Coming off the recently updated Lange 1, A. Lange & Söhne now turns their sights on the Lange 1 Moon Phase, another watch that literally didn’t need an update but that benefits from one anyway. In an exercise of “evolution, not revolution,” the new watch, at first, looks pretty much like the model it replaces. But beauty is more than skin deep, which is where the real changes are.
The new calibre L121.3 shares its performance attributes with the L121.1 movement introduced in the updated Lange 1 two years ago. This includes the characteristic twin mainspring barrel with a power reserve of 72 hours. The position of the balance wheel has also moved from the opposite of the crown to right next to it contributing to a change in movement architecture, which can literally be seen in the shape of the much larger ¾ plate that eschews the former’s two sub-bridge-like openings.
Not just any moon-phase, this is an entirely new one… with an ace up its sleeve
Further, the original Lange 1 Moon Phase featured an outsourced classical balance wheel with screws on the rib and a swan neck regulator. This new watch comes with an in-house free sprung balance made to A. Lange & Söhne’s own chronometric standards, which features six eccentric poising weights to adjust the diameter of the balance wheel, thus adjusting the rate. The old swan neck regulator, on the other hand, is replaced by a visually identical part albeit one made to adjust the attachment point of the balance spring.
Last but not least is the reworked and more efficient moon-phase, which has an ace up its sleeve in the form of a day/night indicator bundled up within the familiar running seconds sub-dial.
(The) celestial disc, also made of solid gold, performs exactly one revolution every 24 hours behind the moon and changes hue depending on the time of day
Composed of not one but two discs of solid gold, the first moon disc goes about its merry orbit in the foreground like any other moon-phase. But it’s the sky disc, which performs exactly one revolution every 24 hours behind the moon that makes it stand out. As it goes through the day its hue changes, so the sky is dark blue at night, punctuated by sparking laser-cut stars; while, during the day, the disc is a bright sky-blue.
Naturally, like the best moon-phase indications, this one by A. Lange & Söhne tracks the lunar cycle, with an average duration of 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 3 seconds, so accurately that it will take 122.6 years before human intervention is required.
The new and compact L121.3 movement with moon-phase, at right. Less than 2mm taller than the L121.1 caliber
Best of all, the calibre L121.3 is composed of 438 parts, including the 70 parts of the moon-phase display but is only marginally taller than the calibre L121.1 it is based on.
The new Lange 1 Moon Phase is 38.5 mm wide and 10.2 mm tall, and comes in three versions: in white gold with a black solid silver dial, and matched with a black alligator leather strap; in pink gold with an argenté solid silver dial, and matched with a red-brown alligator leather strap; and in platinum with a rhodié solid silver dial, and matched with a black alligator leather strap.
