A Lange & Sohne Langematik Perpetual Calendar. Some thoughts.

Dec 01, 2024,17:02 PM
 

Watch by A.Lange & Söhne, A. Lange and Söhne, Langematik, Langematik Perpetual, 310.025

As a good friend let me play with his watch for some days, I could fully enjoy this Langematik Perpetual, take some photos and put my thoughts in order... 

The Langematik Perpetual is one of these early masterpieces from the German brand. But, curiously, it didn't receive the same warm welcome than some Lange & Sohne others icons, such as the Lange One, the Datograph, the 1815 Moon Phase Emil Lange, or the Langematik Anniversary. Curiously, as, in my opinion, it deserves much more interest and love. 

First of all, it is a watch which carries a lot of Lange DNA, first of all mechanically, with: The screwed Golden Chatons, the german silver movement, the finishings, the three quarter rotor, the hand engraved balance cock, the swan neck, the zero reset and... The Grande Date, which, if my memory serves me well, was  " given " to Lange by Jaeger Lecoultre. 

The Cal L922-1, with its 478 parts and its 46 hours of power reserve, in all its beauty:

Watch by A.Lange & Söhne, A. Lange and Söhne, Langematik, Langematik Perpetual, 310.025

Watch by A.Lange & Söhne, A. Lange and Söhne, Langematik, Langematik Perpetual, 310.025

From an aesthetic point of view, the case, the lugs, the crown and the bombed bezel are very Lange: Unmistakable. Here it is the platinum version, which gives a very pleasant density to this relatively small ( but perfect in my opinion ) case, which is 38, 5 mm big and 10, 2 mm high. 

Watch by A.Lange & Söhne, A. Lange and Söhne, Langematik, Langematik Perpetual, 310.025

Watch by A.Lange & Söhne, A. Lange and Söhne, Langematik, Langematik Perpetual, 310.025

The dial is in the same vein: Classic and timeless, made in silver. Here, we have a complete perpetual calendar, with the day, the ( big ) date, the months, the leap years, a night and day indicator to avoid setting the date in the " danger zone " between 10 PM / 3 AM, and a beautiful moon phase. 

Watch by A.Lange & Söhne, A. Lange and Söhne, Langematik, Langematik Perpetual, 310.025

Cherry on the cake, all these informations are legible, for those of us who don't have tired eyes. 

So, why this Langematik Perpetual didn't receive a warmer welcome when it was released in 2001 remains a mystery. Maybe because the Lange One, the Datograph and probably the Langematik Anniversary took all the attention and love, and there were too many horological treasures from the same manufacture in the same time ( 1994-2001 )? 

Anyway, when you look at it, when you feel it, it is a piece of interest and admiration, indisputably. A great contender if you are looking after a refined perpetual calendar, in my opinion.

Best,

Nicolas 

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Comments: view entire thread 

A lovely QP

 
By: TeutonicCarFan : December 1st, 2024-17:22
I love the zero reset. I’d like to get a Lange someday that has that. Either goes to zero at end of PR or a pull out crown to zero. I think they have both. Does the pusher advance all the functions? Or just the big date ?

Thanks for this post, which strengthens my already strong interest in this watch.

 
By: quattro : December 1st, 2024-17:52
Such a perfect size and such a lovely display of a perpetual calendar. And this monochrome platinum version looks particularly gorgeous...
By: drgiggles : December 2nd, 2024-02:03
thanks for sharing your thoughts. Absolutely love this watch. Was this not well-received? It was in production for just over 15 years. When i think about commercially unsuccessful watches, i think the arkade / caberet or Lange 31

A true stunner, especially in person.

 
By: Rhyzen : December 2nd, 2024-15:20
I especially appreciate the micro rotor, which is aesthetically more pleasing. Your pictures does the watch justice, as usual!

…besides the ridiculously heavy winder,

 
By: Darron : December 3rd, 2024-15:55
There are a couple of comments I would like to add about this particular model: 1) the 10:00 pusher actuates the entire piece keeping all indications synchronized! Also, Lange uses their design rule about data “hierarchy” and the date being the most impor... 

Thanks for this great post, Nico!

 
By: CR : December 4th, 2024-05:23
My recollection is that the Langematik Perpetual was well received, but as you said, it did not receive the same prolonged attention as certain other models did. I recall that the most frequent criticism was about the leap year placement and presentation.... 

I had this piece and the charm dissipates rather quickly.

 
By: Horo_Traveler : January 26th, 2025-01:34
The dial is a mess of unreadable font, even though the one thing that matters the most, the date, is very legible. I found it it cold and boring after a while. While I’m not always a fan of Patek, they know how to do perpetual calendars right. This is a b...