Phillips Perpetual in Hong Kong is currently offering two very different expressions of A. Lange & Söhne: the Lange 1 Time Zone Ref. 136.021 in 18k yellow gold, and the 1815 “Homage to Walter Lange” Ref. 297.026 in 18k white gold.

One is a sophisticated traveler’s companion, the other a heartfelt tribute to the man who helped bring Lange back from the ashes. Both reflect the brand’s obsession with engineering, history, and detail.

The 1815 “Homage to Walter Lange” Ref. 297.026

Walter Lange passed away in January 2017, on the very first morning of that year's SIHH exhibition. By then, he had already lived a full life: exile, return, and the rebuilding of his family's company after its dismantling during World War II and the Cold War.

His presence at every fair, always in a suit and tie, always willing to speak to collectors, was part of Lange’s modern identity.

A 2021 A. Lange & Söhne 1815 “Homage to Walter Lange” Ref. 297.026 in 18k white gold that's available for immediate purchase through Phillips Perpetual in Hong Kong.

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The 1815 “Homage to Walter Lange” was unveiled one year later. It was the realization of an idea he had long championed. The complication inside is known as jumping seconds, or seconde morte. The central seconds hand makes precise one-second jumps, a technical flourish that’s both visually satisfying and historically important. Even more unusual, the watch allows you to start and stop that hand at will via a pusher at two o’clock. 

The in-house calibre L1924, named after Walter’s birth year, powers the watch. It’s classic Lange through and through: three-quarter plate, hand-engraved balance cock, gold chatons. The first three digits of the reference number, 297, even encode his birthday, 29 July.

Few tribute watches wear their symbolism so openly, and fewer still manage to balance that with real mechanical interest.

A 2021 A. Lange & Söhne 1815 “Homage to Walter Lange” Ref. 297.026 in 18k white gold that's available for immediate purchase through Phillips Perpetual in Hong Kong.

Only 145 examples were made in white gold, alongside smaller runs in pink (90 pieces) and yellow (27 pieces).

A one-off stainless steel piece with a black enamel dial was also created. It was consigned by the brand during the Phillips Geneva Watch Auction: SEVEN in May 2018, where it set a then-record price for a Lange wristwatch at auction at CHF 852,500 (with all proceeds benefiting charity).

The example available now through Phillips Perpetual in Hong Kong is number 87 of the 145 pieces in white gold.

The Lange 1 Time Zone Ref. 136.021

If the 1815 “Homage” is inward-looking, the Lange 1 Time Zone is outward-facing. The first generation, launched in 2005, was already one of the most feature-packed travel watches on the market.

It combined dual-time displays, a city ring, day/night indicators, and Lange’s signature outsize date. But the 2020 update elevated the design even further.

A 2020 A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Time Zone Ref. 136.021 in 18k yellow gold that's available for immediate purchase through Phillips Perpetual in Hong Kong.

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At first glance, the upgraded Lange 1 Time Zone looked almost identical to its predecessor. But look closer and you’ll see the refinements: cleaner typography, better-proportioned sub-dials, and – most importantly – a redesigned day/night indicator that now sits on the same axis as the hour hands. 

A thoughtful new addition is the daylight saving time indicator, a tiny aperture within the golden arrow pointer at five o’clock on the smaller sub-dial. If the arrow shows red, the city it's pointing at on the outer ring observes DST; if it's white, it doesn’t.

It’s a subtle but genuinely useful detail for anyone crossing borders regularly.

A 2020 A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Time Zone Ref. 136.021 in 18k yellow gold that's available for immediate purchase through Phillips Perpetual in Hong Kong.

Inside is the calibre L141.1, built from the ground up. Compared to the previous generation calibre L031.1, it’s larger, more elegant in layout, and offers a 72-hour power reserve. The finishing remains textbook Lange: a large three-quarter plate, blued screws, gold chatons, and a hand-engraved intermediate wheel cock that's unique to the Lange 1 Time Zone.

The particular watch pictured here was a limited boutique edition in 18k yellow gold, paired with a champagne dial, one of just 100 examples made. The dial color/case metal combination references the earliest Lange 1s of the 1990s, yet it carries the technical updates of today.

Offered at Phillips Perpetual in Hong Kong, it’s a rare chance to buy one of the most practical complicated Lange 1s without waiting on a boutique allocation.

Two Watches, Two Perspectives

Taken together, these two watches highlight Lange’s dual personality. The 1815 “Homage to Walter Lange” looks to the past, anchoring itself in a family story and a 19th-century complication. Meanwhile, the latest generation of the Lange 1 Time Zone looks forward, designed for collectors who live with one foot in Saxony and the other in Hong Kong or New York.

Both are limited editions, both are beautifully finished, and both tell stories that go beyond their wrist presence.

One is about heritage and gratitude; the other is about travel and modern life. And in the end, that’s what makes Lange such a fascinating brand – it’s never content to rest on a single idea.

Both of the watches featured here are currently available through Phillips Perpetual in Hong Kong, ready for their next owner.

Whether you’re drawn to the intimacy of Walter Lange’s legacy or the technical clarity of the new Lange 1 Time Zone, you’ll find two very different, but equally compelling, paths into the world of German watchmaking.

To inquire about either of these watches, please reach out to specialist Jonathan Siu (jonathansiu@phillips.com).

FEATURED WATCH

1815 “Homage to Walter Lange”

1815 “Homage to Walter Lange”

A. Lange & Söhne

£0.00 GBP

  • About Logan Baker

    Logan has spent the past decade reporting on every aspect of the watch business. He joined Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo at the start of 2023 as the department's Senior Editorial Manager. He's based in Geneva.