CR
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Lange 1 Onyx Dial Sets - Observation (and Question)
This is interesting (but maybe only to me -- we'll see).
When Lange relaunched in 1994, they began numbering casebacks starting with 110001 and movements starting with 1. So we typically saw a difference of about 110000 between the caseback number and the movement number in Lange watches produced from 1995 until about 2015-2016. Then, about a decade ago, the movement numbers suddenly increased by about 30,000 for reasons unknown to me.
Lange historically did not match caseback numbers with movement numbers except in rare circumstances, with certain limited editions. For example, with the Lange 1A, which was the brand's first numbered limited edition after the Tourbillon PLM, the limited edition number, caseback number, and movement number all matched: The Lange 1A with LE number "22/100" engraved on its caseback also has caseback serial number 17422 and movement serial number 7422. That was a nice touch. Someone at Lange was being thoughtful and deliberate about that.
With that early history in mind, look at the photo below, which is from the upcoming Sotheby's auction of the 181.826/191.826 set from 2024.** The LE number, caseback number, and movement number appear to be deliberately paired in a way that ALMOST reflects the original relaunch numbering scheme, with the 110000 difference. In the example below, if you subtract 109000 (unfortunately not 110000) from each of the caseback numbers below and then add 1, you get the movement numbers, which match the LE number. LE # 14/30 shown below has caseback number 275014 and movement number 166015 in one watch, and caseback number 275114 and movement number 166115 in the other watch.
This makes me wonder if, in 2024, someone at the manufacture was trying to approximate the 1994 numbering scheme, perhaps to commemorate the anniversary.
For those who own (or have caseback photos of) any of the 30th anniversary onyx pieces -- including but not limited to the 30 pairs -- I'm curious if any combination of your LE number, caseback number, and movement number follows a pattern of any sort.
[** The 181.026 Little Lange 1 (LE of 150) and 191.026 Lange 1 (LE of 300) were onyx dial watches offered in 2024 to commemorate Lange's 30 anniversary. 30 of each were sold as sets of two.10 of those sets had diamond baguette bezels on each watch and were sold as reference numbers 181.826/191/826, separately numbered xx/30.]
Lange 1 Onyx Dial Sets - Observation (and Question)
This is interesting (but maybe only to me -- we'll see). When Lange relaunched in 1994, they began numbering casebacks starting with 110001 and movements starting with 1. So we typically saw a difference of about 110000 between the caseback number and the...
Interesting...
I don't have an Onyx to help out but did find that tidbit about the 110000 difference interesting as I looked at the caseback of my late L1 "Darth" and there it was (or close enough anyways, 112k) Do you know of any reason why cases started at 110000 and ...
I believe case serial numbers started at 110000 because Lange had made some indeterminate number of watches before then, since the 19th century.
I don't recall exactly why they picked 110000 though.
Yes, this is my understanding too, CR.
It's actually a dynamic I've had interest in too over the years. Lange's cases are currently produced by four different partners (FT, CO, SUG & db). For Limited Editions, I imagine Lange Uhren could specify the case numbers - but for production pieces I u...
Very interesting, albeit possibly it is only for these matching sets?
I checked two of the pieces that passed through me and the difference is random for each, 102xxx for one and something similar for the other. Please excuse me as I do not want to disclose the difference