Simply Abu Dhabi XXXVI

9 5 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I A . Lange & Söhne has an extraordinary heritage. The elite watch manufacturer, which only produces a few thousand precious watches per year, almost slipped into the history books after the company was expropriated at the end of WorldWar II, but it was saved in 1990 by Walter Lange, the great-grandson of the Dresden watchmaker Ferdinand Adolph Lange, who founded his manufactory in 1845. Ferdinand’s pocket watches are still revered among collectors all over the world, and the brand-new watches are widely regarded amongst the finest in the world of watchmaking. A. Lange &Söhne currently has five watch families: Lange 1, Saxonia, 1815, Richard Lange and Zeitwerk. The Odysseus marks a proud occasion for Lange as it is a new, sixth watch family. Enthusiasts and collectors of the brand are welcoming a distinctive new design and also a freshly developed movement. Another surprise is that this marks the first time the brand has released a sporty-elegant watch. It bridges the divide for people who need a daily wear that is robust and stylish and fit for an active lifestyle, but one that retains and innate sense of elegance. Reflecting on the question of why the brand decided on a sport watch this year, A. Lange & Söhne CEO Wilhelm Schmid says, “Customers, who do not want to take off their Lange watch for certain activities like doing sports, have asked us about a sporty-elegant watch for several years now. We started discussing initial ideas for such a watch indeed many years ago, experiencing the typical highs and lows of such a journey. But we haven’t had a suitable face for a watch like this for a long time. We had a lot of intensive discussions during its development: What is sporty? What is too sporty? What is too elegant?” As one would expect, Lange don’t make rash decisions, and when launching a whole new family, time and consideration is extended until everyone is completely happy and on board with the aesthetics and functionality of the movement. Schmid adds, “And when we then knew what a sporty A. Lange & Söhne should look like, it still took four years for the concrete development of calibre L155.1 Datomatic.” The watch is instantly striking for its deep blue dial and the distinctive day-of-week and date display, seen on the left and right of the dial respectively. The outer verticals of the frames echo the curvature of the bezel and we see the familiar Lange font used for both displays in white against a blue background. The prominent design of the stainless steel case has a diameter of 40.5mm and a height of 11.1mm, and it is mounted on an integrated stainless steel bracelet. Needless to say, the finishing is exquisite, and the surfaces are decorated with a satin contour finish, with edges emphasised with a chamfer. The combination of brushed surfaces and chamfered edges is echoed on the lugs and links of the bracelet. On the side, specially sealed and tapered buttons for correcting the date and the day of week are arranged at 2 and 4 o’clock. The Odysseus is the first Lange watch with a water-resistant case and a screw-down crown, exposed to a test pressure of 12 bar. Schmid concludes, “The Odysseus opens a new chapter in the history of A. Lange & Söhne. Like every A. Lange & Söhne watch, it is a handmade work of art. It has an in-house developed movement which is lavishly finished and assembled twice by hand according to the high standards of the manufactory.” A. LANGE & SÖHNE – ODYSSEUS