A. Lange & Söhne Time Zone
The Collector’s Guide – Updated Feb 2023
After only 10 years of the brand’s initial launch in 1994, it would not be wrong to say that A. Lange & Söhne became a cult around the world, especially among the seasoned connoisseurs, mainly in Italy, Germany, the US, Japan, Singapore… On the other hand, by then there was already a growing appetite towards rather bigger pieces. Combining the mentioned aspects, it was only logical to launch a watch that would strengthen the notion that A. Lange & Söhne is now a worldwide brand and its testament arrived in 2005 – Lange 1 Time Zone.
Quick Facts:
- Introduced in 2005
- Available in platinum, gold
- Measures 41.9 mm in diameter and 11 in thickness
- Offers tens of special editions thanks to the easily customizable city ring
- Received an aesthetic and mechanical update in 2020
- Not a Worldtimer
The moment it was unveiled on the night of October 24, 1994, in the still partly ruined Dresden Castle, the Lange 1 captivated the watchmaking world. Bold, original, and rooted in tradition, but above all, breathtakingly beautiful. Its off-center design quickly made the Lange 1 the face of A. Lange & Söhne—its most iconic and coveted creation.
From the start, the Lange 1 was designed to grow into a collection. Its first special edition appeared in 1998—the magnificent Lange 1A with a solid gold dial. The collection expanded further in 1999 with the introduction of the Lange 1 Tourbillon. Over the years, this truly iconic design has taken on many different forms, each more delightful than the last.
The Lange 1 Time Zone, likely due to the customization options offered by its city ring, has the highest number of variants within the collection. Since its debut in 2005, and up until its update in 2020, the collection has been available in over 20 different editions, featuring variations in case material, dial color, city ring, and bracelet options. Despite these differences, all models share the same case and movement design.
The Lange 1 Time Zone measures 41.9 mm in diameter and a slim 11 mm in thickness, making it 3.4 mm wider and 1.2 mm thicker than the standard Lange 1. The extra width accommodates the city ring, while the added thickness is due to the second time zone mechanism. The proportions are well-balanced, allowing it to sit beautifully on the wrist, just like the original.
The case reflects classic A. Lange & Söhne craftsmanship, built in three layers with alternating finishes. The case back ring and bezel are polished, while the case band features a brushed finish (with pink gold case models prior to ~2018 being an exception), providing a striking and necessary contrast. The notched lugs, a hallmark of any A. Lange & Söhne case, are present here with superb detail, featuring sharp angles and graceful curves.
To complement the larger diameter, the lugs are more deeply curved compared to the Lange 1, which significantly enhances the watch’s balance and comfort on the wrist.
The delightful case details of the Lange 1 Time Zone 25th Anniversary. Courtesy of Watchbox.
The crown is at great size and very easy to operate. The operating pushers rest at the left-hand side of the watch. The pusher at 11 o’clock advances the outsized date whereas the lower one changes the city ring, thus, the second time zone. Each pusher is individually beveled, polished and brushed and seamlessly integrated to the overall case design. The city ring pusher’s operation is examined in the dial section below.
For the strap, Lange 1 Time Zone’s distance between lugs is 22 mms and buckle is 16 mms.
The Dial – 9 Hands 1 Beauty
For any Lange 1 variation, there is one unbreakable rule: You don’t disturb the harmony of the sub-dials, power reserve indicator, and outsize date. The design is so meticulously calculated, grounded in the rule of thirds, that even the slightest shift in proportions can create a noticeable imbalance. Yet, the Lange 1 Time Zone, despite its many added features and additional text on the dial, remarkably maintains the spirit of the original design and presents the information with mastery.
However, understandably, some feel that it comes across as forced or overly complex.
Lange 1 Time Zone is not a world timer – it is a two Time Zone watch with 9 hands which are immediately attention grabbing and looking somehow scattered through the dial. The dial at 9 o’clock, or the bigger dial, is the home time that runs independently from the city ring. The smaller sub-dial at 5 o’clock is the second time zone dial connected to the city chosen in the ring. Each dial has its own day/night indicator which is placed at the 12 o’clock for the home time and 8 o’clock for the second timezone.
The city ring is operated via the pusher at 8 o’clock. Each push advances the ring, hence, the second time zone by one step (hour). 24 cities = adjustable for 24 different time zones. The day/night indicator becomes particularly useful if you are dealing with a time zone that is substantially different from yours. However, the day/night indication’s arrangement is a bit odd and confusing; because the nighttime (the blue part of the circle) is shown through different axes for home time and second time zone dials. The nighttime in the circles shows between 6PM and 6AM.
I’m not particularly fond of the hanging day/night indicators. While functional, their placement could have been much better, as demonstrated in the 2020 updates to the Lange 1 Time Zone. This sub-dial design was common in many Lange models released in the 2000s (like the Langematik Perpetual and Datograph Perpetual), but has since been refined.
It’s important to note that the time zone differences between cities are not adjustable. This means that if a region no longer follows the same winter or summer time as it did when the Lange 1 Time Zone was originally designed, the watch becomes outdated—except for the aesthetic pleasure of its beautiful dial. However, there is a workaround: if the two zones don’t display the correct time difference, simply hold down the city ring pusher, and you can independently adjust the home time (on the larger sub-dial).
Also, be prepared for a much stiffer city ring pusher compared to other Lange watches—perhaps with the exception of the Odysseus.
Apart from the placement of the small seconds on the left, the sub-dials and outsize date on the Lange 1 Time Zone are almost identical to those of the original Lange 1. As mentioned, the original layout is sacred—no one (not even Zohan) can tamper with it.
In the end, it all comes down to personal taste. Some collectors find the original Lange 1 rather plain, especially after becoming accustomed to the Lange 1 Time Zone. However, many also feel that the time zone version distorts the original design too much—a flaw shared by the Grand Lange 1 and Little Lange 1.
The reference 116.039 – only Lange 1 Time Zone with lumed hands.
In my view, Lange 1 Time Zone is a great transformation of the original Lange 1. It is not as reserved nor subtle; it is a bit sporty but also supremely elegant and can carry different applications much better than its inspiration. Take the lumed hands. I am not a fan of the white gold Lange 1 with lumed hands (191.039) at all. However, they suit the Lange 1 Time Zone just right because the overall appearance supports such tweaks much better.
Lange 1 Time Zone - 2020 Update
In 2020, after 15 years of production and plentiful variants, Lange 1 Time Zone received its much-awaited update. The new model comes with a new caliber as well as a tidier and more streamlined indication arrangement while keeping the core design elements such as the city ring, font, size of indices etc. the same.
New Lange 1 Time Zone came in yellow, pink and white gold cases with champagne, argenté and black dials respectively. Though the black dial version created the biggest fuss, in my book, Lange 1 Time Zone is pink gold. It is just such an unbeatable combo.
The new Lange 1 Time Zone reference 136.029
The striking purity of the new Lange 1 Time Zone is immediately apparent. Hanging day/night indications are moved around the periphery of the central pinions. The result is a much cleaner and elegant look. Moreover, they are now much more legible and do not require further attention as the old versions do. The indications rotate once in 24 hours, and just as the old version, the colored section shows between 6PM and 6AM.
The second addition is a much more user-friendly feature: the daylight-saving time indication. A red dot beneath the city pointer on the second time zone dial shows whether the selected city is currently observing daylight-saving time. While not the most essential feature, it’s a thoughtful update. Now, let’s just hope the EU doesn’t abandon daylight-saving time altogether.
Overall, the new Lange 1 Time Zone is as stunning as ever. Its display is more balanced, and reading the information is noticeably easier. The updates align well with the recent design refinements seen across the brand, such as in the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon.
Another noteworthy change is in the typography. Perhaps inspired by the Lange 1 update in 2015, where thinner fonts brought a cleaner, more refined look, the same approach is applied here. This subtle tweak greatly enhances the watch’s serenity and reduces the visual clutter. Additionally, the dots between the cities are now grey instead of black, further contributing to the watch’s subtle, sophisticated appearance.
Caliber L031.1 vs L141.1
You know, part of the joy of having a Lange is the opportunity to unstrap the watch once in a while and just admire that movement, preferably under the sun from different angles. Or as many of us do, while waiting during the traffic lights… Lange 1 Time Zone’s caliber L031.1 delivers exactly this, and perhaps even overachieves it.
As one might infer from the rather small balance wheel and its placement, the caliber L031.1 is based on the original Lange 1’s L901. And just like its inspiration, the movement nicely fills the case back (albeit the updated L141.1 is much better at this) and offers the breathtaking view we all got used to from the brand. It is pure Saxon watchmaking artistry with blue-screwed gold chatons, German Silver three-quarter plate, flat polished swan’s neck adjuster and escape wheel cap – albeit with one extra: It has not one, but two hand-engraved bridges.
Both the caliber L031.1 and the new L141.1 beat at 3Hz and offers 72 hours of power reserve. The caliber L031.1 consists of 417 intricate parts. For reference, the base caliber L901.0 is made of 365 parts. The difference comes from the added second time zone mechanism and its pusher; which some of its parts are visible above the striped three-quarter plate. A. Lange & Söhne has an excellent technical drawing of the mechanism along with an explanation:
When the button at 8 o’clock is pressed, the corrector button transfers the motion to the four-toothed corrector star – which is rigidly connected to the corrector wheel (hence the need for a strong push). The wheel engages the gear rim of the city ring and advances the ring by one step with each push. In return, this motion of the ring is transferred to the city correction pinion and then the time zone correction wheel. Via the lower protruding teeth of the city correction pinion, this pinion and the wheel are only briefly engaged for the duration of the switching procedure, after which they are uncoupled again. Via the day/night indicator wheel and an intermediate wheel the rotary motion of the correction wheel switches the twelve-toothed hour-wheel pipe by one tooth, causing the zone-time hour hand to advance by one hour.
The new Lange 1 Time Zone’s caliber L141.1 is based on the Grand Lange 1’s L095.1 – on the contrary to its advertisement as newly made from the ground-up. It is understandable why brands or perhaps many blogs tend to overstate such things. Because the movement part tends to be the biggest expense of a watch, especially for A. Lange & Söhne. However, Lange is a brand that does not need such exaggerations to justify the price and it leaves a bad taste in the mouth. On the other hand, thanks to this update, the new caliber L141.1 fills the caseback much better than the previous version as it is now 4 mms wider than the caliber L031.1.
Lange 1 Time Zone movement from 2020
Grand Lange 1 movement from 2010s
Lange 1 Time Zone Variants
Below, please find the numerous Lange 1 Time Zone references from 2005 to date including special editions:
- 116.021 – Yellow gold case / champagne dial (2005 – 2017)
- 116.021M – Leon Martens Maastricht edition – Pink gold case / silver dial (10 pieces limited edition with Maastricht for GMT +1 and an engraved three-quarter plate for the 100th year of the retailer)
- 116.025 – Platinum case / rhodium dial (2005 – 2019)
- 116.025B – Sincere Edition – Platinum case / rhodium dial (2005 – 60 pieces with Singapore on the city ring)
- 116.025M – Platinum case / rhodium dial (2007 – 10 pieces for Leon Martens of Maastricht)
- 116.026 – Buenos Aires Edition – White gold case / white dial with blued hands (2010 – 100 pieces)
- 116.031B – Lange 1 Time Zone Sincere Edition – Pink gold case / black dial (2005 – 30 pieces limited edition)
A few of my favorite special editions:
- 116.032 – Pink gold case / silver dial (2005 – 2019)
- 116.033 – Pink gold case / grey dial (2009 – 2013)
- 116.039 – White gold case / silver dial with lumed hands (2012 – 2019)
- 116.050 – Lange 1 Time Zone Dresden Edition – Honey gold case / silver dial with blue highlights (2016 – 100 pieces)
- 116.066 – Lange 1 Time Zone 25th Anniversary Edition – White gold case / white dial with blued hands and markers (2019 – 25 pieces)
- 136.021 – Lange 1 Time Zone updated version – Yellow gold case / champagne dial (2020 – Boutique edition limited to 100 pieces)
- 136.029 – White gold case / black dial (2020)
- 136.032 – Pink gold case / silver dial (2020)
Other than these models, as the main sponsor of the event Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, A. Lange & Söhne gifts a unique Lange 1 Time Zone to the best of show car owner every year since 2012 with Como on the city ring instead of Berlin as well as an engraved hunter caseback.
Apart from the models above, there are also the versions with bracelets as well as diamond fitted bezels. Indeed, thanks to its city ring, Lange 1 Time Zone is an easily customizable model and the good thing is, the watch can handle many tweaks on the dial, hands, date color! A splendid design.
Buying a Lange 1 Time Zone
When introduced in 2005, Lange 1 Time Zone’s MSRP was $30k in gold and $41k in platinum. As a general practice within the industry, the prices skyrocketed in the following years and when discontinued, the original version’s price was more than $50k for gold models and $65k for the platinum.
Luckily, the secondary market exists, and you do not have to pay such prices. Today, a gold Lange 1 Time Zone tend to surface at one of the auctions every year, couple of times and usually goes in between $35-40k depending on the condition, set and metal – sometimes even lower. On the other hand, the platinum versions tend to sell a notch above $40k.
Lange 1 Time Zone 25th Anniversary with all blue details. Courtesy of WatchBox.
Special editions, as they were abundantly produced, do not command a sizable premium, and can be a bit north of mid $30k at auctions or dealers. One exception I could put here is the 25th Anniversary variant, which we sold a couple already, was well above its peers.
The updated Lange 1 Time Zone is priced at $63k. I think this version is going to do better than the previous edition in the secondary market as it is more balanced and highly differentiated between models both with case material and dial colors.
In the last couple of years, we witnessed a strong attention towards A. Lange & Söhne in the pre-owned market. However, as the special pieces such as Lumens, Handwerkskunst, etc. making headlines, there tend to be under the radar pieces and Lange 1 Time Zone (especially the current gen) is surely one of them.
The second generation examples, depending on the metal, can be found at low to mid $40s, which stands at a good value against the ever increasing MSRPs.
Lange 1 Time Zone is a very versatile and a well-made piece that you’d enjoy in whichever occasion and find yourself staring at it just to admire its beauty instead of reading the time.
Thank you for your time.
I hope this was a valuable guide for whomever is looking for a Lange 1 Time Zone or just want to learn the details and history of these pieces. If you’d like to chat, sell or buy a Lange 1 Time Zone, please kindly reach out to me via [email protected]
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