Borna Bosnjak
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A. Lange & S?hne presents a compact complication with a new movement combining two classic features – a perpetual calendar and minute repeater.At 40.5mm across and 12mm thick, this platinum-cased Teutonic nugget doesn’t scream opulence……and yet, when flipped over, you get the full array of finishing you’ve come to expect from Lange’s manually wound movements.With so much of the watchmaking scene these days focusing on unique case shapes and value-oriented design, seeing a traditional, high-end complication from a household name has become increasingly more rare. Even a thoroughly classical brand like A. Lange & S?hne has introduced the Odysseus, an integrated bracelet model to serve as the hype piece in its catalogue, which includes a particularly beautiful Honeygold model released this year. And while that’s a material that will be right up Lange lover alley, I have even more appreciation for the new Minute Repeater Perpetual, which introduces a new, complicated calibre at a time when their popularity seems to be waning.Just like Honeygold, Lange’s black enamel dials are a bit of a treat. The German brand makes them in-house now, and there’s little to say here except that it’s quite stunning. Being enamel, press shots will never do this watch justice, so if you do find yourself near a Lange boutique (as these watches will be exclusive to those), it might be worth popping in and seeing where they’ve got a Minute Repeater Perpetual kicking about. The dial blank itself is in 18k gold, as are the hands and indices, though I do have to say that I wish Lange figured out a way to better-integrate those cut-off Roman numerals. A pet peeve of mine they didn’t fall foul of is randomly changing the orientation of the numerals mid-way through – so swings and roundabouts, I guess.Though it’s a traditional brand, Lange has never shied away from a bigger case, especially when it comes to its more complicated pieces. But I’m delighted that they didn’t stray too far from the widely accepted 40mm mid-point. The Minute Repeater Perpetual clocks in at 40.5mm in diameter and only 12.1mm in height, with the 950 platinum case finished wonderfully. The case flanks are softly grained, one giving way to the repeater slider and the other to the crown. And if you’ve already read the spec sheet – two things might come up as quite curious for a minute repeating watch.First of all, the Minute Repeater Perpetual is rated to 20 metres of water-resistance. Now, that doesn’t make it the perfect choice to accompany you on your next dip, but repeaters are rarely rated for any kind of element-resistance at all, so this is an encouraging stat.The other interesting tidbit is that, it’s platinum rather than white gold. The latter is often lauded for being the superior white metal for striking watches, but I think I’ll trust Lange on this one. We’re hardly settling with platinum, are we?With all of the incredibly complicated stuff we’ve seen from Lange in the past, one could easily think that the new Minute Repeater Perpetual is just another dial or material variant of an existing model. And though its dial layout is eerily similar to the Saxonia stablemate Langematik Perpetual, it uses a new calibre that was developed from the Richard Lange Minute Repeater – the L122.2. And as you would expect from any Lange calibre, it’s absolutely stunning in its execution. Untreated German silver dominates the baseplate dotted with screwed chatons (with blued screws, of course), while the black-polished surfaces of the steel hammers reflect the components around them. My personal favourites are the solarisation of the gong hammer and governor bridges, and of course, the hand-engraved balance cock.And speaking of its mechanics, this is a high-tech repeater, too. The governor doesn’t have that annoying buzz that drowns out the sound of the chimes, and it cancels any dead space between missing chimes. To prevent any damage to the movement, you’re not able to operate the crown while the chiming sequence is running and vice versa, and a “hammer blocker” ensures the gongs cannot be accidentally re-struck. Of course, we also have the perpetual calendar with its signature Lange outsize date, which makes legibility a breeze given it’s the calendar’s primary function. For ease of use, all of the indications can be advanced with a single corrector (like on any Lange QP), though they’re not pre-programmed and have separate pushers for individual corrections.?Overall, the L122.2 sits at 7.6mm in height overall which is down-right impressive given its functionality (especially the big date), with a 72-hour power reserve that’s manually topped up, beating at 21,600vph.To just touch on the headline of this article – why did I call it an “almost grand” complication? Sure, it doesn’t have the more complicated striking works of such a complication nor the chronograph, but that’s why it’s an almost… It’s pretty much perfect in every other way. The relatively compact case, awesome enamel dial, and that impressive movement make this a silent killer from this year’s show for me.A. Lange & S?hne Minute Repeater Perpetual pricing and availabilityThe A. Lange & S?hne Minute Repeater Perpetual is a limited edition of 50 pieces, exclusive to the brand’s boutiques. Price is on request.BrandA. Lange & S?hneModelMinute Repeater PerpetualCase Dimensions40.5mm (D) x 12.1mm (T)Case material950 platinumWater Resistance20 metresCrystal(s)Sapphire front and backDialBlack enamel on 18k goldMovementL122.2, in-house, manual windingPower Reserve72 hoursFunctionsHours, minutes, small seconds, minute repeater, perpetual calendar, grande date, moonphaseAvailabilityBoutique-only limited edition of 50 piecesPriceOn request
04.04.25