Lange 1

Reference 101.039 is the 18k white gold expression of the Lange 1, the model that announced A. Lange & Söhne's return to watchmaking in Dresden in 1994. Its 38.5 mm case houses the manually wound Calibre L901.0, the movement that established the asymmetric outsize-date and off-centre dial layout as hallmarks of the revived manufacture. The silver dial, with its characteristic partitioned surface, remains one of the most recognisable faces in late-twentieth-century horology.

The Lange 1 was unveiled on 24 October 1994 alongside three other references, marking the rebirth of A. Lange & Söhne after decades of interruption under the East German state. The white gold variant with a silver dial entered the collection as one of the earliest references and remained in production for more than two decades, spanning the period during which the manufacture steadily refined the L901.0 movement. Its long production run made it a touchstone for collectors tracing the evolution of finishing standards and dial details across successive production batches. The reference was eventually succeeded by updated iterations as the Lange 1 family continued to develop.