An In-Depth Look at the Lange 1 Time Zone “25th Anniversary”

When A. Lange & Söhne was re-born in 1990, the legendary co-founder of the brand Günter Blümlein had one thing in mind: doing things differently. Whether mechanics, aesthetics, or even the drawers in the presentation room (even the guest toilets came from him, say some old-time employees), A. Lange & Söhne had to be both different and aesthetically conscious. The Lange 1 Time Zone “25th Anniversary,” and the overall line for that matter, is a polarizing piece, and this is the reason why it deserves a lengthy examination.

A. Lange & Söhne started with fuseé-and-chain and tourbillon, and expanded its repertoire of complications with the Datograph in 1999, and Double Split in 2004. Already a world-wide known brand by then, the Lange 1 Time Zone arrived in 2005 as a testament to the ever-growing fame.

Following many different editions, retailers, markets, metals, and the unique piece given to the winner of Concorso d’Eleganza every year, throughout its 15 years, Lange 1 Time Zone “25th Anniversary” came as a part of the 10-piece Anniversary Collection in 2019. Even though I find the whole idea of let’s put everything in blue kind of boring over the course of 10 months, when individually examined, the watches speak for themselves.

A white gold case measuring 41.9mm in diameter with a slender thickness of 10.2mm, the Lange 1 Time Zone “25th Anniversary” is as comforting as a companion can get. Its case is built with many intricate details such as notched, angled lugs, which Blümlein designed himself. The contrast between the brush and polish along the caseback, bezel, and case band is just delightful, elevating the modern look of the Lange 1 even more.

The pushers follow the curve and finishing of the case with generous bevels. While the one at 10 o’clock advances the date, the one at 8 o’clock advances the city ring and the corresponding second time zone sub-dial indications.

The dial is the root for the headline question… This is where things get more interesting for the Lange 1 Time Zone “25th Anniversary” piece. First things first, it is not a world timer. Though the confusion is understandable, as unlike most GMT pieces, the Lange 1 Time Zone does not utilize a second hour hand but a city ring instead. This is one of those watches where function follows form – simply because Lange 1 identity is the dominant one.

When I whisper, blued hands, printed numerals, and a silver dial to any A. Lange & Söhne enthusiast, I know that butterflies are going to start to fly around in their stomach. Indeed, such a combination has always been utterly special in A. Lange & Söhne’s arsenal since its re-birth, mainly because it was utilized in very few references such as the 101.027x. The Lange 1 Time Zone “25th Anniversary,” just like the rest of its set, brought this fan-favorite combination back.

We saw the blue-themed Lange 1 Time Zone before with the Buenos Aires Edition – but surely, the printed numerals add much more to the versatility, transforming the watch into something lighter, more settled.

Now, the headline question!

In principle, Lange 1 Time Zone goes against the foundational value of the Lange 1 design. Indeed, the founding idea of the collection dictates that none of the indications should overlap – but now, here we are. Concordantly, and I might add, rightfully, a considerable number of enthusiasts saw the first generation of the Lange 1 Time Zone as a random attempt over the proven canvas.

What we have with the Lange 1 Time Zone is rather randomly placed day/night indications, and a small second’s indication (possibly to balance out the day/night at 12) which I doubt many people need… Its design feels random, too forced, perhaps.

On the other hand, the latest Lange 1 Time Zone family might be seen as proof to such perspective – as A. Lange & Söhne got rid of the hanging day/night indicators which gave the watch a much more Lange 1 like and organized appearance.

The home time is displayed at the big sub-dial at 9 o’clock, and the local time is at the sub-dial at 5 o’clock. When the button at 8 o’clock is pressed, the city ring, day/night indicator as well as the local time indicator advances by one step, making it as easy as possible to move around the world. As with all other Lange 1 executions I might say, such as Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar, the Time Zone excels in legibility.

Overall, even though the Lange 1 Time Zone (first generation) comes with more than 10 different references, the 25th Anniversary version – for me – is the best version with its subtle, lively, and charming look. The full blue might be tiring to some, yet here I am, thinking it is delightful. The only other GMT watch in A. Lange & Söhne catalogue is (or was) the Saxonia Dual Time, which in comparison, fades heavily against the originality of both Lange 1 Time Zone generations…

And of course, as with most Lange pieces, it gets better on the back.

Caliber L031.1 is built on the basic Lange 1’s L901.0, with a distinct bridge on top for the Time Zone mechanism, engraved “25.” It is a delightful view, especially for those who are getting bored from the plain three-quarter plate. If you would remember, the only other piece from A. Lange & Söhne we see such an arrangement is Richard Lange, which has a bridge developed for the central seconds mechanism. The silver wheels above the plate control the day/night indications whereas the center golden wheel forms the connection between the two.

The overall finish is distinct, characteristic, and most importantly, just delightful. Thick ribbing over the warm German Silver catches the light tremendously. The dance between the chatons, red rubies, blued screws and blue filling over the engraving is just splendid at every glance.

The caliber L031.1 offers a great three-days of power reserve and comes with a stop-seconds arrangement too.

All in all, Lange 1 Time Zone is a watch where A. Lange & Söhne really tries to make it sing. It is a watch that wants to do everything, partly in exchange of its balance. However, the 25th Anniversary variant is surely the best one to handle such a complicated layout, simply because of its subtlety.