Big Personality: A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Up/Down “Lumen” Ref. 405.034

The A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Up/Down is point blank, one of the best chronographs ever made. The watch not only has an iconic design, but a superbly finished in-house manual wind movement. Released in 1999, only 5 years after the relaunch of the brand, it was the Datograph that really brought Lange to the forefront of the watch industry. And while the brand has stayed pretty conservative and true to their Germanic design language, Lange has been willing to take some chances. In particular, the Datograph Up/Down “Lumen” Ref. 405.034, with its smoked sapphire dial displaying the inner workings of the movement, showcases Lange’s willingness to take chances.

History

Though A. Lange & Söhne was originally founded in in 1845, its true history is a bit more modern. In the 1990s, Walter Lange, grandson of Lange’s original founder Ferdinand Adolph Lange, relaunched the brand. And the brand began to make waves pretty immediately, creating an in-house manual wind chronograph movement in 1999. To put this achievement in perspective, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and Audemars Piguet didn’t produce an in-house chronograph for over 150 years of operation. After A. Lange & Söhne released the Datograph, it took another seven years for Patek Philippe to introduce an in-house chronograph. Vacheron and AP took another 16 and 20 years respectively to create their own in-house equivalents. Sufficient to say building an in-house chronograph is extremely difficult, and making one as beautiful as the movement in the Datograph can only be done by A. Lange & Söhne. This is why the Datograph is such a celebrated and collectible timepiece. 

Design Details

With a watch that has been touted as possibly one of the best chronographs ever made, one doesn’t need to update it often, but when A. Lange & Söhne does, it’s meaningful—released in 2010 the A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Up/Down “Lumen” ref. 405.034 is both very different and very similar to a standard Datograph Up/Down. This is the fourth watch to be given the “Lumen” treatment, and I think it gives this piece a Dr. Jeckyll/Mr. Hyde quality. In daylight, the Datograph is a beautiful watch, and while the trademark big date window stands out, it is an otherwise traditionally designed timepiece. Unless you were to inspect the watch at close range, you would likely think there was nothing different about it. 

Then the sun goes down. Gone is the buttoned-up Dr. Jeckyll of daytime and in his place a green, ominous, glowing Mr. Hyde. As A. Lange & Söhne puts it, this is the chronograph that never sleeps. Every functional display element on this watch is fully lumed. The hour, minutes, and seconds hands obviously, but also the two sub-dials, power reserve indicator, big date window, and the entire rehaut tachymeter scale. If one needed to they would have no issues precisely timing something in total darkness. Even the Date wheel—which spends most of its life underneath the dial—is always fully luminous.

This is achieved by using what A. Lange & Söhne calls a smoked sapphire crystal for the dial. The smokey sapphire is clear enough to let light through but dark enough that the components underneath don’t distract from the top-side read-outs. So while the date numerals are waiting for their big moment in the large window at twelve, they can fully charge their lume. This avoids the date switching over at midnight with no charge leaving it invisible. 

Inner Workings

While the lume drastically changes the appearance of the watch at night, it also adds useful functionality and a touch of flair to an otherwise known quantity. With the Datograph Up/Down “Lumen” you still get all the classic Datograph features that make the watch great. It’s still powered by the caliber L951.7 manually wound chronograph with flyback functionality and 60 hours power reserve. The date pusher is as always at ten o’clock with the chronograph pushers at two and four, and the case is a very wearable 41mm in diameter and 13.4mm thick. It’s 100% Datograph, just more edgy and hip. 

And when you look at the watch through the caseback, you still see what is perhaps the most beautiful movement available in a watch, bar none. And the fact that this movement is a standard finished movement just makes it all the more impressive. Not only is it extremely well-finished, but it is unobstructed by a rotor (it is hand-wound), and has depths and layers that most watch movement’s don’t possess. Its worth the price of admission on its own.

Personality

Many will agree that the Datograph is one of the best looking and most celebrated chronographs on the market. With its timeless and iconic design and impeccable finishing, there is not much not to like. And the Datograph Up/Down Lumen takes a classic piece and adds a little subtle flamboyance. The smoked sapphire dial gives a skeletonized appearance without being overpowering. And when the lights go out, the dial shines even more. Not only are the chronograph’s subdial illuminated, but so are the date numbers, both inside the date window, and outside. This creates a visual interest not regularly seen on Lange models.

Versus the Competition

If you are looking for something even bolder than the Datograph Lumen, the MB&F HM10 “Bulldog” might be for you. Like the Datograph Lumen, this MB&F has a skeletonized dial. The hour markers here are lumed and rotate on two large discs. The big difference between the HM10 and the Datograph is the design language. MB&F’s horological machine line is defined by its bold and out-of-this-world aesthetics. The HM10 was made to look like a Bulldog. So, if you want something even more out-there on your wrist, this could be the watch.

When discussing Lange’s “Lumen” models, one must also discuss the other Lumen model, the Zeitwerk. The A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk 140.035 “Phantom” Lumen takes the Lumen design design aesthetic, including the smoked sapphire dial and lume, to the Lange’s other flagship model. Here there is no date. Instead, the jumping hour markers are lumed and visible both in their display apertures as well as under the smoked dial. This variation is aptly named the “Phantom” due to its platinum case and dark dial aesthetic. Its a great option for the Lange collector that is looking for the ultimate Zeitwerk to add to his/her collection.

Final Thoughts

The “Lumen” update makes this watch appealing to me in a way that the standard Datograph isn’t. I think a lot of people can relate to the contrasts we have within us, sometimes we’re reserved and professional, and other times boisterous and loud. While this is a broadly appealing watch, collectors’ desire for it is further stoked by its rarity. With an MSRP of $100,500 and only 200 ever produced, it’s an extremely scarce variant of an icon that will surely become more collectible as time goes on. To quote Ferris Bueller, “It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.”

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