Patrick_y, a respected voice in the luxury watch community, offers an insightful first look at A. Lange & Söhne's 2022 novelties. His detailed analysis, particularly of the Richard Lange Minute Repeater, provides a crucial early perspective for collectors considering these highly anticipated releases. This article synthesizes community reactions to help readers understand the nuances and market positioning of these new timepieces.
2022 has come for A. Lange & Soehne, and the Saxon-based brand has blessed us with a traditional slide-powered minute repeater! The star of this year's selection.
1. A Richard Lange Minute repeater is launched this year. Like the Richard Lange Pour Le Merite, it features a beautiful 3 part dial. This three part enamel dial is crafted in-house and is not contracted out to a dial maker. The joining of the dial is extremely difficult, especially around the 17 second and 43 second areas of the small subdial where the mid-section dial has small points that may crack or chip in the joining process.
The Minute Repeating mechanism is slide powered, very different from the button powered version in the Zeitwerk Repeater. It's also technically superlative - it has a special mechanism to cancel the pause that most minute repeaters have between the hours and the minutes when there are no quarters to chime. The system simply senses after sounding the hours that there are no quarters and the system is smart enough to immediately skip to the minutes. The movement is also thoroughly German, with a true 3/4 plate design and is not a "Richemont" product.
I haven't heard this minute repeater, but I'm sure the tonality will be excellent, the speed should be good, and the volume will likely be medium. I can't wait to listen to this minute repeater. Considering there are only 50 to be made for worldwide consumption, all in platinum. I hope I'll have the pleasure! Here's a video below...
2. The Odysseus is continued in the same form as before, but in titanium. Limited to 250 pieces, so it will definitely be another "impossible" watch to get. Start kow-towing to your dealer now!
3. The Grande Lange 1 is a new version that is significantly thinner. Being 41mm and yet only 8.3mm thick, this Grande Lange 1 will fit under French cuffs for a more elegant look! I'm glad to see Lange addressing this thickness concern I've been having for the past ten years! The movement doesn't see any sacrifices as all performance metrics are equal or better than before!
What are your thoughts about the Lange Novelties?
Key Points from the Discussion
The Richard Lange Minute Repeater's three-part enamel dial is crafted in-house, a challenging process, especially around the small subdial's 17 and 43-second marks where small points are prone to cracking or chipping during assembly.
The minute repeater mechanism is slide-powered and features a unique system to eliminate the typical pause between hours and minutes when no quarters are chimed, immediately skipping to the minutes. The movement maintains a true 3/4 plate design, characteristic of German watchmaking.
The Odysseus in titanium, limited to 250 pieces, is anticipated to be extremely difficult to acquire, with some reports suggesting it's reserved for 'mega-collectors' with a minimum spend of $400k.
The new Grande Lange 1, at 41mm and 8.3mm thick, addresses long-standing concerns about case thickness, making it more suitable for elegant wear without sacrificing movement performance. The thinner profile is a welcome improvement.
When evaluating minute repeaters, key factors include tone (tuning, melody, absence of 'thunking'), volume (clarity close to the ear and at a 1-meter distance, and the ratio of chime loudness to mechanism whirring), and speed (ideally 17-19 seconds for the 12:59 sequence).
While modern Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and Audemars Piguet minute repeaters are highly regarded, Audemars Piguet has a distinct historical edge in Carillons and Grand Sonneries. Jaeger-LeCoultre repeaters are noted for their loudness, though tonality and speed can vary.
There is a debate about the Odysseus line's origin, with some suggesting it was designed to capitalize on the sports watch trend, despite previous statements from Lange executives that a sports watch was not in their brand's DNA.
Advertisement
The Discussion
AM
amanico
Mar 30, 2022
The Richard Lange MR is sumptuous. AND it seems it sounds very nicely. I will try to listen to it. This is the only Lange I like, this year.
PA
patrick_y
Mar 30, 2022
Agreed! Looks good! Hope it sounds good! Platinum isn't a good idea though...
Sometimes steel or titanium even sounds better than platinum! Rose gold generally sounds better amongst the precious metal variants. Platinum, doesn't always sound great.
AM
amanico
Mar 30, 2022
True. To be checked asap.
SA
SALMANPK
Mar 30, 2022
Thanks for posting this,I think we are all waiting for the Odysseus as a Time Only watch, no date and non limited.
PA
patrick_y
Mar 30, 2022
Probably!
I'm personally not a fan of the shape of the Odysseus. I don't find the design my thing at all. But there are definitely fans of the Odysseus out there!
GE
George Gently
Mar 30, 2022
Pricing of the titanium Odysseus is a bit steep, to put it mildly...
Continue the conversation
This thread is active on the A. Lange & Söhne forum with 49 replies. Share your knowledge with fellow collectors.
