A. Lange & Söhne’s latest Datograph Perpetual pairs a platinum case and bracelet with diamond hour markers, limited to just 50 pieces.
A. Lange & Söhne’s Datograph Perpetual has been an important part of the brand’s complicated watchmaking ever since it was introduced in 2006. The original Datograph was introduced in 1999, while the Datograph Perpetual became A. Lange & Söhne’s first timepiece to combine a chronograph and a perpetual calendar with that signature outsize date complication. This presented timekeeping in a very different way, as the chronograph allowed the timing of short events while the calendar display tracked time across decades.
The Datograph Perpetual took the original concept of the Datograph and made it an even more complex instrument of watchmaking. It retained the chronograph functionality while incorporating a perpetual calendar and moon-phase display, a feat that is not easy by any means in high watchmaking.
What made it even more impressive was how A. Lange & Söhne retained the signature outsize date display and incorporated the perpetual calendar information into the two existing chronograph sub-counters in the lower part of the dial, preserving the balance and design of the original Datograph and what made it so appealing in the first place.
Now, twenty years after the original Datograph Perpetual’s debut, A. Lange & Söhne is revisiting the collection with a 50-piece limited edition. This latest interpretation of the Datograph Perpetual brings a platinum case with a five-link platinum bracelet and a beautiful black dial that contrasts stunningly against the precious material.
Full Platinum, With a Touch of Sparkle
This latest edition of the Datograph Perpetual comes housed in the signature case, measuring 41mm in diameter and 13.5mm thick, now in 950 platinum. These dimensions give the watch substantial proportions. However, given the complications it houses, it’s perfectly understandable to have a bit of heft and thickness behind the watch.
One of the signature details of the case is its sandwich construction, which is easily distinguished through the various surface finishes. The top part of the case, including the bezel, features a beautiful mirror-like polished finish. The case middle features a horizontal satin-brushed finish, while the caseback mirrors the top with a polished aesthetic. This combination of finishes gives a very clear view of the different components that make up the case profile.
The five-link bracelet continues this aesthetic, featuring both polished and vertically satin-brushed surfaces. The outer and central links feature mirror-like polished finishes, beautifully continuing the finish of the bezel, while the second and fourth links feature vertical brushing that helps accentuate the surrounding polished surfaces. The cool tones of the 950 platinum give the watch a refined appearance, while the contrasting finishes add depth as the light moves across the surfaces.
A. Lange & Söhne has paired the 950 platinum with a deep, matt black dial, which honestly is the perfect execution, as it allows both elements to stand out nicely. Made from 925 silver, the dial also features contrasting rhodié-coloured auxiliary subdials for the chronograph and perpetual calendar displays, positioned slightly below 3 and 9 o’clock. Then, to elevate the dial’s luxurious and elegant nature, A. Lange & Söhne has integrated 11 applied baguette-cut diamonds as the hour indices, with two stones marking 12 o’clock.
The diamonds have a combined weight of approximately 0.13 carats, adding shine and sparkle without detracting attention from the intricate and highly technical display. As mentioned previously, what I do love about the Datograph Perpetual’s display is how well the perpetual calendar has been integrated into the chronograph displays.
The auxiliary subdial positioned slightly below 9 o’clock combines the running seconds, the day of the week in a smaller display within the subdial, and a day/night indicator in a separate subdial overlapping the main auxiliary dial.
The auxiliary subdial positioned slightly below 3 o’clock follows the same format, but with the arrangement flipped. It features a 30-minute chronograph counter on the outer part of the subdial, while the inner display shows the month. At the bottom, a smaller, separate subdial overlaps it to display the leap-year indication.
The moon-phase display at 6 o’clock, along with the outsize date at 12 o’clock, completes the calendar information, while the tachymeter scale running around the dial’s perimeter finishes the chronograph display, tying a beautifully balanced dial together.
Mechanical Complexity, Executed the A. Lange & Söhne Way
The movement housed inside this latest Datograph Perpetual is the manually wound manufacture calibre L952.1, made up of 556 components and 45 jewels. Of these components, an impressive 223 belong to the calendar mechanism alone, showing just how mechanically complex the perpetual calendar complication really is. The movement operates at 2.5Hz (18,000VpH), while delivering a modest 36-hour power reserve.
The movement features a column-wheel chronograph incorporating a flyback function and a precisely jumping minute counter, allowing the elapsed minutes on the auxiliary dial positioned slightly below 3 o’clock to be read clearly as the counter advances. The perpetual calendar also accounts for different month lengths and leap years, with the leap-year indication shown within the same auxiliary dial. A one-day correction is required on 1 March 2100.
And, as expected from A. Lange & Söhne, through the sapphire caseback we get to see the exceptional finishing that German watchmaking is renowned for. From the untreated German silver plates and bridges and the four screwed gold chatons to the hand-engraved balance cock that is unique to each piece, this is mechanical complexity shown in pure art form!
Initial Thoughts
While it may seem like a simple material change, the use of 950 platinum for the case and bracelet completely changes the character of the Datograph Perpetual. All the familiar details remain, from the clever integration of the perpetual calendar complication within the chronograph display to the outsize date and moon phase, but the full platinum execution gives the watch a new presence that feels luxurious, highly technical, and distinctly A. Lange & Söhne.
Beyond the materials, however, the appeal of this timepiece comes back to how technical it is, with the combination of the flyback chronograph, outsize date, and perpetual calendar indications. While the dial presents this complexity in a beautifully arranged and easy-to-read manner, the caseback reveals the true complexity of the timepiece through A. Lange & Söhne’s exceptional finishing standards.
I previously talked in my article about how simple material changes are sometimes enough to appreciate an existing timepiece through a new lens, and this is exactly what this new Datograph Perpetual does. The use of 950 platinum gives an established Lange timepiece a different personality without changing the qualities that made it appealing in the first place!
A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual
Reference & Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Reference | 410.136E |
| Dimensions | 41mm case diameter x 13.5mm thickness |
| Case | 950 platinum |
| Dial | Black 925 silver dial with rhodié-coloured auxiliary dials and 11 applied baguette-cut diamond hour markers totalling approximately 0.13 carats |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Caseback | Sapphire crystal exhibition caseback |
| Movement | Manually wound manufacture calibre L952.1 with column-wheel flyback chronograph, precisely jumping minute counter, perpetual calendar, outsize date, day/night indicator and moon phase; 556 components and 45 jewels |
| Power Reserve | 36 hours |
| Beat Rate | 2.5Hz / 18,000VpH |
| Water Resistance | Splash resistant |
| Strap/Bracelet | Five-row 950 platinum bracelet with polished and matt finishes, chamfered links and a matching platinum quick-release deployant buckle |