110.029, Lange 1 'Soirée', White Gold

The ref. 110.029 'Soirée' is the Lange 1 at its least reserved: a full mother-of-pearl dial, introduced in 2001 and named for a formal evening gala. One of the rarer dials, they are a delight of earlier Lange, made for just a few years. This reference was out of production by late 2002 / early 2003, approximately one and a half to two years of production in sum. It is amongst the most elegant Lange 1 references from earlier years, pairing natural material beauty with Germanic principles of watchmaking.

The ref. 110.029 was introduced first alongside the 160.029, the same watch on an integrated white gold bracelet by Pforzheim jeweller Wellendorff. Guilloché variants followed in white gold (110.030) and pink gold (110.031) and ran until 2009, joined by a Tahitian platinum 110.041 for a year or two. Famously, the blue-tinted 110.049 appeared in 2003, 25 pieces for Paris retailer Dubail. Finally, Mother-of-pearl returned in 2015 on the Little Lange 1 refs. 113.041 and 113.043. All are highly desirable for collectors. 

This dial is still solid silver underneath. A thin layer of shell is selected for hue, polished, CNC-cut to shape and bonded on top, then finished with printed chapters and applied Roman numerals and diamond markers in rhodium-gold. The subsidiary dials are still recessed and grained, no small feat in a material this brittle. The iridescence comes from reflective layers within the nacre itself, so no two dials read alike. On the 110.029 the surface is left plain, with no guilloché to interrupt the material and no lume on the hands.

That added layer is why the Soirée measures 10.4mm thick against 9.8mm for a standard Lange 1, and why it carries its own calibre. The L901.4 is the L901.0 with lengthened pinions to hold the hands above a taller dial. The rest is familiar: 365 parts, 53 jewels, nine screwed gold chatons, twin barrels for 72 hours, a screw balance at 21,600 vph with swan-neck regulation under a hand-engraved cock, and a three-quarter plate in untreated German silver. Its case is the familiar 3-body Lange 1 construction at 38.5mm in white gold. 

The 110.029 remains one of the few times the Lange 1 was dressed for celebration rather than Teutonic professionalism. Mother of Pearl Lange 1 is a category unto itself in collecting, and complete examples well-preserved are usually fixed in great collections. This is Germanic exuberance, perfectly elegant. 

This 110.029 presents in excellent overall condition. Its case is extremely well preserved, with only light signs of careful wear, commensurate with its age. Its calibre L901.4 is running perfectly in specification on our timing equipment. It comes with its full set and all original accessories.

This example is modelled on an average-sized 7-inch wrist.