Thirty years to the day after the first Lange 1 was unveiled in Dresden, A. Lange & Söhne marked the anniversary on 24 October 2024 with four limited editions, and the Lange 1 191.062 is the most striking of them. Limited to 300 pieces, sold through Lange boutiques and individually numbered, it combines a Platinum case with a dial faced in black onyx, the first time the manufacture had used the stone on a Lange 1. The choice was deliberate. Among collectors, one of the most sought-after early Lange 1 variants is a rare white-metal version with a black dial, nicknamed the 'Darth', and the onyx edition is a clear nod to that watch while giving the dark dial a depth and gloss that only a polished stone can offer. The model beneath is the current generation of the Lange 1, introduced in 2015, with its instantly switching outsize date and hand-wound movement. The result is a Lange 1 that feels both familiar and quite unlike any regular version, its asymmetric design rendered in black and platinum with an intensity that suits the celebration of a modern classic.
The Platinum case measures 38.5 mm in diameter and 10 mm in height, a fraction taller than the regular Lange 1 to accommodate the onyx dial. Its polished bezel and caseback frame a satin-finished case band with the date corrector set into the flank. The dial begins as a solid silver blank to which a thin layer of hand-selected, polished black onyx is bonded, producing a surface that reflects light like dark glass and varies subtly from piece to piece. On it, the familiar Lange 1 layout stands out clearly. The hours and minutes occupy a subdial to the left of centre, and on the right, arranged along a common vertical axis, sit the outsize date, the AUF/AB indicator of remaining running time and the small seconds; with the centre of the time display, these points form an isosceles triangle. Hands and markers in rhodium-plated gold give the dial crisp accents without breaking its dark calm, and the outsize date frame is solid gold with a rhodium finish. A glossy black alligator strap and a Platinum prong buckle complete the watch, which carries its edition number on the case.
The hand-wound movement is the 368-part design Lange introduced in 2015 as the fiftieth movement created since the manufacture's revival. Two mainspring barrels provide 72 hours of running time, and the indicator on the dial shows the state of wind as the energy is used. The outsize date uses Lange's patented construction, with a cross for the tens and a disc for the units, and it switches instantly at midnight, a refinement introduced with this generation. The balance, with eccentric poising weights, oscillates with a balance spring developed and produced by Lange, and drawing out the crown freezes it, so the small seconds can be started in step with a time signal. Through the sapphire caseback, the movement shows the untreated German silver of its plates and bridges, decorated with Glashütte ribbing, a hand-engraved balance cock and screwed gold chatons, and every movement is assembled twice. The contrast between the dark, glossy dial and the warm, richly finished movement is one of the particular pleasures of this edition.
The Lange 1 was one of four watches presented on 24 October 1994, the day A. Lange & Söhne returned to the world stage after decades of absence, and it became the symbol of that rebirth. Its design, with the off-centre time and an outsize date inspired by the five-minute clock of the Dresden opera house, has changed remarkably little since. Over thirty years the model has appeared in many variations, from gold and Platinum versions to limited editions with unusual dials, and it has given rise to an entire family. For the anniversary, Lange released two colour combinations in both the Lange 1 and the Little Lange 1: Platinum with onyx and Rose Gold with blue, each recalling an uncommon early reference. Within the Lange 1's history, the 191.062 stands as the model's first stone dial and one of its most evocative anniversary tributes, connecting the current generation directly to one of its rarest ancestors. It also demonstrates how a change of material alone can transform the mood of a design that has remained essentially unchanged for three decades, without altering a single element of its layout.
The 191.062 appeals to collectors who know the history of the Lange 1 and want a version that honours it in a distinctive way. Its onyx dial gives the watch a dramatic, glossy presence that suits evening wear perfectly while remaining discreet enough for daily use, and its Platinum case provides a satisfying weight and cool lustre. With 300 numbered pieces, it is considerably rarer than the regular Lange 1, and its status as the first onyx-dialled Lange 1 gives it a clear place in the model's story. It will interest collectors of anniversary editions, owners of earlier Lange 1 references looking for a meaningful addition, and those who appreciate stone dials. For a Lange collection, it provides a dark counterpoint to the traditional silver-dialled versions; for a single watch, it offers one of the most recognisable designs in modern watchmaking in a particularly memorable form. Its glossy dial rewards a second look every time the wrist turns.
