A. Lange & Söhne has introduced a remarkable timepiece, the Minute Repeater Perpetual, bearing the reference 607.091FE. This watch represents a significant achievement in horology by integrating two highly complex mechanisms: a minute repeater and a perpetual calendar. Produced in a strictly limited run, this model is presented in a case crafted from 950 platinum, adding to its exclusivity and presence. The combination of these demanding complications within a single movement underscores the technical prowess housed within the Glashütte manufacture.
The story of
A. Lange & Söhne is foundational to understanding the context of such a watch. Established in 1845 by Ferdinand Adolph Lange in the small Saxon town of Glashütte, the company quickly set a high standard for German precision watchmaking. F.A. Lange not only built exceptional timepieces but also helped establish an entire industry in the region. The pocket watches from this era remain highly regarded by collectors. However, the tumultuous 20th century saw the company expropriated following World War II, and the esteemed name nearly faded into history.
Courtesy of A. Lange & Sohne
Decades later, a pivotal moment arrived in 1990 with the reunification of Germany. Walter Lange, the great-grandson of the founder, seized the opportunity and demonstrated considerable courage by relaunching the brand. This marked the beginning of A. Lange & Söhne's modern era, characterized by a return to the highest standards of watchmaking. Today, the manufacture produces a relatively small number of wristwatches annually, primarily using precious metals like gold and platinum.
A core principle of the modern A. Lange & Söhne is the exclusive use of movements developed, produced, and meticulously finished in-house. Since its rebirth, the company has created an impressive portfolio of 75 distinct manufacture calibres. This dedication to internal capability and artisanal craft is evident in every piece. Landmark creations like the LANGE 1, notable for its pioneering outsize date display in a series wristwatch, and the ZEITWERK, with its unique digital display using jumping numerals, cemented the brand's reputation for innovation built on traditional techniques. The manufacture continually pushes boundaries with highly complex models, embodying its ambition to elevate the art of watchmaking.
Bringing together a minute repeater and a perpetual calendar within one watch, as seen in the Reference 607.091FE, presents a formidable challenge. Each complication, considered independently, requires deep technical understanding and skilled execution. Combining them amplifies the difficulty exponentially. Engineers must design intricate interactions, and master watchmakers need exceptional dexterity and experience to assemble, fine-tune, and perfectly harmonize the hundreds of components involved in both mechanisms, ensuring they function flawlessly together without interference.
The minute repeater function allows the wearer to audibly discern the time on demand. Activation occurs via a sliding lever integrated into the left side of the platinum case. When operated, the mechanism triggers a sequence of chimes: hours are struck on a gong with a lower pitch, each quarter-hour is indicated by a double-tone strike on both gongs, and the minutes elapsed since the last quarter-hour are sounded on a gong with a higher pitch. This intricate system relies on a precisely choreographed interplay of racks, snails, levers, and wheels within the 194-part striking mechanism, capable of producing 720 distinct chime sequences.
Courtesy of A. Lange & Sohne
Achieving superior sound quality is a hallmark of Lange's striking watches. The Minute Repeater Perpetual adheres to these high acoustic standards. The goal is a sound that is clear, resonant, and carries well. This is accomplished through meticulous hand-tuning of the two gongs. These gongs are specifically shaped and adjusted to work in concert with the acoustic properties of the 950 platinum case material, ensuring the resulting chime possesses a unique and pleasing timbre. The density and characteristics of platinum influence how sound waves propagate, demanding careful calibration.
The process of finalizing a minute repeater is intensely laborious and demands more than just technical skill; it requires an acute sense of hearing and exceptional manual dexterity. A dedicated Lange master watchmaker undertakes the task of harmonizing all the components. This is an iterative process involving initial assembly, testing, careful listening, disassembly for minute adjustments or reworking of parts, reassembly, and further testing. The characteristics of the hammers – their material composition, specific shape, overall size, weight, and hardness – are critical factors, as is the precise nature of their strike against the gongs, much like tuning a piano hammer.
To enhance the user experience and protect the intricate mechanics, Lange integrated several refinements into this minute repeater. One notable feature is the "pause elimination" function. Typically, a repeater might have a noticeable silence between the hour chimes and the minute chimes if no quarter-hours need to be struck (i.e., during the first 14 minutes past the hour). This mechanism cleverly skips that pause, creating a more fluid and continuous acoustic sequence.
Furthering the refinement, crucial safety mechanisms are incorporated. One such device prevents the minute repeater from being activated if the winding crown is pulled out (for time setting). Conversely, it also prevents the crown from being pulled out if the chiming mechanism is already active. This reciprocal blocking action safeguards the delicate levers and gears of the repeater train from potential damage that could occur if setting and chiming operations were attempted simultaneously.
Another sophisticated element is the patented hammer blocker. Immediately after striking the gongs, the hammers are designed to pause fractionally in their resting position before returning fully. This tiny delay, controlled by the blocker, prevents the hammers from inadvertently bouncing back and striking the gongs a second time, which would otherwise create a muddled or unclear sound. It ensures each strike is clean and distinct.
Courtesy of A. Lange & Sohne
While the minute repeater provides an auditory snapshot of the current time, the perpetual calendar complication looks steadfastly towards the future. This mechanism automatically accounts for the varying lengths of months and correctly incorporates leap years. It will accurately display the date, day of the week, and month for decades without requiring manual correction by the wearer. The intricate system of gears and cams mechanically encodes the rules of the Gregorian calendar.
The long-term accuracy of this perpetual calendar is such that its indications will only require a single manual correction, and not until a specific date far in the future: March 1, 2100. On this date, according to the Gregorian calendar rules established centuries ago, the normally scheduled leap year will be skipped. Until then, the watch will seamlessly transition through months and years, including all February 29ths. Despite its complexity, setting the calendar is straightforward, adhering to Lange's user-friendly design philosophy: a single recessed corrector allows for the simultaneous advancement of all calendar displays.
Integrated within the perpetual calendar is a highly precise moon-phase display, located in the subdial at 6 o'clock. This display is engineered to track the synodic period of the moon (the time from one new moon to the next) with remarkable fidelity. Its calculation is so accurate that the display will deviate from the actual lunar cycle by only one day after 122.6 years of continuous running. Visually, it features two moons rendered in solid 750 gold, set against a backdrop representing the night sky, which is further decorated with more than 100 hand-engraved stars, adding artisanal depth to the technical precision.
The watch's technical sophistication finds a parallel in the artistry of its dial. Crafted in-house at the Lange manufacture, the dial base is made from solid white gold. This base undergoes a time-intensive process to be filled with black enamel, resulting in a deep, immaculate, glossy black surface. This rich background provides a striking contrast for the various displays, significantly enhancing legibility. The characteristic Lange outsize date is prominently featured below the 12 o'clock position.
The dial architecture is carefully organized into four main sections. Beyond the main dial area showing the time with Roman numerals and the outsize date, there are three subsidiary dials. The subdial at 9 o'clock houses indicators for the day of the week and a 24-hour display (serving as a day/night indicator). The subdial at 3 o'clock displays the month and the leap year cycle. At 6 o'clock, the subdial combines the small seconds hand with the aforementioned detailed moon-phase display. White gold hands track the various indications across the subdials and the main time display.
Courtesy of A. Lange & Sohne
A subtle but significant decorative detail enhances the dial's structure: circular lesenes. These are fine, raised borders made of white gold. One such lesene frames the main dial, running discreetly between the large date aperture and the applied Roman numerals. Similar lesenes are applied to each of the three subsidiary dials, visually separating the inner display areas (like the moon phase or leap year) from their surrounding tracks (seconds, day, month). This adds a refined layer of visual definition and complexity to the enamel surface.
Visible through the sapphire crystal caseback is the Lange manufacture calibre L122.2, the newly developed heart of this timepiece. This manually wound movement is a testament to complexity and craft, comprising 640 individual parts. Whether visible or hidden, each component reflects the standards associated with A. Lange & Söhne. Key aesthetic highlights visible include the balance cock, which is meticulously engraved by hand using a free-hand technique, supporting the whiplash precision index adjuster. A lateral setscrew allows fine-tuning of the escapement.
The movement's architecture features a prominent three-quarter plate made from untreated German silver, a traditional material for the brand. This plate exhibits a finely grained surface texture and is adorned with engravings that have been treated with black rhodium for contrast. Four screwed gold chatons, which hold jewel bearings, punctuate the plate's surface. While much of the intricate calendar and repeater work lies beneath the dial, the crucial final elements of the striking mechanism – the two mirror-polished hammers and the two manually curved gongs that frame the movement – are clearly visible, showcasing their elaborate finishing.
The finishing of the hammers deserves special mention. They receive a black polish, one of the most demanding and time-consuming surface finishing techniques in watchmaking. Achieved entirely by hand on a specialized tin plate with diamond paste, it creates a surface so perfectly flat and smooth that it reflects light in only one direction. Viewed from that specific angle, the surface appears jet black; from all other angles, it shines like a mirror. Additionally, decorative finishes like solarization (a sunburst pattern) are applied to the mainspring barrel bridge, the centrifugal governor bridge, and the gong hammer bridges, creating visual coherence. The centrifugal governor, responsible for regulating the speed of the chimes, is mounted in an overhung position and operates almost silently, spinning at over 2,000 revolutions per minute during chiming to ensure a consistent, measured cadence.
Mechanically, the L122.2 calibre features a screw balance wheel paired with a freely oscillating balance spring manufactured in-house, beating at a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour (3.0 Hz). The mainspring barrel, also decorated with solarization, provides a substantial power reserve of 72 hours when fully wound, allowing the watch to run accurately for three days without needing winding.
Courtesy of A. Lange & Sohne
Encasing this mechanical marvel is the 950 platinum case, measuring 40.5 millimetres in diameter and 12.1 millimetres in thickness – dimensions that are quite reasonable given the complexity within. The watch is secured to the wrist by a black, hand-stitched strap made from alligator leather. A. Lange & Söhne notes that the leather complies with CITES regulations, sourced from farmed alligator mississippiensis (CITES Appendix II). The strap is fitted with a deployant buckle, also crafted from solid 950 platinum, matching the case material.
Reflecting its complexity and the level of craftsmanship involved, the A. Lange & Söhne Minute Repeater Perpetual is offered as a limited edition of only 50 pieces worldwide. Due to its exclusivity, the price is available only upon request directly from the brand. Availability is restricted to select A. Lange & Söhne boutiques, ensuring a personalized experience for the few collectors who will acquire this intricate timepiece.
Case: 950 platinum, 40.5 mm diameter, 12.1 mm thickness, sapphire glass case back, water resistance 2 bar.
Movement: Manually wound manufacture calibre L122.2, 72-hour power reserve, 640 parts, 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour (3.0 Hz), functions include Minute Repeater, Perpetual Calendar (outsize date, day, month, leap year), Moon-phase display, Day/night indicator, Chiming mechanism, Small seconds.
Dial: Black enamel over white gold base, four-part construction, features Lange outsize date, Roman numerals, subsidiary dials for day/24h, month/leap year, small seconds/moon phase (with 750 gold moons and hand-engraved stars), white gold circular lesenes.
Strap: Black, hand-stitched Alligator leather (farmed, CITES compliant), 950 platinum deployant buckle.
Price: Price upon request.
Reference Number: 607.091FE / LSLS6072AA
Notes: Limited Edition of 50 pieces. Combines minute repeater and perpetual calendar complications. Features pause elimination, repeater safety device, patented hammer blocker, and moon phase accurate for 122.6 years.