Onyx Dial 191.062 A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1

Aventurine is one thing and mother of pearl is another, but no one thinks of Lange when someone mentions stone dials (the aforementioned aren’t typically considered stone). Yet, for the Lange 1’s 30^th birthday, the Germans decided to tread where none had prior. In some ways, it’s a bit logical. The Darth is certainly core to vintage collectable Lange. And how could one possibly outdo the Darth in platinum with the black date window? You can’t. But you can create an alternate recipe. Last year, Lange broke out of the boundaries we all believed the played in (and traditionally they had). This is ref. 191.062, the Onyx Lange 1, with an Onyx dial. It was made in 300 examples.

The photography for images of this Find are of an example owned by @inkedbarrel and not for sale, courtesy of him. The example for sale from K2 Luxury is in comparable condition, linked below. 

The 191.062 is quietly theatrical if you know what you’re looking for. The outline of each time subdial underscores the overlap of Lange 1 geometry. They begin as German silver blanks, then bonded to ta thin Onyx layer. The sheets of Onyx are hand selected and polished. The Onyx dial came in this platinum, a sort of nod to the Darth, and pink gold. Both were the full 38.5mm size and made in 300 examples. Simultaneously, both metals were made in the Little Lange 1 case at 150 examples. That’s 900 in total for the mathematically challenged amongst us. They haven’t really appeared in the market until now. This is the first one we’ve seen come to market.

Now, I might say 299, because already I believe one is well known to have already cracked. Like Rolex, that fragility is an inherent part of the recipe in stone dials. And that might be a one-off, but it is something we’ve seen whenever stone dials are utilized. Not all examples survive. So where does this fall in Lange context? It’s certainly created very deliberately for collectors. It isn’t an early model, it isn’t complicated either. But if you’re going to elevate a model in modern times, stone appears to be in fashion. Is this Lange following the whims of fashion? No, I don’t think so. I think it’s a modern Darth, made even meaner by natural materials. And it will be fun to watch the market evolve. They began near 50K CHF, and this example is being offered for not much more—now a 75K. That doesn’t seem onerous for what is an objectively beautiful and wholly new type of Lange.

This example is excellent. For starters, no fractures. The case is untouched. It's everything you'd want in this ref, including the full set.