363.068 A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus

Somehow oxymoron doesn’t quite cover it. The lauded German manufacture synonymous with the very height of haute horology is now making a sports watch sold on rubber. I just hope they’re not 20 years too late. The Odysseus is as impressive as it is divisive, arguably the most contentious release of the last decade. I will admit, at first sight, I hated the model. The lug transition, asymmetric profile, and entire concept seemed poorly judged to me. But, like a strange variety of Stockholm Syndrome, I’m growing steadily more attracted to Lange’s offering by the day. Not all designs I love today appealed to me at the start. But this may be the first ever wristwatch that I fully hated to start and have slowly grown to adore.

As in all Langes, the beauty is more than skin deep. There’s no shortage of attention to detail in the Odysseus either. The mildly-modern 40.5mm case sports their first screw-down crown, day display, red 12 accent, and luminous indices. Its movement is a brilliantly engineered (to be more robust) and finished 28800 vph escapement with a 50 hour reserve, which is a sweet spot for an automatic. The finishing standard hasn’t been relaxed in the slightest. This is still a monumental case back. Despite its modern silhouette and integrated bracelet, the watch is unmistakably a Lange.

That’s a good thing, particularly in today’s crowded new generation sports watch market. I tend to think of the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo, Moser Streamliner, Czapek Antarctique as the modern holy trinity. However, in 2020, I think the market is more of a sacred quartet. This is the undeniable fourth entrant, deserving a place amongst its peers. I cannot make everyone see the light I have seen. If you find the Odysseus ugly and have not shifted in the slightest, I sympathize. But if you’ve come to love its eccentricity and oxymoronic statement, I sympathize even more strongly.

This Odysseus show here today is the white gold rubber strapped variant. I can count on one hand the number of watches in WG offered on rubber I’ve seen in the market so far. This slate grey dial variant is, to my eye, a more attractive brother to the navy. The watch is retailed with a full set in new condition from Phillips inventory offering. These aren’t common in the secondary market, and demand in pricing reflects that.

Find this 363.068 here from Phillips Perpetual here for 55000 GBP.