If nothing else, A. Lange & Söhne has a way of stunning even seasoned observers of the trade by doing no more than changing the dial, as it does here with the new Richard Lange Jumping
Seconds. For example, the editor confessed he thought it was new when he first saw it in the metal, only to realise that watch proper debuted in 2016 (he obviously did not read the press release). Since this title has never covered it directly, this story offers a remedy of sorts for WOW – and lets us get into the sublime calibre L094.1 as if it was the first time (think of the Pulp song and sing along). The editor also offers his own thoughts on the dial, which are paraphrased here.
As you will no doubt have heard, the dial of the Richard Lange Jumping Seconds is no mere salmon dial. This is solid 18k gold that looks for all the world like some sort of surface treatment has been applied but the brand assures us that this is not the story. The frosted finish here makes the dial look nothing like the average pink gold case that you might be familiar with, dear reader. It is also nothing like frosting in white gold or yellow gold. In short, this is an astonishingly good choice of materials here, paired as it is with a white-gold case. The solid pink-gold dial (Lange’s fourth use of this material, following icons such as the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon) is punctuated by crisp black markings and rhodiumised hands (steel for seconds, gold for the rest).
Fittingly, the first thing that strikes you about the Richard Lange Jumping Seconds is its face. It is a study in hierarchy and might lull you into thinking it is asymmetrical but it is not. The largest sub-dial, positioned prominently at the top, is dedicated to the seconds – a grande seconde display, as it were. The hours and minutes are relegated to smaller, overlapping circles below (this is a style that I am so personally fond of that I must rely on others to be professional about a story). Note the central red spot, which is the indicator that power is running low.
This distinctive “regulator” layout is not a modern affectation but a nod to Saxon history. The design draws direct inspiration from Chronometer No. 93, a pocket watch crafted in the late 18th century by Johann Heinrich Seyffert. The spiritual progenitor of precision watchmaking in Saxony, Seyffert designed his regulators to prevent the hour and minute hands from obscuring the seconds – a critical feature for astronomers and navigators of the era, and a point of contention amongst the most nitpicky of collectors.
On that note, the movement here is the muscle and we like lifting! The Calibre L094.1 is a beast of 390 parts, and its complexity is dedicated to a singular, obsessive goal: dividing up the seconds as evenly as possible, seconde morte style! In other words, the second hand here ticks precisely 60 times a minute.
Limited to just 100 pieces, the 2025 Richard Lange Jumping Seconds in white gold is a watch for those who have moved past the need for loud statements. It is 39.9mm of quiet confidence.
MOVEMENT Manual calibre L094.1 with dead seconds; 42-hour power reserve
CASE 39.9mm white gold; water-resistant to 30m
STRAP Leather
PRICE On application
This story was first seen as part of the WOW #82 Festive 2025 Issue
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