To mark the 20th anniversary of the original A. Lange & Söhne Langematik Perpetual Calendar model, the German company A. Lange & Söhne from Glashütte is releasing two new limited (50 pieces each) versions of the Langematik Perpetual watches with midnight blue dials, featuring 18k white or rose gold cases, respectively referenced 310.028 and 310.037.
Many watch enthusiasts dream of wearing a timepiece with a perpetual calendar mechanism. This complication belongs to the high horology specializations of the luxury watch industry, featuring a calendar system capable of accounting for leap years. Watches with a perpetual calendar are not new or unusual, but they are hardly created equally. Perhaps no other general term like "perpetual calendar" can mean so many things in terms of the functionality of a wristwatch mechanism.
There are two main types of watches where perpetual calendar watches differ from each other. The first is the way the calendar information is displayed on the dial. This concerns the ergonomic arrangement of information windows and sub-dials, as well as which complications are present. For example, a moon phase indicator (which is one of the indicators on the Langematik Perpetual) is not mandatory for a perpetual calendar - meaning not all perpetual calendar watches are equipped with it. Thus, even though many watches include the term "perpetual calendar" (or, in French, quantieme perpetual) in their name, their functionality and complications may vary from one instance to another.
Another area where perpetual calendar watches significantly differ is in their ease of use and adjustment. For the perpetual calendar watch to "eternally" track calendar information, it must remain in constant (eternal) operation. Manually wound mechanical perpetual calendar watches depend on the user not forgetting to wind them. Automatic winding mechanisms (such as the caliber L922.1 SAX-O-MAT in the Langematik Perpetual) make the winding process more likely, given that automatic watches are wound as they are worn.
Finally, if the perpetual calendar system goes off-track (for instance, if the watch stops working for several days), perpetual calendar mechanisms are not always easy to reset - some require a lot of fiddling with small buttons set into the case. Companies like A. Lange & Söhne, which produce a range of systems and mechanisms with perpetual calendars, equip them with a special button that simultaneously advances all the calendar information by one day. Thus, if your Langematik Perpetual watch stops working for four days, resetting the perpetual calendar requires simply pressing the calendar advance button four times.
The automatic caliber L922.1 is designed, manufactured, decorated, assembled, and tested at the A. Lange & Söhne factory. It benefits from the company's reputation for meticulous attention to detail and ensuring that each mechanism works as intended. The mechanism consists of 478 parts and operates at a frequency of 3 Hz (21,600 beats per hour) with a power reserve of about 46 hours. Ultimately, I would like to see Lange mechanisms with a frequency of 4 Hz - but that's another conversation. The mechanism is made of German silver and is richly decorated. You can see that the mechanism is equipped with a "3/4" automatic rotor, which is not quite full-sized but larger (and therefore more efficient) than a micro-rotor. The rotor is made of 21-carat gold with an outer centrifugal weight made of 950 platinum. The mechanism features a zero-reset function, which returns the seconds hand to the zero mark when the watch's crown is pulled out. This allows for more precise time setting.
In addition to time with seconds, the Langematik Perpetual dial features a large date window, a moon phase indicator, and four other hands on the dial that indicate the month, day of the week, AM/PM indicator, and leap year indicator. The dials are equipped with Roman numeral hour markers, perfect proportions, and are enclosed in a modest case measuring 38.5 mm in width and only 10.2 mm in thickness. The thickness of the mechanism itself is only 5.7 mm.
Few companies make perpetual calendars as beautifully and conveniently as A. Lange & Söhne. The Langematik Perpetual model is designed to be both stylish and luxurious, yet practical for daily wear (if you so choose). However, a beautifully crafted and well-designed mechanism comes at a price.
These days, mechanical watches with a perpetual calendar can be purchased for less than 10,000 USD. However, the price ceiling for perpetual calendar watches is much higher. Over time, the price of the Langematik Perpetual has risen and approached 100,000 USD (at least for these limited blue models). Accordingly, the cost of each of the 100 pieces (50 pieces in each style) of the blue A. Lange & Söhne Langematik Perpetual models references 310.028 and 310.037 is 91,000 euros. More details on the A. Lange & Söhne website here.