914
A. Lange & Söhne
Ref. 101.026
Lange 1 "Stainless Steel"
A very rare and highly attractive stainless steel wristwatch with small seconds, oversized date, power reserve indication and presentation box
Full-Cataloguing
- Mythical stainless steel Lange 1, "MIG" dial
- Fresh to the market
- Preserved in excellent condition
- No more than 20 pieces have resurfaced in international auctions
While the vast majority of A. Lange & Söhne timepieces are cased in precious metals, stainless steel examples produced prior to the introduction of the Odysseus hold a mythical status. The present lot is one such rarity, immediately recognizable by its silvered dial and blued steel hands. Widely considered the ultimate "holy grail" of Lange 1s, it stands as definitive proof that the value of A. Lange & Söhne lies not in the metal of its case, but in the unrivaled quality of its manufacture.
Reflecting this philosophy, the original retail price of the stainless steel Lange 1 was identical to that of its yellow gold variant. The reference was never featured in an official catalogue, and the manufacture has never confirmed total production figures. Our research estimates that approximately 30 examples were produced in total, with only a select few appearing sporadically at international auctions. Their origins remain shrouded in mystery as research indicates that some were produced in 1994 for the brand's relaunch, with further examples crafted between 1996 and 1999, mostly delivered to the Italian and American markets. Notable examples surfaced from the Italian retailer Orologeria Pisa in Milan and remarkably, Pisa's vaulted example (case number 117’968) is just one digit away from the present fresh-to-market piece.
To date, no more than 20 of these stainless steel examples have ever appeared on the auction market, underscoring their exceptional rarity and collector desirability.
A. Lange & Söhne
German | 1845Originally 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.