A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” Watch Review
At Watches & Wonders 2026, the luxury watch marque from the Ore Mountains unveiled the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen”, a watch featuring a tourbillon with stop seconds and a perpetual calendar. Angus Davies explores this exquisite example of Haute Horlogerie.
I’m reminded of bloodlines and physical traits when appraising the latest creation from A. Lange & Söhne, the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen”. This wholly new model contains many ingenious details, yet it shares its eyes and jaw line with another regal creation, unveiled in 1994, the Lange 1.
A. Lange & Söhne since 1990
Following the fall of the Berlin Wall (1989), Walter Lange revived the family business established by his great-grandfather, Ferdinand Adolph Lange. Founded in 1990, the Manufactory based in Glashütte, spent four years developing its inaugural product portfolio, comprising Saxonia, the Tourbillon ‘Pour le Mérite’, the Arkade and the Lange 1.
A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 – the face of the brand
The Lange 1 was endowed with an outsize date, an off-centre hour and minute display, a small seconds indication and a power-reserve indicator. While the German marque has been highly creative over the years, releasing several eye-catching families of watches, the Lange 1, the iconic model known to legions of horophiles, has become the face of the brand.
Lange clearly understands that fine watchmaking is not about subscribing to trends. True luxury should sidestep obsolescence, stand the test of time and proffer lasting eye-appeal, a philosophy the firm subscribes to. Indeed, the design and construction of every timepiece bearing the brand’s prestigious name embodies beauty, functionality and longevity.
Despite rejecting trends, A. Lange & Söhne has not sat back and rested on its laurels. On the contrary, it has released numerous models, including several additional expressions of the Lange 1. From the Little Lange 1 to the Grand Lange 1, the brand has crafted new calibres and subtly optimised dials, delivering harmony and peerless readability. But as well as offering different case sizes, the A. Lange & Söhne has also equipped the Lange 1 with a variety of complications. Today, the Lange 1 family includes the Moon Phase, Daymatic, Time Zone and the Perpetual Calendar models, encased in various metals.
A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar (2012)
In 2012, the Manufactory unveiled its ultimate expression of Lange 1 ownership, the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar (Ref 720.025). Housed in a 41.9 mm platinum case, the model was fitted with the automatic calibre L082.1. Beyond its headline double act, the tourbillon and perpetual calendar pairing, the watch also featured a patented peripheral month ring, the now-iconic outsize date, a retrograde day-of-the-week display and a leap year indication.
Image – A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Ref 720.025
The one-minute tourbillon, visible via the exhibition caseback, featured a patented stop-seconds mechanism. Comprising 624 components, each painstakingly finished, the brilliance of this model has never faded. Indeed, while all 100 platinum pieces were subsequently sold, the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar lives on and is currently offered in pink gold and white gold variants.
A. Lange & Söhne & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” – introduction
Now, there is a new addition to the Lange 1 family, the Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen”. This is A. Lange & Söhne’s seventh “Lumen” reference, but beyond the unusual, glowing façade of its older siblings, there is much newness to be found. Indeed, the automatic movement, the Lange manufacture calibre L225.1, is a clean sheet design incorporating several intelligent and highly original features.
Transcending the customary application of luminescent treatment to hands and hour markers, “Lumen” models cleverly unite two characteristics, namely contrast and transparency. These models are endowed with semi-transparent dials that reveal several complex mechanisms usually hidden from view. The transparency of the dark sapphire allows UV light to pass through the dial, charging the luminescent elements, causing them to emit a vivid green hue in restricted light. Moreover, the “Lumen” approach confers breathtaking contrast, aiding readability and bestowing an abundance of eye-appeal.
A horological tour de force, the complexity of the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” cannot be conveyed in a few sentences, hence hereafter, I will discuss each aspect of this model in greater detail, pointing out the many intricacies and numerous nuances that promise to deliver ownership delight.
A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” – dial
Upholding Lange 1 tradition, the dial is equipped with an outsize date, an off-centre hour and minutes display and a subsidiary seconds indication. Langephiles will know that the Glashütte-based brand has sometimes biased the outsize date to the left or right, relocating the off-centre time indication accordingly to ensure any complications are integrated into the dial in seemly order. On this occasion, the outsize date resides at 10:30 and the hour and minutes are displayed on a discrete dial adjacent the crown.
Lange 1 – proportions and the location of indications
When appraising the topography of a standard Lange 1 dial, the scene is beautifully arranged, with consideration given to proportions and the relative position of the outsize date, the off-centre time indication and the small seconds display. In the image below, I have superimposed two lines onto the Lange 1. The red vertical line running between the two date apertures continues downwards, perfectly bisecting the mirror-polished centre of the power-reserve indicator before terminating at the fulcrum of the small seconds display. Likewise, the yellow horizontal line shows the hour and minute display and the power-reserve indicator are positioned on the same axis.
Image – Lange 1 in platinum Ref. 191.062
Irrespective of which Lange 1 model you examine, you will find that each dial subscribes to the same basic layout. Similar to da Vinci’s Virtruvian Man, each element is optimally arranged and perfectly proportioned, resulting in a geometric and harmonious arrangement.
Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” – dial layout
Beyond the Lange 1’s dial, the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” incorporates additional functions. These complement the display, while still subscribing to the Lange 1 design language.
In common with the Lange 1 Daymatic, the new Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” features a retrograde day-of-the-week display, gracing the westerly region of the dial, usurping the power-reserve indicator found on the ‘standard’ Lange 1.
Like the aforementioned Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar (Ref 720.025), the dial is fringed with a peripheral month ring which, together with the other calendar indications, instantaneously advance without any hint of a transitioning period. Located at 6 o’clock, a small aperture in the lower portion of the sapphire dial reveals the disc for the leap-year, indicating the current year with a black numeral, save for leap years where a red numeral comes into view.
Image – Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” Ref. 720.035FE
Upholding Lange 1 tradition, the subsidiary seconds dial is presented directly below the outsize date, with the fulcrum of the hand (retrograde day-of-the-week display) located in between, along the red vertical axis.
The subsidiary seconds hand sits above a moon phase display with a scallop-shaped aperture revealing the age of the moon, waxing and waning every 29.5 days. Contrary to outward appearances, the moon phase indication actually employs two circular moons, mounted on a common beam, rotating 360° every 59 days. Each moon takes its turn to wax and wane through the scallop-shaped aperture. But Lange introduces another layer of complexity to the display by adding a celestial disc. Positioned below said moons, a celestial disc rotates 360° every 24 hours, serving as a backdrop to the lunar orbit. Half of the celestial disc is populated with numerous stars of varying size, depicting the sky at night. Opposite, a plain blue epidermis represents the daylight hours. Highly complex, the moon phase and day/night indicator succinctly, stylishly and simply impart meaning. Incidentally, the moon phase display ‘deviates from the true position of the moon by only one day after 122.6 years’.
Returning to the “Lumen” concept, the Manufactory could have opted for a clear sapphire dial and liberally applied luminous treatment to a plethora of components; however, Lange has opted for a more nuanced approach. For example, the hands indicating the hours, minutes and day-of-the-week are coated in a luminous compound. However, the underside of the off-centre time indication is laser etched and then filled with three-dimensional lume, fringing the silver-toned appliques with a captivating green hue. The outsize date showcases the prevailing tens and units in radiant form, while the remaining values of the tens disc are visible but are comparatively muted. Similarly, the leap-year indicator subscribes to the same approach, the prevailing year in punchy green with the other values shown discreetly in the background.
A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” – case
The brand from Saxony has chosen to house this highly technical watch within the most noble of materials – platinum. This dense precious metal is lustrous, appears silvery-white and doesn’t oxidise. To the untrained eye, it could easily pass for stainless steel, but connoisseurs will instantly recognise its distinctive sheen and its softly spoken demeanour. In this instance, platinum plays a slightly deferential role to the display, allowing it to captivate the wearer with its nocturnal charms.
Measuring 41.9 mm in diameter with a thickness of 13.0 mm, the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” confers wrist presence but without appearing unwieldy. Indeed, considering the extraordinary complexity housed within, the watch is remarkably compact.
Four correctors grace the sides of the case. There are individual correctors for the day-of-the-week, month and moon phase. In addition, there is a ‘main corrector for jointly advancing all calendar indications’.
To the rear of the watch, a pane of sapphire crystal grants sight of the Lange manufacture calibre L225.1 (see below). The watch is fitted with a black, hand-stitched, alligator leather strap that’s paired with a ‘deployant quick-lock buckle in 950 platinum’.
A. Lange & Söhne Lange manufacture calibre L225.1
In the realms of Haute Horlogerie, few firms can rival A. Lange & Söhne. The brand, beloved by the cognoscenti, is a master of micro-engineering and is famed for imbuing its creations with artisanal craftsmanship, perpetuating traditions for future generations. In this instance, the Lange manufacture calibre L225.1, comprising 685 movement parts, unites two high complications, namely a tourbillon and a perpetual calendar. Moreover, the calibre L225.1 features a plethora of refinements that deserve mentioning, a task I will now endeavour to undertake.
Tourbillon with stop seconds device
Patented in 1801, the tourbillon was originally conceived for use in a pocket watch. By placing the escapement and regulating organ within a revolving cage, rotating 360° every 60 seconds, the tourbillon counters the adverse influence of gravity on the rate, thereby heightening precision.
While intended to augment precision, a shortcoming found with most tourbillons is the inability to hack the seconds. However, this movement has a stop seconds function, allowing the wearer to halt the balance within the tourbillon cage merely by pulling the crown. This feature allows the owner to synchronise the watch with a reference clock/watch with one-second accuracy. Lange explains this technical feat is achieved by using a ‘sophisticated construction with a V-shaped arresting spring for which the manufacture was granted a patent in 2008’.
A. Lange & Söhne has also revisited the gear train design to enhance the appearance of the tourbillon when viewed through the exhibition caseback.
Perpetual Calendar
In the hierarchy of calendar functions, the perpetual calendar stands at the summit. The complication employs a sophisticated mechanism, indicating the correct day, date and month, even taking into account leap years. Assuming the watch is kept fully wound, the date will not require manual correction until 2100, at which point it will have to be adjusted to stay in line with the Gregorian calendar. This is because the Gregorian calendar omits three leap years every 400 years to remain aligned with solar time. In the case of the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen”, the dial also shows the moon phase, common year/leap year and day/night indicator.
Finishing
A. Lange & Söhne is known for imbuing its watches with peerless finishing and the Lange manufacture calibre L225.1 proves no exception. Finishing eradicates signs of machining, removes any burrs which could impair the motion of moving parts, enhances corrosion resistance and imbues surfaces with notable beauty.
The mainplate, three-quarter plate and various bridges are crafted in untreated German silver. This hard alloy will never corrode; hence it does not require plating. With time, its surface assumes a honey-toned patina, a feature highly prized by purists. The challenge with using untreated German silver, and the reason many brands avoid using the material, is that an absent-minded touch of the hand will leave a residue that will ultimately develop into an unsightly mark. Personnel in Glashütte know finger cots must always be worn and great care must be exercised at all times.
Upholding Lange tradition, the three-quarter plate and bridges are decorated with Glashütte ribbing and the edges are hand-bevelled. Rubies and thermally blued screws punctuate the mechanical scene. Lange has set six jewels in gold chatons, a refinement appreciated by discerning watch collectors. The rotor is crafted in white gold, a first for Lange, and is fitted with a platinum mass on its outer edge. The centre of the rotor is secured with three screws and is mirror-polished to a resplendent gleam.
Wherever you choose to look, you will discover joy. The ‘tourbillon cock and intermediate-wheel cock are embellished with small stars and a shooting star’. This poetic scene is hand engraved with a burin and deft use of hand. The steel cocks, together with the tourbillon cage, have been mirror-polished on a tin plate, smeared with fine-grain abrasive. Once completed, the cocks will appear black, grey or white depending on the angle from which they are viewed. The screws retaining each cock are again mirror-polished and feature bevelled slots and gleaming rims. Moreover, they nestle within polished sinks. At the centre of the tourbillon, a diamond endstone sits within a screwed gold chaton.
The cocks are partially openworked and feature a series of ‘internal angles’. This is where two flanks of the cock meet and a sharp angle is created manually using a series of files. Where the surface and flank sit perpendicular to one another, the artisan introduces a bevel at 45° by hand. Internal angles cannot be produced with a machine; hence they are a telltale indication of exalted handcraftsmanship.
Closing remarks
The A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” has a fascinating character. By day, it is quietly spoken and unassuming, conversing with the wearer in clear tone with no trace of ambiguity. At night, the watch exhibits a degree of flamboyance, presenting its indications in a vivid green hue. Rest assured, irrespective of the time, day or night, the watch proffers matchless lucidity and remains an exemplar of good taste.
Despite displaying a multitude of indications, this watch does not overwhelm the wearer, nor does the dial appear cluttered. The secret to the model’s lucid display is that each indication is clearly delineated, with the off-centre time indication, the outsize date, the retrograde day-of-the-week display and the peripheral month ring all having their own place, serving information in easy to digest portions. The only exception to this relates to the small seconds indication, moon phase display and day/night indicator. However, this instance of multi-tasking works and the result proves wonderful to behold, especially in dim light.
It is perhaps superfluous to say, but the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” is beautifully finished. Imbued with a myriad of traditional decoration techniques and artisanal crafts, the company’s cachet has grown exponentially since the rebirth of A. Lange & Söhne in 1990. In a comparatively short period of time, the Manufactory has attracted legions of admirers to its watchmaking expertise and peerless craftsmanship.
The brand has never subscribed to fleeting fashions, every model has been carefully considered, designed to deliver enduring appeal. The Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” may be new, but its lineage is clear. Indeed, with its arrangement of off-set time indications, out-size date and subsidiary seconds, its bloodline is clear; a horological aristocrat blessed with a noble mien.
Further reading
https://www.alange-soehne.com/
Technical specification
- Model: A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen”
- Reference: 720.035FE
- Case: 950 platinum, diameter 41.9 mm, height 34.1 mm, sapphire crystal to the front and transparent caseback.
- Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds; tourbillon with stop seconds; perpetual calendar with instantaneously switching displays for outsize date, retrograde day-of-the-week, moon and leap year; moon-phase display with integrated day/night indication
- Movement: Lange manufacture calibre L225.1, self-winding movement, frequency 21,600 vph (3 Hz), contains 74 jewels (including the diamond endstone), power reserve 50 hours when fully wound, 685 components
- Strap: black hand-stitched alligator strap paired with a deployant quick-lock buckle in 950 platinum
- Price upon request