A. Lange & Sohne
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DETAILS
Among the Lange 1 watches from A. Lange & Söhne that have been launched since the brand’s revival in 1994, there have been very few models with mother-of-pearl dials. It is therefore no coincidence that collectors are interested in such models, which were generally produced in small numbers – compared to the basic references. Nowadays, a Lange 1 watch with a mother-of-pearl dial is referred to as a Lange 1 Soirée, although this designation was by no means always used in official documents, at least in the early days. The very first references with mother-of-pearl dials, 110.029 with a leather strap and 160.029 with a 15-row welded white gold ‘tropical’ bracelet, appeared in the brand’s catalogue in 2001. They were fitted with solid silver dials decorated with a thin plate of natural mother-of-pearl. It should be noted that from the very beginning these models were not considered women’s watches, although, of course, there was no categorical statement on this issue.
REASONS TO BUY
The Lange 1 Soirée ‘Mother of Pearl Dial’ Ref. 160.029 on a soldered ‘tropical’ white gold bracelet is an excellent purchase for the collector looking for an outstanding, very rare and attractive mechanical wristwatch from a world-famous traditional brand, the undisputed market leader in German high watchmaking. The combination of rare design features, including the spectacular asymmetrical arrangement of the Lange 1 dial, highlighted by a softly shimmering light blue mother-of-pearl background, and the large date display, typical of Lange watches of the modern era, make this watch extremely desirable. The exquisite and very rare soldered ‘tropical’ white gold bracelet makes this watch even more attractive.
ABOUT THIS WATCH
Ref. 110.029 and the bracelet version 160.029 (the present watch) have the same case diameter of 38.5 mm as the original Lange 1 references 101.0xx, while the case thickness has been slightly increased by 0.4 mm from the regular 9.8 mm. This difference is due to the greater thickness of the dial, which is decorated with a mother-of-pearl layer. Accordingly, the movement also had to be modified by lengthening the pinions of the hand by the same amount. This meant that the brand changed the caliber designation from L901.0 for the basic versions to L901.4 for the Lange 1 Soirée, even though they are technically identical.
In the 2004/2005 brand catalog, references 110.029 and 160.029 were no longer mentioned; instead, Ref. 110.030 was listed in white gold with a guilloché mother-of-pearl dial. We have no convincing reason to believe that production of the 160.029 and 110.029 ceased in 2004, and it is likely that they were produced in parallel with the Ref. 110.030 with a MoP guilloché dial. The latter is no longer mentioned in the 2008 catalog. In any case, all MoP references – with plain mother-of-pearl dials, like the present example, and with guilloché – are extremely rare on the pre-owned watch market, and it is not possible to say unequivocally which of these versions is rarer. Perhaps future research will shed more light on this subject.
This watch is powered by the hand-wound double-barrel caliber L901.4 with a 72-hour power reserve, a slightly modified version of the L901.0, which was developed during the revival of the manufacture in the early 1990s and was used as the base caliber in the Lange 1 collection until the 2010s. One of the advantages of these calibers is their unique design and finish, which make it easy to distinguish A. Lange & Söhne watches from high-quality Swiss watches. The characteristic three-quarter plate arrangement with the mainplate and bridges made of nickel silver without coating, which now has an appealing patina with a golden grey tone, as well as nine gold chatons attached with tiny screws, are among the most visible and valuable features of Lange’s watchmaking art. The meticulous finishing with Glashütte stripes, blued screws, polished chamfers, a micrometric swan-neck regulator and engraved and gilt inscriptions make the movement a real eye-catcher, while the traditionally hand-engraved balance cock makes every Lange 1 unique.
Specifications
| D= | 38,5 |
| Glass | Sapfire glass |
| Claps | Jewelry clasp |
| Functions | Date |
| Other | Display back, Small seconds, Luminous hands, Quick Set |
| Dial | Mother of pearl |
| Case material | White gold |
| REF: | 160.029 |
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
