A Lit Lange

Many watch owners take for granted their luminant watch dial; though this component is typically a standard feature on timepieces, many classic luxury timepieces do not possess this luminescent, sporty element. So, no, your typical high-end watch will not glow in the dark. The Grande Lange 1 Luminous watch, however, does emit the green light. In the tradition-inspired world of the German watchmaker, contemporary conveniences like the luminant feature is a rare find on their beautiful watch dials. In fact, only a handful of their watches have ever offered glow-in-the-dark hands, and the Grande Lange 1 may be only the second Lange 1 style watch to showcase this quality.

A few years back, A. Lange & Sohne released the Lange 1 for Night Owls watch, named for the dial that can be seen in the dark. However, the Lange 1 Night Owl’s glow is only modest—the luminants are few. On the other hand, the Grande Lange 1 Luminous features a design totally dedicated to the theme. The glowing hand and hour markers stand out against a beautiful black dial. The Grande Lange 1 Luminous’ white gold case is larger with a diameter of 41.9mm and has a much more refined dial. Inspiration for the new piece came directly from the Lange Zeitwerk Luminous—another popular, limited edition model that first made use of the “luminous” moniker for the brand.

The Grande Lange 1 glows so bright, thanks to the sufficient amount of luminants in the 18-karat white gold hands and hour markers. The Superluminova luminants are applied so thickly that the hour markers lift off of the dial. Finally, the palette of black, white, white gold and green glow gives this dial a retro look.

Ticking inside the watch is the L901.2 calibre, a precisely hand-wound mechanical movement made by Lange, which was meticulously tested and decorated by hand. This movement, a pinnacle of German watchmaking, holds a 72-hour power reserve with an indicator on the dial, an off-centered watch dial, overlapping subsidiary seconds dial, and an outsize date display, all beautifully arranged on one of haute horology’s most idiosyncratic watch dials.

$32,900  |  www.alange-soehne.com