A Lange & Söhne Celebrates 25 Years of the Datograph
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While often clouded by the preceding 21st celebration or the big three zero at the other end of the decade, a 25th birthday is a milestone worth acknowledging. A quarter of a century is a long time, after all, and so deserves a noteworthy gift – whether to yourself or a loved one.
And what better way is there to mark the occasion than with a watch that’s also turning 25.
Back in 1999, A. Lange & Söhne released their first chronograph named the Datograph, which set the bar in the industry for being the first in-house-built chronograph of such a high calibre.
To celebrate its legacy over two decades later, the German marque has released two timepieces as part of its limited edition Handwerkskunst line: the Datograph Up/Down in white gold with a blue dial and the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold “Lumen”.
Since 2011, Handwerkskunst models have been special watches that have been adorned with decorative motifs by highly skilled craftsmen. For these editions, an engraver uses a specially crafted lining burin to create a fine-grained surface on the dial, resulting in a three-dimensional structure with subtle light reflexions.
The unique finishes also extend itself to the watches calibre L951.8. The finishers black polish the surfaces of the chronograph levers, ensuring that incident light is reflected in merely one single direction. Viewed from this perspective only, the surface of the lever appears to be jet black, yet it has a mirror-like gloss when seen from all other angles.
With its intricate details, it's truly a one-of-a-kind timepiece. 25 never looked so good.
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