The ref. 101.035 'Darth' is one of the most successful references from the brand's earlier years, emblematic of Glashütte watchmaking in every way. It was the last standard production Lange reference to be produced with an all-black dial (including date discs, rather unusually) in platinum, something that has not been seen since its discontinuation in 2006. The platinum, all-black dial aesthetic has been slowly leaving the Lange catalogue for the last two decades. Its heritage starts at greats like the Zeitwerk Striking time, unique Tourbillon Pour le Mérite, and even the first-ever steel, black dial Lange 1s. The 'Darth' is a collector favorite for its ties to that significant history, relative scarcity, and imposing, monochromatic, monolithic aesthetic.
The Lange 1 has become a modern classic in just a few short decades, largely down to its stoic yet artful design. The seemingly artful dial arrangement is in fact mathematically beautiful, arranged according to the golden ratio so that the centers of each of its displays form the corners of an isosceles triangle. The details matter as well, its oversized date aperture is inspired by the Five-Minute Clock at Semper Opera House in Dresden.
For its restrained aesthetics, the calibre L901.0 still requires 365 components. For context, modern Datograph requires 405. This was the first movement made by modern A. Lange & Söhne after their formation. The gear train is based on a JLC 822, but the rest is considerably altered to accommodate this unusual display. There are dual barrels for 72 hours of power reserve (indicated on dial), a pusher to advance the date, and artistic flourishes like the hand-engraved balancecock. This style of finishing paired with German silver plates set the standard for what was to come in all Lange. In addition, some of these earlier Lange 1s are beginning to develop a warmer patina on their German silver over time, as is the case here.
The Darth's relatively short production from 1999 until 2006 has garnered much speculation, but in truth attention here should be focused on the Darth's significance to Lange's greater trajectory. The Darth's cessation is very likely due to Lange wishing to un-dilute the all-black, platinum aesthetic and again reserve it for use in rare and special projects. The fact that this Lange 1 was simply available in the catalogue for seven years is one of the great buying opportunities of times gone by, but can only really be appreciated in retrospect. In present and future, it is simply a very significant and quite meaningful Lange 1, the likes of which we are unlikely to ever see again.
