A. Lange & Söhne – Datograph, 1999

Collecting · · by Christian Bissener


A. Lange & Söhne Datograph with black dial, sub-dials and date window, worn on a wrist

For us the Lange Datograph remains one of the most beautiful watches of the modern era.

When we began to read seriously about watchmaking in 2008, the Datograph made an immediate impression, as did the work of Lange as a whole, the pocket watches as much as the wristwatches. Thanks to the eye for design and detail of Dr. Walter Lange, the heritage of Ferdinand Adolph Lange is still visible in these watches today.

The case, the dial and above all the architecture of the movement are exceptional. The most interesting examples, in our view, are the very early ones from the year of release, 1999, with case numbers in the 123xxx range and movement numbers in the 13xxx range, as in the present example.

Caseback of an A. Lange & Söhne Datograph showing the engraved movement with balance and gold-toned plates
A. Lange & Söhne Datograph, 1999 – the movement