A. Lange & Söhne

i am reading a lot about the merits of the original datograph on this forum. As a prospective buyer of the up down, i didn't understand this as i thought all the changes were for the better; i.e. the power reserve indicator, deletion of roman numerals, in... 

The flaws of the first one were its strength. A bit thick for its size, not very comfortable on the wrist, but it had charm and character. The new one? Well, its dial looks weird, a bit empty, it lacks charm, it is not the icon the first was, in my opinio...  

so I hope no one minds it again. I LOVE the 39mm Dato Flyback! Would it be nice to have a power reserve? Yes it absolutely would, BUT, ill give it up for this one. The dial layout, the size, the feel on the wrist, and you just cant argue with this... ...  

The UD is an evolution of the Old one. I've been loving the Old one in the past (in spite of the fact it is much heavy for my thin wrist and thus uncomfortable), then the UD was presented, and I was still liking the Old one for a while. But after maybe 6 ... 

Mostly for the diameter; but I do like the lay-out better, and I find the UD indicator unnecessary.

I trust you have seen both in the metal and tried them on your wrist. The Datograph can feel a little top heavy on the wrist. This is probably due to the height/thickness of the watch which some feel is a little too much relative to the watch case diamete...  

Thanks for the pictures. Cheers, Mark

the 41 looks perfect on you!

Why? Because Lange took a lot of care by doing it. The date display was proportionnaly enlarged to create again the perfect triangle with the counters. The power reserve indicator is almost invisible because our eyes are always attracted by the white comp...  

not. There is the sale man's view and there is the collector's view. I would think that most amateurs with a feel for vintage would always go for the original model of virtually any watch model. Some lead other follow. Buying a luxury watch is not like bu... 

Sorry to write this but with such short cuts lead to nothing. Perfect size for what? For your wrist? Mine? For any watch? This one? If we start to write definitive comments, we will not have a lot of things to say on the forum. In a collecting point of vi... 

Off course I only expressing my personal opinion. The size comment was just added as an aside. Aren't we asked to take part for one or another model? Truly sorry if I have hurt feelings. Z'

it is like the "bien-pensance" we see very much about morale, etc... It is sometimes impossible to discuss or be objective: one element should automatically rule all the others without discussion. In watchmaking when it is vintage it is automatically cons... 

The question was simply the old vs. the new. The original or an evolution? I prefer t he original and I have very hard to see any situation where it is the opposite. I think there is more substance in what I say than the caricature you make of it. There i... 

This is not really but it depends on the approach. When you say: "There is the sale man's view and there is the collector's view" "would think that most amateurs with a feel for vintage would always go for the original model of virtually any watch model. ... 

"I would think that most amateurs with a feel for vintage would always go for the original model of virtually any watch model." This doesn't mean it is the more interesting or the best one. This would mean the older one is always considered to be the nice... 

I totally agree, and that is why some like Z and myself prefer the old one. The dial was perfect. Iconic. The case, well, it would have been the same, one or two millimeters more, no problem, for me, an improved movement, why not, who would complain, but ... 

More than on an aesthetical standpoint, comparing the new one with what the old one has built will always lead to an evolution we might see as positive or not. I usually try to see every new pieces on a stand alone basis, without comparing it to the exist... 

Here is the main point of disagreement with you. I agree that the first dial is perfect. It is not the reason to duplicate it. Now, imagine that Lange issues exactly the same watch with 2mm more. I would find this VERY disappointing and let's face it: LAZ... 

My humble taste for new (4%) and vintage (96%) watches tells me so. They are most often those very first models that have defined the brands DNA. It is very logical. You have to start somewhere to define these codes and it is at those MKI that it really h... 

your point is perfectly advocated. Yes, with the first version, we most always have the idea, the concept behind the watch. The evolution may be tasty, appealing, successful, but it is, by far, not always the case. I agree on the fact, that, most often, t... 

This is the kind of discussion that make peolpe think and I'm happy you participate to that discussion Z. When you say the first models define the DNA, I disagree because I personally think that the DNA is not built one and for all with the 1st models but... 

to have a look at a pre-owned Dato/perpetual. Best of all.

... and was really impressed with it. I was never a big fan of gray-dial watches or of the Dato Perp (though I might like it more if I had corrected vision!), but this latest iteration is a sweet piece.

I find pluses for both.. For me the plus points are : 1st Gen - Roman numerals that make out a triangle, which balances the date and subdials 2nd Gen - better height x diameter proportion - the lugs look more proportionate - cleaner minute/subminute marki... 

...  

The new one did not have the power reserve, and if the Romans were put in its place. Then, it seems you gain the better fitting and proportions due to size but retain the strengths of the first gen. I would like to see them side by side to get a feel. Bes... 

Datograph, in my opinion. The holy triangle, which is THE genius idea behind the watch, is broken, ruined, murdered with this insignificant power reserve indicator. What is Datograph? Date + ChronoGRAPH. What is the new one? Datauphabgraph. Not the same, ... 

The power reserve is so shy that you can hardly see it. Where do you see that the triangle is not preserved anymore? Fx

The original triangle turns into a weird losange....

It is the reason why the new version is successful... Creating exactly the same Datograph with 2mm more would have been disappointing from Lange. At the end, everybody is happy. The first Datograph can be found and the new one brings some differences. It ... 

I think in the end, Fx is right. Each camp can choose. There are surely enough used original around at fabulous prices. So, save a few bucks and get a second Lange! Best Joe

And I hope that in the forum we all have a lot of disagreements because they usually lead to the best discussions! Fx

The original as I much prefer the dial aesthetics. I owned it years back and actually recently was lucky enough to find a NOS from 2009. I went to AD to buy the new UD and was left cold after trying it on. Believe me I tried to like it but found the dial ... 

I prefer the original in platinum, the look of the watch and the movement raised the bar and set a standard at that time. I for one am used to seeing this watch the way it came out in 1999. The UD is a very nice update but there can only be one original. ... 

(1) The contributions to this thread indicate that Lange did a good job with both the original Dato and the newer Up/Down. Maybe you'll end up with both! Clearly, you can't go TOO far wrong either way. Speaking personally, they both have their merits. Aft... 

The 3/ is an interesting question but I'll stay far away of it and the 4/ explains a lot too. I would conclude in saying that it all depends on the way we express our opinion and leave others with their own, as there is a difference in expressing a person... 

... to see how others handle in the coming years, because the cosmetic differences on the dial side of the Lange 1 are so subtle (unlike the Datograph, in which the dial changed radically). And with the Datograph, Lange officially changed the name by addi... 

I don't really know the differences as it was difficult to judge without comparing two pictures (which I didn't do) but I would say that for the L1, it will really concern the collectors perfectly knowing both references. This means, imho, that 99% of the... 

The new Lange 1 is another example that times are strange for watch fans: Patek releases the first in-house chrono but can not repeat the success of the Lemania based one. With the Lange 1 I fear it will be the same: the first L1 was "based" on a JLC move... 

The new Dato lacks a Malteser cross which hinder one from over winding the it. The new one has got a stronger and "better" mainspring but not the Malteser cross anymore. Hence the power reserve indicator in the dial. My stance here: I would choose over th... 

I am a relatively new owner of the up down but looked at both. I preferred the up down as I found the indicator quite useful. It also adds a stronger vertical line from the date down to the power reserve. I feel the added dimension is just another way Lan...