Manufacturer: A. Lange & Söhne Year: Circa 2020 Reference No: 363.179 Movement No: 146’400 Case No: 248’719 Model Name: Odysseus Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Automatic, L155.1, 31 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel A. Lange & Söhne bracelet, max overall length 185mm Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel A. Lange & Söhne deployant clasp Dimensions: 40.5mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed Accessories: Accompanied by a A. Lange & Söhne guarantee dated July 21, 2020, grey fitted presentation box, leather envelope, two setting pins, polish cloth, product literature and outer packaging.
Catalogue Essay
In 2019, A. Lange & Söhne released a stainless steel sports watch with an integrated bracelet: the Odysseus. The watch is named for the hero of Greek mythology, who endured a decade of travails after the Trojan war in the pursuit of returning home to his wife, family, and kingdom. The Odysseus combined the classic stylings of the manufacture: oversized date apertures, elaborately finished movements, and German silver bridges. It introduced a completely new, in-house automatic movement, the L155.1 Datomatic ticking at 4 hertz, with a platinum-rimmed rotor.
The case shape itself is quite a novelty, subtly asymmetrical, combining a round case shape with faceted lugs and a boldly geometric bracelet. Incorporating a tripartite case, the bracelet and lugs are satin finished, with each lug and bracelet link executed with precise chamfers. It is water resistant to 30 meters, and the bracelet was specifically engineered for ease of adjustment and comfort on the wrist. The dial integrates two finishes: a circular guilloche of the outer ring and a hammered inner ring, repeated on the subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock. The dark blue color alternates between a vivid cerulean and a deep navy depending on lighting condition, and each white gold hand or hour marker is filled with luminous material for visibility in darkness.
The present example, consigned by the original owner, is well-preserved and is accompanied by its full set of accessories. A perfect opportunity for seekers of the present model to acquire an example that is highly demanded by collectors.
Originally founded in 1845 by Ferdinand Adolph Lange in Glashütte, Dresden, Germany, the firm established an entire watchmaking culture and industry in Glashütte. The brand quickly became Germany's finest watchmaker, first creating dependable, easy-to-repair watches before going on to produce some of the world's finest complicated pocket watches, including Grande Sonnerie watches, tourbillon watches and Grande Complications.
On the final day of World War II, their factories were destroyed by Russian bombers, and in 1948 the brand was confiscated by the Soviet Union. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1990, Ferdinand's great grandson Walter Lange re-established the brand with the objective to once again produce top-quality luxury watches. Now part of the Richemont Group, its original vintage and modern creations are highly coveted by collectors. Key models from the modern era include the Lange 1, Pour Le Mérite Tourbillon and the Zeitwerk.
