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A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Up/Down 41mm Platinum
Ref. 405.035
The original 39mm Datograph, launched in 1999, was already regarded as one of the finest flyback chronographs ever built. When Lange extended the platform in 2012, the brief was not merely to enlarge it: the new 41mm reference added a full hour to the power reserve, brought the date display forward from Roman numerals to baton markers, and introduced a power reserve indicator, giving the dial a more symmetrical and legible architecture while the movement underneath was developed further still. The L951.6 is built in Glashütte to a standard that even among Lange calibres stands apart. Untreated German silver bridges, a hand-engraved balance cock, and a movement architecture that reads as three-dimensional through the exhibition caseback — these are not finishing choices applied at the end but decisions made at the design stage. The reverse-panda dial places the outsize double-aperture date window at twelve and drops the sub-dials into the lower hemisphere, a layout that is immediately readable and visually composed in the way that only works when proportion has been thought through rather than arrived at. Platinum at this scale is dense in a way that aluminium or even steel does not prepare you for: 155 grams on the wrist is a constant, quiet reminder of what the case is made of. The alligator strap carries a built-in retaining bar at the buckle that keeps the tail flat and removes the fussiness that can make a pin buckle awkward on smaller wrists — a small detail, but exactly the kind that earns its keep over years of daily use.
- Reference
- 405.035
- Brand
- A. Lange & Söhne
- Case size
- 41mm
- Case thickness
- 13.1mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- White gold
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Manual
- Calibre
- L951.6
- Functions
- Chronograph, Date, Small seconds, Power reserve indicator
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 48.4mm
- Power reserve
- 60 hours
Learn more about A. Lange & Söhne
Ferdinand Adolph Lange founded his workshop in Glashütte in 1845, in a Saxon mining town whose silver had run out and whose population was destitute. He did not join a watchmaking industry there; he built one, training local labour and introducing the metric system to movement production. The house developed the traits that still define it: the three-quarter plate, which braces the gear train under a single expanse of untreated German silver; hand-engraved balance cocks, each one different because each is cut by a person; and screwed gold chatons securing the jewels. In 1948 the Soviet administration expropriated the company and folded it into the state combine that became Glashütte Uhrenbetriebe. The name vanished from watchmaking for forty-two years. Walter Lange, great-grandson of the founder, re-registered the marque in December 1990, weeks after reunification, in partnership with Günter Blümlein. Four years of development followed with nothing to sell. The 1994 relaunch presented four watches, among them the Lange 1 — off-centre dial, outsize date borrowed from the Semper Opera's five-minute clock — which established the modern house in a single object. Richemont acquired the brand in 2000. Output remains deliberately small, in the low thousands annually, and every movement is still assembled twice.
- 1845
- Ferdinand Adolph Lange opens his workshop, founding the Glashütte watch industry.
- 1868
- The company becomes A. Lange & Söhne as his sons join.
- 1948
- Soviet authorities expropriate the firm; the name disappears.
- 1990
- Walter Lange re-registers the marque with Günter Blümlein.
- 1994
- Relaunch collection debuts, led by the Lange 1.
- 2000
- Richemont acquires the house.
Also in 3 collections
This watch appears in Chronograph Watches (1,287), Leather Strap Watches (998) and Solid Gold Watches (87).
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 405.035 | 1UTBR.U01A.C209A | 1780-133/93 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £80,000 | £72,900 | £81,350 |
| Case size | 41mm | 41.5mm | 44mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m | 30m |
| Movement | Manual | Manual | Manual |
| Strap | Leather strap | Leather strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 60 hours | 100 hours | — |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is hand-wound, so it needs winding every day or two but never a battery.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 60 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 48.4mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16.5cm (6½ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb at £80,000, pre-owned. No UK retailer we track lists this reference new.
Is this available new?
Not from the UK retailers we track. This reference is listed as pre-owned only, at £80,000 from Mappin & Webb. A pre-owned watch has been worn, and is normally sold under the retailer’s own warranty rather than the manufacturer’s.
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