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16
Funny it should be called the "Grosse"
Before you continue reading, please note that this is a purely personal opinion, not directed to anyone, or their watches for that matter.
I've been meaning to write this for a long time, but just haven't gotten around to it.
This post is about my personal distaste for the 'Gross' Lange 1. This should give you an idea of what is about to be written. So if you don't like where this is going, may I ask in all politeness to kindly stop reading.
HERE GOES:
I think Lange messed up grossly with the Grande Lange 1.
The Lange 1 was launched as a BREAKTHROUGH, and ORIGINAL, timepiece by the company. The Lange 1's design looked odd at first, but somehow captured most everyone's fondness, "somehow."
An old article by MJ (link below) captured the essence of what this "somehow" (that would capture most everyone's liking) is all about:
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"The Lange 1's dial is its most unusual feature. It has four time-keeping indicators: date, hour, minute, and second, which most watches also have.
What's unusual about the Lange's dial then, is not what's on it, but rather how it's laid out. None of the elements overlap, as though they were placed on the dial with the same sort of utility one uses when designing a user interface for a modern computer application. I'm unaware of any other watch with a date where the indicators don't overlap, let alone one with both date and power reserve. Of course, the disadvantage is that the main hour and minute dial is smaller than if it filled the dial (about 17 mm), but that's plenty big enough.
When I first saw the Lange 1's dial I thought the 4 components (main dial, seconds dial, date, and power reserve) were just arranged for a pleasing look, but I DISCOVERED THAT THEY ARE ON A GRID CONSISTING OF 4 VERTICAL UNITS AND 3 HORIZANTAL UNITS, AS SHOWN IN THE (PHOTO IN THIS POST). Very German, I guess."
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Balance. The photo says it all. One cannot necessarily see balance at a first-look, but one can definitely feel it.
The old Lange 1 had balance, and it was an O R I G I N A L.
The Gross Lange 1 (mis-spelling intended) undermines the idea of the Lange 1 so completely, losing all that was meant to be with the original Lange 1.
Did Richemont cause this (succumbing to the craze for larger watches)?
Would the Grosse have been approved if the late Bluemlin, or Frank Mueller (pardon any mis-spelling) for that matter, is still at Lange?
The Grosse grossed me out to the extent that I lost confidence on the direction that Lange was going.
It created a lot of doubts before I finally pulled the trigger on my Dato purchase (of which, thankfully, there's not an oversized version, and hopefully none in the future). The Lange brand, to me at least, has lost a lot of its original lustre, solely because of the Grosse line.
The Lange brand, to me at least, has lost a lot of its original lustre, solely because of the Grosse line.
The Double Split is a marvel of German engineering, and the 1815 Chrono is simply an awesome watch.
The Grosse, though, has left a wound that may not heal forever.
Again, this is a personal reflection not meant to anyone in particular. Just needed to get this off my chest.
Thanks for putting up with me and reading this far.
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MJ's Old Post:
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http://htexplained.com/watches/Lange1/review.htm