Reference Guide
Amanico's insightful review of the A. Lange & Söhne Grande Lange One Luna Mundi Set, originally released in 2003, offers a deep dive into a unique and often debated chapter in Lange's history. His detailed comparison of the white gold and rose gold versions, highlighting their distinct celestial displays and controversial dial overlaps, provides crucial context for understanding Lange's design evolution. This piece remains highly relevant for collectors interested in the brand's early 21st-century innovations and the enduring appeal of its complications.
The 1815 Grand Complication represents a pinnacle of traditional horological artistry from A. Lange & Söhne, showcasing a comprehensive array of complex mechanisms within a single timepiece. This reference is a testament to the brand's commitment to high-complication watchmaking, integrating multiple grand complications that are meticulously finished and assembled by hand. It stands as one of the most intricate watches ever produced by the Glashütte manufacture, reflecting a deep respect for classical watchmaking principles.
The watch features a platinum case with a diameter of 50mm and a substantial thickness of 20.3mm, housing the manually wound L1902 caliber. This movement provides a power reserve of 30 hours. The dial is silver, protected by a sapphire crystal, and the watch offers a water resistance of 30 meters. The intricate movement is visible through a sapphire case back, revealing the complex architecture and traditional finishing techniques.
This reference appeals to collectors seeking the ultimate expression of mechanical complexity and artisanal craftsmanship. It is a significant piece within A. Lange & Söhne's haute horlogerie offerings, demonstrating the brand's capability to execute multiple grand complications harmoniously. The 1815 Grand Complication is a limited production piece, underscoring its exclusivity and desirability among serious collectors of high-complication watches.
My favourite of the four by a long way would be the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase 25 years as everything just looks perfectly balanced and in harmony plus the white gold and blue just compliment each other so well. On the Grande Lange One Luna Mundi I fall into the camp of people that find the dial unbalanced and it would disturb me to look at it all the time, but each to his own. The Grand Lange 1 Moonphase Lumen whilst sharing most of the same design as my favourite has a much too busy dial motif f
Absolutely stunning. But they are a little bit big for my wrist. I prefer 38,5mm for a Lange 1.
The only thing I find too busy is the northern hemisphere one. Too much going on for me between 10 and 2. Whereas the southern hemisphere has much less going on in that portion of the dial. I think 42 mm is too large for this style of ALS. Striking examples which I haven’t seen before! Thanks for sharing!
Lange has done something really original, here, and I personally like that it is different. I'm not quite sure if I would choose such a Lange 1, but why not after all? The sky theme is well done and even the overlapping of the different parts is interesting: it adds complexity to a design which remains pure. Spontaneously, I feel more attracted to the rose gold variant, but I find the Ursa Major more appealing than the Southern cross... Best, Emmanuel
in the way of the delightful (and my favorite Lange) the 1815 Moonphase Emil Lange.
In fact, I remember numerous posts on various forums and in the press indicating Lange felt rose gold could not be brushed and be attractive. I never understood that position as GP brushed the case sides of their rg watches-to great effect.
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