It is amazing that one brand can keep producing such top watches every year without fail. I don’t remember any single time that I said a watch from A. Lange & Sohne is only so-so, and once again, this German watchmaker has proven that mediocrity is not in its vocabulary with its newest release – the Richard Lange Perpetual Calendar Terraluna. This watch covers all shades of awesome with its decidedly German dial layout and array of complications, which they have neatly packed into a wristwatch.
This stunning watch was recently unveiled at the just concluded SIHH. This model is available in 18kt rose gold and bears dimensions of a large 45.5mm (any smaller and the regulator dial simply wouldn’t work on this piece), while the case height measures a towering 16.5mm. Though this is a thick watch, A. Lange & Sohne justifies it because of the movement, which features complications both on the back and the front.
The case is polished to a fine finish and carries a corrector at the 2 position just above the ridged main crown. The lugs are chamfered, which optimize the snug fit on the wrist. Securing this watch to the wrist is a brown alligator leather strap fitted with a traditional pin buckle made also with 18kt rose gold. The leather strap looks thick and will probably last a long time. There is contrast stitching which matches the color of the case.
As previously stated, the dial is Regulator style with three main overlapping dials, which sort of remind me of a Venn diagram. The largest of the three dials indicates the minutes and also has the iconic large double date display that A. Lange & Sohne seems to incorporate into many of their designs. The hours dial at 4 o’clock is distinguished by its Roman numeral hour markers. Lastly the seconds dial found at the 8 position balances the dial very nicely. The day and a month apertures are located in the seconds and hours dials respectively.
At the 6 O’clock position is a uniquely shaped aperture revealing a disc that lets the wearer know how many days of power reserve they have left from a total of 14 days. To indicate the leap years, there is very inconsequential window at the 2:30 position. My guess is that A. Lange & Sohne didn’t want to break the dial symmetry so they opted for a very subtle approach to the leap year indicator.
The piece de resistance of this watch happens to be on the reverse side. Through the exhibition sapphire crystal case back is the Terraluna feature, which is an Orbital Moon Phase complication. The Terraluna fits on the ¾ main plate of the manual wound movement. The complication features a central earth showing off its northern hemisphere and a moon, which makes one revolution every month while indicating the phase of the moon against a star-filled night sky.
