A. Lange & Söhne 1815, Richard Lange Collection

Luis6 shares his deeply personal watch collecting journey, culminating in the acquisition of two A. Lange & Söhne grails: a 36mm white gold 1815 with a black dial and a platinum Richard Lange. His narrative explores the evolution of his tastes, moving from popular sports watches to a profound appreciation for time-only pieces, reflecting a common trajectory for many seasoned collectors. This post offers an intimate look at how personal values and aesthetic preferences shape a collection.

There are quite a few Purists to be blamed, oh I mean thanked, for making this post possible. I’m not going to name all of you since there are too many, but you know you are responsible if you’ve ever posted a Lange 1815 and/or a Richard Lange.

Ok, that’s just a bad joke.

I always admire Lange, but it was not until recently that I realized the perfect Lange watches I need (ok, want) are a 36mm white gold Lange 1815 with black dial and a platinum Richard Lange. The 1815 gives me a strong sense of connecting with Lange’s origin, and the platinum Richard Lange has been my grail for a time only watch since I fell in love with it at first sight.

There are reasons that I didn’t get these two watches earlier. First, as you know, these two watches are not easy to come by, especially the 36mm WG black 1815, and the Pt Richard Lange does cost a little fortune. Second, I used to insist on having a date indicator on any of my watches, a condition that both the 1815 and RL fail to meet.

Then what made me get over that condition and acquire these time only watches now? To answer this question, I think it’s time to have a retrospection of my watch journey.

My journey into the watch world began with a reputable brand and a solid piece: a two tone Rolex GMT Master II. It means a lot to me because it was the first “serious” watch I bought along with my wife’s Lady Datejust. After that, I started to explore a wider range of brands, and consequently owned some of the popular, iconic and relatively affordable ones such as Panerai PAM111, Rolex “Hulk”, Rolex SS Daytona, Zenith El Primero, IWC Aquatimer, etc., just to name a few. After having these watches for some time, I thought it might be a good idea to “upgrade”. So I got an AP RO DualTime and a PP Aquanaut.

In the process, watches came and went. Don’t get me wrong. All the watches that I’ve ever owned are fantastic. I am grateful to them for their company. I’ve never regretted owning any of them; neither have I regretted trading any of them because they all contributed to other incomings.

Being popular/iconic brand/models, these watches always brought me a lot of praise from others. Even people who are not into watches know these brands. To be honest, I quite enjoyed this “spotlight” feeling initially. As time went by, however, I began to feel a little tired of and even uneasy with this kind of attention. I asked myself: “What do I want from my watches? What do I expect that my watches will bring me?”

Some might see me as a flipper. It’s absolutely fine, and I (perhaps some of you?) have been through a period like that. But flipping is not necessary a bad thing. On one hand, each watch has been a milestone, celebrating and marking the phases that I’ve gone through. On the other hand, each watch has also been a stepping stone that helped me move onto the next stage. Looking back, it was a process in which I’ve challenged, battled with, and eventually returned to my inner self. Don't follow the trend. Follow our hearts. I've learned that. There is nothing wrong with trend, it brings happiness and excitement. But listening to my heart bring me peace and pure joyfulness.

Now, back to Lange.

Imagine how surprised I was when I found the two watches came up for sale recently. Without any hesitation, I traded in the three heavyweights (in the context of my little collection) for the 1815 and Richard Lange. Some of my friends in Taiwan are surprised to see and concerned about my deviation from the local (and global?) mainstream watch crowd. They think I'm crazy to trade a Rolex Dayton, a PP Aquanaut and an AP RO for two time only Lange watches. They are being so in a good way, caring about the financial value that I’ve lost and might lose in the future. I appreciate their friendship and good will, but being able to stay true to myself is definitely much more valuable and invaluable, isn’t it?

From now on, I will pretty much settle down to my current collection, which includes a Rolex two tone GMT master II, Cartier Santos 100, titanium GP ww.tc, rose gold H. Moser Endeavour Small Seconds with fume dial, white gold Lange 1815, platinum Richard Lange, and ORIS 65 as a beater. 7 watches, different metals and dial colors. I'm a very happy man.

I can’t thank my wife enough for her support and tolerance. Her suggestion that I should get a Cartier Santos 100 to pair up with hers resulted in me having my first time only watch. Little did I know at that time that the Santos 100 would help overcome my psychological barrier of insisting on having a date indicator. It gave me a taste of what a simple time only watch can bring: a peace of mind. As a result, now I actually have more time only watches (4) than watches with date (3).

I am also very grateful to all Purists friends and all the watches I’ve had for accompanying me through this cheerful yet somewhat painful but eventually joyful journey of self-reflection and understanding.

Yours truly,

Luis

p.s.

English is not my mother tongue, so I apologize for the incompletion of expression and any misunderstanding hence caused. I have absolutely no intention of offending any brand or indicating any stereotypes. I apologize again if my writing makes you feel that way.

Some photos to share with you.

36mm is classy.

40.5mm doesn't look out of place on my skinny wrist, either. The Germans make some good stuff, don't they?

This two also make a great pair of couple watches.