A. Lange & Söhne Adds a Little Honey to Your Day

A. Lange & Söhne rarely chooses symbolic dates lightly. The unveiling of the Lange 1 Daymatic Honeygold on December 7 links three important milestones for the manufacture. It honours the founding of the workshop in Glashütte by Ferdinand Adolph Lange in 1845.

It echoes the relaunch of the brand by Walter Lange in 1990, before adding a new chapter with a limited edition of two hundred and fifty pieces crafted in Honeygold, a gold alloy made exclusively for the company.

A Refined Take on the Daymatic

The Daymatic has always been the quietly confident member of the Lange 1 family. It shares the familiar asymmetric design yet reverses the layout so that the time display sits on the right and the oversized date and subsidiary seconds move to the left.

It replaces the power reserve indicator with a retrograde day display, which is both practical and characteristic of the model’s self-winding nature.

In Honeygold, the watch takes on a rich and almost glowing presence. The warm colour of the metal works beautifully with the brown solid silver dial, which has been given depth through a recessed hour and minute circle.

White numerals appear on a brown background for the date, which keeps the dial cohesive and understated. The proportions remain measured at 39.5 millimetres in diameter and 10.4 millimetres in height.

Gentle refinements to the bezel and lugs lend the case an elegant lightness, and the taupe alligator strap completes the restrained palette.

Inside the Watchmaking

Collectors who enjoy studying movements will find much to appreciate. The calibre L021.1 is assembled and decorated by hand and reflects the brand’s ongoing dedication to traditional Glashütte watchmaking.

Four individually screwed plates come together to echo the look of the historic three-quarter plate.

A large central rotor winds the watch efficiently. It spans the full diameter of the movement and combines 875 gold with a platinum mass at its edge.

The blend of metals, together with blue screws and carefully shaped spokes, gives the rotor both technical authority and visual harmony. The movement offers around fifty hours of power reserve once fully wound.

Other familiar Lange details are present. These include the in-house balance spring, the indexless balance with eccentric poising weights and the exceptional level of finishing, which ranges from Glashütte ribbing to polished bevels and the engraved balance cock.

Every component is completed with a degree of care that becomes clear once viewed through the sapphire caseback.

A Limited Edition with Distinction

Anthony de Haas, Director of Product Development, notes that the combination of Honeygold with a brown dial gives this edition its particular identity.

It feels quietly luxurious rather than overtly showy, and it sits comfortably within the lineage of the Lange 1 while offering a character of its own.

The Daymatic Honeygold is likely to appeal to collectors who appreciate subtle design, measured proportions and uncompromising watchmaking. It represents the manufacturer’s ability to evolve an established model without disturbing its essence.

In this edition, the result is a watch that reflects both the past and the present with restrained confidence.