, restricted to just 50 pieces.
Introduced in 2016, the DATOGRAPH PERPETUAL TOURBILLON introduced a triumvirate of complications, marking a significant achievement in precision watchmaking. But beyond the technical prowess lies the challenge of harmonizing these intricate mechanisms into a legible and visually pleasing design. The new DATOGRAPH PERPETUAL TOURBILLON HONEYGOLD “Lumen” meets this challenge by showcasing its technical finesse even in low-light conditions.
The DATOGRAPH PERPETUAL TOURBILLON HONEYGOLD “Lumen” boasts three classic complications, each with additional functions. The flyback chronograph, with Lange’s distinctive outsize date, allows for swift consecutive time measurements with a single push of a button. The jumping minute counter ensures precise readings by advancing to the next minute exactly when the chronograph seconds hand completes a full revolution. Complementing these features is the perpetual calendar, which accounts for leap years and varying month lengths, alongside a forward-looking moon-phase display.
At its heart beats the one-minute tourbillon, offsetting the effects of gravity on the watch’s timekeeping. A. Lange & Söhne introduced its stop-seconds mechanism in 2008, enabling precise time setting regardless of the tourbillon’s position. Pulling the crown activates a lever mechanism, halting the tourbillon and balance wheel, while pushing it back releases them, initiating the watch’s movement again.
Despite its complexity, the DATOGRAPH PERPETUAL TOURBILLON HONEYGOLD “Lumen” maintains a harmonious dial layout, ensuring ease of readability. The arrangement of displays forms an equilateral triangle, with the outsize date positioned beneath 12 o’clock and subsidiary dials for seconds, day, month, and leap year distributed across the face.
In low-light conditions, the watch truly comes alive, thanks to its semi-transparent dial and luminous coating. The hour, minute, and chronograph seconds hands, along with various indicators, emit a radiant glow, enhancing legibility in darkness.
Powered by the newly developed calibre L952.4, comprising 684 meticulously assembled parts, the DATOGRAPH PERPETUAL TOURBILLON HONEYGOLD “Lumen” ensures exceptional rate stability and accuracy. Crafted from 18-carat honey gold, this timepiece combines durability with a distinctive aesthetic appeal.
Anthony de Haas, Director of Product Development at A. Lange & Söhne, describes the DATOGRAPH PERPETUAL TOURBILLON HONEYGOLD “Lumen” as a culmination of technical and aesthetic sophistication. He emphasizes the brand’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of mechanical horology and shedding new light on intricate complications.
For more information, please visit Alange-Soehne.com.