Gold Flux Dial 182.086 A. Lange & Söhne Little Lange 1
Erik Gustafson / 24 December 22
Very quietly, Lange have been releasing some absolute killer dials under the Little Lange 1 umbrella. Little is a bit of a misnomer, as there’s really nothing little about this watch in effort or proportion. This is more accurately the midsized Lange 1, a 36.5mm take on Germany’s best golden ratios. But it is slightly more attainable, spec for spec. In fact, the Little Lange 1 reminds me of one of the best kept secrets in the automotive realm: that the base spec model is almost always the most fun.
It’s really a bit staggering when you start to look closely: colorful guilloché of many varieties, mother of pearl both light and dark, and this. This is what’s known as a gold flux dial, made from aventurine glass with specks set in it to evoke the night sky. It’s right up there with Patek Philippe or De Bethune star dials in depth and sheen. Quite appropriately, this white gold case also houses Lange’s new L121.2, which debuted their new moonphase complication that is accurate for 122 years without adjustment. A star dial and moonphase, well that’s a match made literally in heaven. The exquisitely engraved balancecock remains.
Never one to miss a detail, Lange also swapped out the standard diamond indices for stars. I haven’t actually seen many people discussing this; sure it might seem insignificant, but this is the first ‘stelline’ dial Lange (at least that I’ve become aware of). And if you want to talk detail, theres also a tiny blue/purple metallic spec embedded over the alligator leather of the strap. It’s a watch of many firsts and watch which, curiously, seems to have garnered ‘little’ attention. It deserves the universe. They managed to get it on the dial, for f*ck’s sake.
This example is minty as Listerine after a long night. The case shows no visible marks, noted as very minor wear but I simply can’t see any in these photos. It comes with a full set on its original strap from a well-regarded LA retailer.
Find this Little Lange 1 here from The Keystone for 75000 USD.
