If nothing else, A. Lange & Söhne has a manner of gorgeous even seasoned observers of the commerce by doing not more than altering the dial, because it does right here with the brand new Richard Lange Leaping
Seconds. For instance, the editor confessed he thought it was new when he first noticed it within the steel, solely to grasp that watch correct debuted in 2016 (he clearly didn’t learn the press launch). Since this title has by no means lined it straight, this story provides a treatment of kinds for WOW – and lets us get into the elegant calibre L094.1 as if it was the primary time (consider the Pulp music and sing alongside). The editor additionally provides his personal ideas on the dial, that are paraphrased right here.
As you’ll little doubt have heard, the dial of the Richard Lange Leaping Seconds isn’t any mere salmon dial. That is stable 18k gold that appears for all of the world like some kind of floor therapy has been utilized however the model assures us that this isn’t the story. The frosted end right here makes the dial look nothing like the common pink gold case that you just is likely to be accustomed to, pricey reader. It’s also nothing like frosting in white gold or yellow gold. Briefly, that is an astonishingly good selection of supplies right here, paired as it’s with a white-gold case. The stable pink-gold dial (Lange’s fourth use of this materials, following icons such because the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon) is punctuated by crisp black markings and rhodiumised palms (metal for seconds, gold for the remaining).
Fittingly, the very first thing that strikes you in regards to the Richard Lange Leaping Seconds is its face. It’s a research in hierarchy and may lull you into considering it’s asymmetrical however it’s not. The biggest sub-dial, positioned prominently on the prime, is devoted to the seconds – a grande seconde show, because it had been. The hours and minutes are relegated to smaller, overlapping circles under (it is a model that I’m so personally keen on that I have to depend on others to be skilled a few story). Be aware the central purple spot, which is the indicator that energy is working low.
This distinctive “regulator” format will not be a contemporary affectation however a nod to Saxon historical past. The design attracts direct inspiration from Chronometer No. 93, a pocket watch crafted within the late 18th century by Johann Heinrich Seyffert. The non secular progenitor of precision watchmaking in Saxony, Seyffert designed his regulators to forestall the hour and minute palms from obscuring the seconds – a essential function for astronomers and navigators of the period, and a degree of competition amongst probably the most nitpicky of collectors.
On that notice, the motion right here is the muscle and we like lifting! The Calibre L094.1 is a beast of 390 components, and its complexity is devoted to a singular, obsessive purpose: dividing up the seconds as evenly as attainable, seconde morte model! In different phrases, the second hand right here ticks exactly 60 instances a minute.
Restricted to simply 100 items, the 2025 Richard Lange Leaping Seconds in white gold is a watch for individuals who have moved previous the necessity for loud statements. It’s 39.9mm of quiet confidence.
MOVEMENT Guide calibre L094.1 with lifeless seconds; 42-hour energy reserve
CASE 39.9mm white gold; waterproof to 30m
STRAP Leather-based
PRICE On software
This story was first seen as a part of the WOW #82 Festive 2025 Situation
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