722.050, Lange 1 Tourbillon, Honeygold

A. Lange & Söhne rebuilt its reputation in the 1994 ‘Pour le Mérite’ Tourbillon, but it took another 6 years to put a tourbillon inside the Lange 1. Introduced in 2000 under Günter Blümlein with Reinhard Meis designing alongside, the Lange 1 Tourbillon rearranged the dial's harmonious asymmetry: the subsidiary seconds moved inward and a tourbillon aperture took its place. Design leaned on a 100 year old pocket watch design for inspiration, featuring a three-armed cage turning counterclockwese, black-polished with a diamond endstone. The Lange 1 Tourbillon began with 250 examples of ref. 704.032 in pink gold, followed by 150 examples of this ref. 704.025 in platinum. This is the 2010 follow-up, released in 150 examples in Honeygold with a guilloché dial. 

In 2010 the Lange 1 Tourbillon returned as ref. 722.050, marking 165 years since Ferdinand Adolph Lange set up shop in Glashütte in 1845. It anchored the "Homage to F.A. Lange" trio beside the 1815 Moon Phase (265 pieces) and the Tourbograph "Pour le Mérite" (50), and it debuted Honeygold — the manufacture's proprietary alloy, paler than yellow gold with a pinkish hue and harder than platinum. The Lange 1 Tourbillon has always been a small-run, celebratory piece. After this came a Handswerkskunst iteration with an enamel dial was made in 20 examples. Finally, for the 25th Anniversary of the Lange 1, 25 examples were made in a ‘.027x’ white-blue configuration. Never in the main catalogue, any Lange 1 Tourbillon is a rarity. 

The original caliber L961.1 ran 378 parts and could not be stopped; on the 722.050, caliber L961.2 grows to 381 parts and adds the patented stop-seconds tourbillon that debuted on the 2008 Cabaret Tourbillon, making the Honeygold the first Lange 1 Tourbillon that can be set to the second. Lange also switched to sapphire date discs so the outsize date no longer masks the cage—the visually distinct change over earlier references. 

Each variant of the Lange 1 Tourbillon has paired the fundamental technical brilliance of the L961 calibre with period-specific artistic and material flourishes, ensuring that the Lange 1 Tourbillon remains a highly collectible and historically significant piece in the brand’s canon. Finished, engraved, and designed thoughtfully, ref. 722.050 is the rare exception where complication has built on design rather than interrupting it. 

This 722.050 presents in excellent overall condition. Its case bears light signs of surface wear commensurate with occasional careful use. Its dial is flawless with no signs of any fault. The calibre L961.2 is running well in specification on our timing equipment. It comes with its original, Honeygold pin buckle.

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