A. Lange & Söhne's Richard Lange Minute Repeater, unveiled at Watches and Wonders 2022, represents a pinnacle of horological artistry. In this article, amanico, a respected voice in the WatchProSite community, shares his expert perspective on why this particular reference stands out as one of the year's most significant releases. His detailed observations highlight the watch's understated elegance and technical prowess, making a compelling case for its place among the finest complications.
The Richard Lange line certainly is one of my favorites among the different Lange & Sohne families.
The first Richard Lange, classic, simple, beautiful, then the Richard Lange Pour Le Mérite, with its hidden sophistication ( fusée and chan, enamel dial ) and ... The Jumping Seconds, in platinum, in 2017, and in white gold, in 2019 are indisputably superb choices.
This year, Lange comes with a masterpiece, sober, sublimely cold with its platinum case and its enamel dial, AND with one of the most prestigious complications, a minute repeater.
Truth to be told, it is one of the 6 greatest watches I could see at Watches and Wonders, this year.
The case is perfectly sized, for me, with a diameter of 39 mm and a height of 9, 7 mm, and is just 20 meters water resistant. Be careful when you wash your hands...
The white enamel dial is silky / milky, with a superb depth. The blue hands contrast very nicely but I would have maybe liked a bit more life, with a bigger touch of red than the very discreet small index at 60 minutes, just above the XII. A Red XII would have been perfect. Or white not, a blue one!
The Cal L122.1 is made of 415 parts, german silver ( as always for a Lange movement ), manual winding, 4 golden chatons,, beats at 21, 600 alternances per hour and offers a power reserve of 72 hours.
The hammers of the minute repeater are not only sublime, the sound they provide is matte albeit rich enough, at least from what I could hear on this video:
The regulator seems to be quite discrete but one of the very good points of this minute repeater is that the pause between the hours, the quarter and the minutes is eliminated. Concretely, you won't have to wait too long to hear the quarters or the minutes directly after the hours. It is not something specific to Lange, but it is not common, either.
Of course, I will, as soon as I can, test the acoustic qualities of this watch. But, as it is, I am in love.
One con, though...
- The retail price is super high, not to say way too high, a bit above 400, 000 Euros. Yes, you read well, alas. These super high priced watches seem to be a curious trend, lately...
Looking forward to reading your comments and thoughts,
Best.
Nicolas
Key Points from the Discussion
The 'under the radar' aesthetic of the Richard Lange Minute Repeater, with its subtle slider and unique 'wet-looking' dial script, contributes to its special appeal, concealing its complex complication.
The choice of platinum for the case, while aesthetically pleasing, is generally not considered ideal for minute repeaters due to its sound-dampening properties, raising questions about Lange's specific acoustic engineering.
The watch's unassuming dial belies the powerhouse movement within, creating a striking contrast between visual simplicity and mechanical complexity that deeply impresses collectors.
There is a strong desire among collectors for A. Lange & Söhne to release the enamel dial of the Minute Repeater on a standard central seconds Richard Lange model, and to produce more than the initial 50-piece limited edition.
The 39mm diameter and 9.7mm height are considered ideal proportions, and collectors express interest in hearing the repeater's sound in various case metals to compare acoustic qualities.
Advertisement
The Discussion
MD
mdg
May 20, 2022
Remarkably thin and an interesting and useful...
...inventions. But platinum is usually not considered ideal for a repeater case. I wonder why they didn't go with a different metal...
AM
amanico
May 20, 2022
Yes, gold is generally sweeter, acoustically. Still, it seems the sound is great.
RU
russell996
May 20, 2022
A stunning piece.
Many thanks for your detailed review. 👍
AP
aperna
May 20, 2022
First of all thanks for the wonderful update.
What amazes me most is how it’s so unassuming from the dial side and when you turn it over you see a powerhouse of a time piece
AM
amanico
May 21, 2022
How come I am not surprised? ;)
CH
Chronometer (aka yacomino)
May 21, 2022
You know me well! 😁
Continue the conversation
This thread is active on the A. Lange & Söhne forum with 42 replies. Share your knowledge with fellow collectors.
