CR's detailed post from 2015 offers an invaluable comparison of two A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 models: the 101.027X and the 'little' Lange 1. This article highlights the subtle yet significant distinctions between these references, particularly focusing on dial variations, case dimensions, and material choices. CR's insights are crucial for collectors seeking to understand the nuances of these early Lange 1 iterations, especially the elusive 'stealth' versions.
Below is a wrist shot of a Lange 1 101.027X on a 6" (small) wrist. It has a white gold case, silver dial, and blue steel hands. Notice that the dial markers are printed (black paint). They are not the usual applied (gold) markers. Lange used this same dial/hand combination on the yellow gold 101.022 model.
Both the 101.022 and the 101.027X were sold until around 2005. Interestingly, the 101.027X model never appeared in any Lange catalog or
on any official Lange price list, thus making it the
ultimate "stealth" Lange 1 in many ways (along with some of the stainless steel 101.026 Lange 1 watches that also used this dial and hand combination).
Below is a photo of ... the same watch? No, not quite. If you look closely, you'll notice that there is no protruding rectangular pusher to change the date, the bezel is a bit thinner, and the watch appears smaller overall.
The watch in the photo just above is actually a "little" Lange 1. It has a 36mm case (vs. 38.5mm) and a recessed date change pusher. This "little" Lange 1 dial has a smaller diameter than the 101.027X dial; "little" Lange 1 dials and regular 38.5mm Lange 1 dials are not interchangeable. The size difference between these two models is especially noticeable on the left side of the dial: Notice the difference in the amount of space between the "IX" (9) and the left edge of the dial in the two photos above. All the markers and functions are in exactly the same location on both the "little" Lange 1 and regular Lange 1 dials because they both contain the same cal. L901.0 movement.
The differences between the "little" Lange 1 and the regular Lange 1 are quite obvious on the back of the watch. As shown below, the metal rim of the "little" Lange 1 caseback is polished, not brushed.
Here are some more side-by-side photos the two watches.
If you are a "weight watcher," then you will want to know that the regular 38.5mm Lange 1 101.027X, with deployant buckle (not deployment buckle -- I don't know what those are), weighs 118g. The "little" 36mm Lange 1, with deployant buckle, weighs 121g. How is that possible? Because they are different metals (you might have noticed the diamond-shaped assay mark on the PT caseback above). The case and buckle on the "little" Lange 1 are PT, so it is a heavier piece.
Note that Lange did not assign a distinctive reference number to this particular "little" Lange 1. Its warranty card is marked 111.025. However, that reference number 111.025 was assigned to the "little" Lange 1 model in PT with the typical "Stealth" dial and hands (darker rhodium dial, applied rhodiumed markers, and rhodiumed hands). This "little" Lange 1 might have started its life as a 111.025, but clearly it is not a 111.025 today. In the early days, Lange would sometimes change dials and/or hands upon request. This particular "high contrast" combination -- silver dial, black printed markers, and blue steel hands -- might have been requested by a customer who wanted a PT case but had difficulty reading the time with the standard 111.025 dial/hand combination, or perhaps that customer had an aesthetic preference for this dial/hand combination.
Finally, here are some more photos of this "little" Lange 1, which fits smaller wrists quite nicely.
