Topping A. Lange & Söhne’s 2025 line-up is the Minute Repeater Perpetual. Featuring a compact platinum case and black enamel dial, the new flagship watch of the Saxonia line marks the first time Lange has combined these two classic complications on their own.

Limited to 50 pieces in platinum, the Repeater Perpetual is positioned near the top of the current catalogue. Beyond the technical complexity, it’s been endowed with an exceptional white gold and black enamel dial crafted in-house, and features the frosted movement finish that’s often reserved for the brand’s special editions.

Initial thoughts

It’s always nice to see a brand cover new ground, especially when that ground is the tried-and-true combination of a minute repeater and perpetual calendar. It’s an extravagant, decadent watch that combines one of the most legible perpetual calendar layouts with one of the industry’s most technically sophisticated minute repeaters.

Beginning with its compact form, the Repeater Perpetual packs 640 components inside a platinum case that’s just 40.5 mm wide and 12.5 mm thick; roughly the same dimensions as a Rolex Submariner. It features an enamel dial in deep black, which is always a risk, since even the tiniest imperfections tend to stand out vividly.

A cynic might point out that the new calibre L122.2 is largely a mashup of a Langematik Perpetual and Richard Lange Minute Repeater, but to do so would be to miss the point. The movement is everything Lange does best, with a thoughtful emphasis on legibility and the priority of information, combined with an advanced, idiot-proof minute repeater that’s finished to the nines.

Pricing has yet to be announced, but I’m expecting a number in excess of US$750,000. Truly a watch for the collector who has everything, the Repeater Perpetual will probably still cost less than the going rate for a Patek Philippe ref. 5074P, while offering a more modern and advanced minute repeater movement and a more legible perpetual calendar display. And you don’t have to take it off to wash your hands.

Special treatment

A signature feature of the Repeater Perpetual is naturally its inky black enamel dial, crafted in-house. While final judgement must be reserved until the watch is in-hand, the dial appears striking, with four individual white gold rings set into the dial to define the chapter rings. I had hoped for the full champlevé treatment that was given to the Lange 1 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst, but the applied markers look great regardless.

Another treatment that differentiates the Repeater Perpetual from most other watches in the Lange stable is the frosted finish on the movement bridges. This finish is typically reserved for special editions that fit between the brand’s standard production models and its ultra-rare Handwerkskunst series.

We’ve seen this before on watches like the 1815 Rattrapante Honeygold “Homage to F.A. Lange”, and I think the choice to go with a more minimalist aesthetic for the bridge treatment works well in what is otherwise a very maximalist watch.

A familiar perpetual

For a new watch, the Repeater Perpetual has a familiar face, calling to mind the Langematik Perpetual, the first perpetual calendar with a large date display. When it debuted in 2001, this Lange innovation raised the stakes for perpetual calendars and was a shot across the bow at the ‘holy trinity.’

Now, nearly a quarter century later, the state of the art has moved on but the layout still looks great, with a clear focus on legibility and the priority of information (the date being given prominence over the day and month indicators).

It remains a classic “grand lever” design and the owner must be careful not to engage the adjustment pushers during the dead zone, hence the 24-hour indicator within the nine o’clock sub-dial.

A new element of the design that shows remarkable attention to detail is the sunken disk for the leap year indicator, which makes this readout it more subtle and adds further depth. The cut-out is executed with aplomb, and it showcases the impressive thickness of the dial, which is made of solid gold. The flanks of the opening are brushed, and the pointer is fully integrated.

An advanced minute repeater

While the construction of the perpetual calendar system is fairly traditional, the underlying L122 minute repeater movement is comparatively advanced, having been introduced in the Richard Lange Minute Repeater in 2022.

Minute repeaters, as a category, have a reputation for being fragile and finicky, but Lange approached this complication with its usual emphasis on robustness and over-engineering.

The result is a minute repeater with a number of safety systems to prevent damage from mishandling. This includes a safety system to disengage the chiming mechanism when the crown is pulled, and another that locks the crown when the repeating action is underway.

The L122.2 also introduced innovations that improve the sound quality and listening experience. The first is a system that catches the hammers once they’ve struck, preventing them from ricocheting back down and dulling the tones of the gongs. It’s also been programmed to skip the first quarter during the first 15 minutes of every hour, progressing from the low tones for the hours directly to the high tones for the minutes.

Key facts and price

A. Lange & Söhne Minute Repeater Perpetual Calendar
Ref. 607.091FE

Diameter: 40.5 mm
Height: 12.1 mm
Material: Platinum
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 20 m

Movement: L122.2
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, minute repeater, and perpetual calendar with big date
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Winding: Hand wind
Power reserve: 72 hours

Strap: Alligator with matching folding clasp

Limited edition: 50 pieces
Availability: At A. Lange & Söhne boutiques only
Price: Estimated to about US$750,000

For more, visit alange-soehne.com.