Blue Mother of Pearl A. Lange & Söhne 113.041 Little Lange 1

The overtly Teutonic A. Lange & Söhne don’t often venture into the more playful material choices. One imagines a Lange 1 dial to be solid silver almost by definition, or if you’re feeling particularly racy perhaps pink gold. But they have experimented in small quantities with more creative full guilloché, enameling, and this: mother of pearl.

Lange collectors will remember the mother of pearl 110.029 ‘Soirée’ Lange 1, introduced in 2001 with a full guilloché mother of pearl following in 2009. This is neither of those. Lange’s most recent MoP entry came at Watches & Wonders 2015, in the ‘little’ Lange 1 case. The 36mm Little Lange 1 made its debut 20 years ago, as a ‘man’s’ offering in the catalogue. The standard 38.5mm case was seen as large by many at that time, and so Lange downsized the proportion and did away with the date-advance push button in favor of a more discreet recessed pusher. The Little Lange 1 is now marketed in a half-hearted way as a ladies’ offering, yet in truth is just a perfect 36mm execution of the icon for all slighter-wristed Glashütte enthusiasts. Though not a limited edition, the MoP Little Lange 1 was produced in far smaller quantities than its silver counterparts.

Not one to leave detail on the table, Lange upgraded their MoP finish here with an iridescent blue galvanic coating that gives the material an extra layer of visual depth. That tone is complemented by a rose gold case and pastel crocodile strap (unknown if included here). The gorgeous calibre L901.4 remains unaltered. This older-generation Lange 1 movement features a more decorative tone that its successor, with beautiful signature ‘island’ bridges housed in the three-quarter plate.

This example has an unmarred case. Full marks for condition. I see only the lightest hairlines of occasional wear. It comes with its full set from a well-regarded London retailer.

Find this 113.041 here from Phillips Perpetual for 60000 EUR.