A. Lange & Söhne’s flagship launch for the year, so far, is the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen”. It follows a familiar template, applying the desirable “Lumen” treatment to a complicated, top-of-the-line model.

But unlike earlier Lumen editions, the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar is more than a mere cosmetic makeover. The unique calendar display requires a more complex dial construction, and the movement has been reworked for visual impact. Even though the concept is predictable – and predictably pricey – the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” is unexpectedly appealing.

This is stating the obvious, but the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” is clearly the most appealing iteration of the most complicated Lange 1. Visually it is more striking in both light and darkness, with the new look also adding to the intricacy of the dial construction. And because Lange doesn’t do things in half measures when it comes to movements, the L225.1 inside this has been reworked by some margin to solve one of the shortcomings of the original model, a tourbillon that was barely visible.

The original Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar was and still is the most complicated version of Lange’s iconic watch design. All perpetual calendar indicators were cleverly incorporated in the Lange 1’s distinctive yet sensible layout. Add to that a tourbillon visible only on the back meant there was a lot going on inside the case; the tourbillon regulator was partially obscured behind a pair of wheels.

That’s been fixed by reengineering the movement to reposition the going train, eliminating one of the wheels that was previously over the tourbillon. The barrel bridge has also been trimmed down, allowing for a more sculptural and open-worked tourbillon cock. The movement is now a little more decorative and prettier.

It’s not only the movement that received a significant makeover, but also the dial. Adopting the dial for the glow-in-the-dark Lumen look meant more than merely replacing the traditional silver dial with a clear sapphire disc.

The trademark layout of the Lange dial makes the calendar surprisingly legible despite the asymmetry. This also means the tinted sapphire dial was especially challenging to develop since the outermost ring of the dial is a functional component as the months indicator. Unsurprisingly, this is the most intricate dial in the Lumen series according to Lange product chief Anthony de Haas.

The latest Lumen differs from its immediate predecessor in case material. It’s platinum versus Honeygold for the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold “Lumen” of 2024. I feel platinum works best with the monochromatic style of the Lumen line, and that holds true here. Even though the dial is busy with all of its calendar indicators, the watch still maintains a clean aesthetic, thanks in part to its monochromatic palette.

Where the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” is similar to its predecessor is price — it is expensive. The retail is US$530,000, which is almost US$200,000 more the regular production equivalent in white gold.

The premium is difficult to justify in terms of intrinsic features – even though the dial and movement construction are impressive — but when it comes to branding and exclusivity the price makes sense. That is especially so given the strength of Lange as a brand today, which is illustrated by the secondary market values of its limited editions.

The Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” is classic Lange in terms of look and feel. The Lange 1 design is instantly recognisable despite conveying so much more information than the standard dial, which is a testament to the strength of the perpetual calendar layout as well as the engineering behind it.

The case is big and heavy, which might not be that practical but is how a complicated Lange should be. It’s the same 41.9 mm diameter as the regular production model, but almost 1 mm taller at 13 mm because the Lumen dial is that much thicker (plus the double function moon phase adds to the height). And it is also heavier, since the case is platinum instead of white gold. But as I said, this is how a complicated Lange should feel and I like it.

The only downside of the instead thickness is the relative position of the crown, which now moves even further downwards towards the case back, leaving it looking off centre.

The front of the watch is classic Lumen. The Lumen treatment works best with lots of luminous elements, and the perpetual calendar has a generous dose.

The dial is clear sapphire that’s tinted dark grey — the tinting is a chemical process done by a German scientific institute — while many of the key elements glow in the dark.

One of the standout details on the dial is seemingly trivial — the hour markers. Whereas on earlier Lumen models the hour markers were applied on an opaque black chapter ring, here they sit directly on the tinted sapphire surface.

Instead of Super-Luminova on the markers as is convention, the lume is applied under each of the markers, resulting in a glow that outlines each index. This is visually neater, according to Mr de Haas, as opposed to having luminous markers on the sapphire.

The L255.1 inside the new Lumen is derived from the L082.1 found inside the regular production model launched in 2012. Though largely similar in broad terms, the L255.1 has been reengineered substantially in some details, explaining the new calibre number.

For one, the under-dial mechanism had to be reworked to accommodate the various sapphire dial parts, most notably the calendar ring that now sits under the sapphire dial instead of being level with the dial. The movement also gains a double function moon phase display that eliminates the separate day-night display found in the regular production model.

First found in the second-generation Lange 1 Moon Phase, this display combines both the age of the moon and day-night indicators into one. This is achieved by a clever double-level display that indicates the time of the day via the colour of the lower disc – a bright blue for daytime and a star-speckled landscape for night.

The other major upgrade is visible on the back. The going train was reworked in order to expose the tourbillon as much as possible.  Essentially, an intermediate wheel was reduced in diameter and relocated away from the tourbillon, which also called for a reshaping of the barrel bridge.

Beyond the reengineering, the L255.1 also stands out for its special decoration. While most past Lumen editions retained the same movement as their regular production equivalents, the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar is dressed up a little bit more. These small flourishes give the movement a little bit more character, especially since Lange movements are often uniform regardless of price or complication.

The most obvious is the rotor, which is still 22k gold with a relief engraving, but instead of its natural yellow state the rotor is now dark grey thanks to ruthenium treatment. The colour naturally complements the dial.

More significant are the cocks for the tourbillon and third wheel. Both cocks are in black polished steel as is convention for Lange, but usually for the brand, they are also skeletonised. This makes them more visually interesting and also demands more effort in finishing.

Also notable is the decoration on the base of each cock. The cocks are both engraved with a star motif – the tourbillon cock gets a shooting star as well – which is unusual since such decoration is historically only applied to Handwerkskunst models (which are all about fancy decoration).

Lange has been more adventurous in this regard in recent years, blurring the lines between its various limited edition collections. This has been done on a modest and understandable scale, so the lines are still distinguishable. Such modest tweaks make the product more interesting, but overdoing them might make things confusing. For now, that is not the case.

A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen”
Ref. 720.035FE

Diameter: 41.9 mm
Height: 13 mm
Material: Platinum
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: L225.1
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, day-night indicator, perpetual calendar with leap year, tourbillon with hacking mechanism
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 50 hours

Strap: Alligator with folding buckle

Limited edition: 50 pieces
Availability: At A. Lange & Söhne boutiques
Price: US$530,000 excluding taxes

For more, visit Alange-soehne.com.

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