In this edition of Behind the Lens, we pay tribute to the recent 20th anniversary of the introduction of the Lange 1 with images of two very special variants of this classic watch: the rare Cellini limited edition, of which only 25 were made, and the even rarer stainless steel Lange 1, which was not a limited edition per se but certainly a (very) limited production watch.

These two watches each belong to separate watch buddies of mine, and as always I’m very grateful to them for the loans and for the permission to display a few of my shots here for others to see.

Let’s get started with the stainless steel Lange 1.

A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 in stainless steel: rarer than hen’s teeth

There’s a great deal of speculation about the number of stainless steel watches the modern A. Lange & Söhne has produced because the company has never revealed the exact production, saying only that it was “a very small number of examples.” While steel versions with silvery white dials appear at auction from time to time, the black-dialed version that we see here seems rarer still.

A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 black dial and stainless steel case

The small stainless steel series of Lange 1 watches was produced in 1998, and despite years of pleading from enthusiasts, A. Lange & Söhne seems at this point to have decided to exclusively encase its watches in precious metals, so we shouldn’t expect any more steel pieces soon. As with some Patek Philippe variants, it’s not the cost of the metal but rather the relative rarity of the steel watches that has driven their values sky-high.

Out of the darkness: the limited-production A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 in stainless steel

Like many watches with black dials, this one isn’t that easy to photograph: I think that the first photo in the series above perhaps does the best job of capturing the real-world appearance of the piece with its sober visuals spiced up a bit by the circular grooves on the seconds subdial.

The movement, seen below, is pure Lange 1 L901.0, with the classic Saxon three-quarter plate and engraved balance cock.

Movement of the 1998 A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 in stainless steel

While you were admiring the movement, did you notice anything unusual about the case? Here’s a closer look at part of the word “Glashütte”: see whether you can pick it up.

Mysterious blue/green dots on the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 in stainless steel

One thing about macro photography is that it allows us to see, in immense size, every tiny feature of a watch – in this case what is clearly some sort of green pigmentation in the dots of the umlaut over the letter “ü.”

I’ve asked the nice folks at A. Lange & Söhne about this, though their queries have uncovered nothing; so we can all suggest our own theories! Intentional marking to distinguish the steel case? Indication of ownership by a senior member of A. Lange & Söhne management? Leftover remnants of some protective film? Crayon marks made by the child of a prior owner? We may never know, but it’s fun to guess.

A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Cellini Limited Edition

Our second rare Lange 1 is the Cellini Limited Edition, which was issued in a series of 25 watches to commemorate the 25th anniversary of New York retailer Cellini in 2002. In person, as in photos, this is a particularly striking watch, with its platinum case, winter-white dial, and white Super-LumiNova on the hands and markers.

This one wasn’t so simple to photograph, either: the uniformity of the dial invites the photographer to try to throw the highest-contrast shadows possible, but at the same time that tactic risks blowing out the white dial or overexposing the silver rings and applied elements.

Dial detail of A. Lange und Söhne Lange 1 limited edition for Cellini

This watch seems to be very much a “love-it-or-hate-it” piece among collectors. The white dial is so white and so simple (matte rather than semi-gloss or glossy, and no grooving on the seconds subdial) that it seems to put off some people. For others, especially when seen in person, the elegance of the watch is almost overwhelming. As with many, many watches, this one really should be seen in person before one reaches a final conclusion.

A. Lange und Söhne Lange 1 limited edition for Cellini

Unlike the stainless steel Lange 1, both the movement and case of the Cellini piece are clearly marked: the former with the notation “25th Anniversary” and the latter with the inscription “Limited 25 Pieces.” Interestingly, unlike other A. Lange und Söhne limited editions, these watches are not individually numbered “xx/25” to denote individual placements within the edition of 25.

Movement side: exclusive engravings on the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Cellini limited edition

Finally, since we are talking about anniversaries and limited editions here, I’ll sneak in one final image: the Cellini Lange 1 next to the Langematik Anniversary Limited Edition released in 2000 in celebration of the tenth anniversary of the re-founding of A. Lange & Söhne.

Two A. Lange & Söhne limited editions: the Langematik Anniversary and Cellini Lange

While relative to the Cellini piece the Anniversary has its splashes of color and bright enamel dial working for it, I’d be more than pleased to see either of these on my wrist, or in the light tent, any time!

For more information, please visit www.alange-soehne.com/home.

Quick Facts Lange 1 Stainless Steel
Year of production: 1998, unknown quantity
Case: stainless steel, 38.5 x 10 mm
Dial: silver, black
Movement: manually wound Caliber L901.0
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds; offset large date
Recent auction prices (silver dial): $113,000 to $155,000

Quick Facts Lange 1 Cellini Limited Edition
Year of production: 2002, non-numbered limited edition of 25 watches
Case: platinum, 38.5 x 10 mm
Dial: white matte
Movement: manually wound Caliber L901.0
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds; offset large date
Recent auction prices: unavailable

Quick Facts Langematik Anniversary
Year of production: 2000, numbered limited edition of 500 watches
Case: platinum, 37 x 8.6 mm
Dial: white enamel
Movement: manually wound Caliber L921.7
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds; zero reset (hacking function)
Recent sale prices (pre-owned, online forums): approx. $37,000

*This article was first published on October 23, 2014 at Behind The Lens: Rare Lange 1 Limited Editions, you might find the comments under that article interesting.

You might also enjoy:
The Mythical Stainless Steel A. Lange & Söhne Tourbillon Pour Le Mérite
Why I Bought It: A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual
Why I Bought It: A. Lange & Söhne Double Split
A. Lange & Söhne Tourbograph Perpetual Pour Le Mérite: Building On Foundations