Watches and Wonders took place this year between April 1 and 7. The who’s who of Swiss and international brands presented their latest creations, including the luxury watch manufacturer A. Lange & Söhne, based in the Saxon town of Glashütte in Germany. The traditional brand is renown for its technically and visually perfect timepieces, such as the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater (ref. 147.025F) with a minute repeater, or the 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar (ref. 421.025), which is equipped with a perpetual calendar. A. Lange und Söhne presented the Minute Repeater Perpetual (ref. 607.091FE) just in time for Watches and Wonders, a fascinating wristwatch in which the watchmaker combines the extremely sophisticated complication of the minute repeater with a perpetual calendar for the first time. In this article, we’re taking a closer look at this remarkable luxury watch, which is limited to just 50 pieces.
Design and Function Of the Minute Repeater Perpetual
Let’s start with the 40.5-mm case of the A. Lange & Söhne Minute Repeater Perpetual. It is made from 950 platinum and has both polished and satin-finished surfaces. The case is a little over 12 mm thick. It’s therefore quite flat when considering the complicated movement it houses. Sapphire crystal covers the dial and the display case back of the watch. The crown is located on the right-hand side of the case; on the left-hand side is a striking slider that controls the minute repeater. The water resistance of 20 meters (2 bar, 65 feet) means that contact with water of virtually any kind should be avoided. The dial design of the Minute Repeater Perpetual is characteristic of A. Lange & Söhne timepieces, and is similar to that of the Langematik. The large date is located below the 12 o’clock position, while the subdials for the perpetual calendar are located at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. The hours and minutes are indicated via lance-style hands made of white gold, and Roman numerals, which are also made of gold. The latter take up their position on the minute track along the outer edge of the dial. The dial itself is made in-house by the manufacturer and has some remarkable special features. The base material is white gold, which is coated with shimmering black enamel. A closer look reveals the so-called pilaster strip for the subdials and the main dial. This effect is a narrow, recessed border in white gold that cleanly separates the dials from one another. This gives the entire dial a clearer structure and makes it easier to read.
The exclusive A. Lange & Söhne caliber L122.2
The real star of the show is, of course, the A. Lange & Söhne proprietary hand-wound caliber L122.2. Behind this pragmatic name lies a technical masterpiece that the brand has developed exclusively for the Minute Repeater Perpetual. The minute repeater is activated via the slider on the left-hand side of the case mentioned above. After activation, two hammers are set in motion and strike the gongs. The repetition for the hours is announced with a low single tone, while the quarter hours are announced with a double tone. The minutes that have passed since the last quarter of an hour ring out in a higher tone. A special development is the so-called pause elimination feature. This prevents an unwanted pause between the full hour and the 14th minute if the quarter-hour strike is missing. Furthermore, the engineers at A. Lange & Söhne have developed a special safety feature to prevent damage to the striking mechanism. When the crown is pulled out, the striking mechanism cannot be started; it is also not possible for the wearer of the watch to pull out the crown while the striking mechanism is operating. The patented hammer lock ensures that the hammers remain locked in their resting position for a fraction of a second after the gongs are struck to prevent unwanted resonance.
Case back and movement of the Minute Repeater Perpetual, photo: A. Lange & Söhne The perpetual calendar functions are located at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock. The month and leap year displays are located at the 3 o’clock position, while the moon phase and small seconds are at 6 o’clock. Remarkable: The two moons of the moon phase display are made of 18-karat gold and are adorned by more than 100 hand-engraved stars. The day of the week and the 24-hour indicator are integrated at the 9 o’clock position. Finally, the big date is located below the 12. This classic, perpetual calendar will not require any adjustment until March 1, 2100. A particularly elegant solution: As with earlier models from A. Lange & Söhne, the entire calendar display of the Minute Repeater Perpetual can be advanced via a single corrector discreetly integrated into the case. This is a technical refinement that not only delights mechanical enthusiasts, but also ensures user-friendliness in everyday life. The balance frequency of the A. Lange & Söhne L122.2 is 21,600 vibrations per hour, which corresponds to 3 Hz. The movement is comprised of 640 components and has a power reserve of 72 hours.
The finishing of the L122.2
You can admire the fine finishing of the L122.2 in-house caliber through the sapphire crystal case back. Typical for A. Lange & Söhne are a finely engraved balance cock with swan-neck spring, a three-quarter plate made of silver with black rhodanized engravings, and four screw-mounted gold chatons on the surface of the plate. The watchmaker produces hand-crafted gongs and hammers for the striking mechanism. These are elaborately polished black, which means that incident light is reflected in only one direction. This creates an interesting effect, as the hammers only appear black from a certain perspective, while they shine like a mirror from all others. The bridges for the mainspring barrel, centrifugal governor, and hammers have a fine sunburst finish, giving them the appearance of a single component.
Price and Availability
The Minute Repeater Perpetual was released at the beginning of April 2025 and is limited to just 50 pieces. The model will be available exclusively in A. Lange & Söhne boutiques. Accordingly, it is likely to be rarely offered on international marketplaces in the future. Only the most well-to-do watch enthusiasts will be able to add this exclusive timepiece to their collection. Although the watchmaker states the price is available “on request”, in some circles there is talk of an investment well in excess of $700,000.
Summary
A. Lange & Söhne presented the Minute Repeater Perpetual at Watches and Wonders 2025, a haute horlogerie marvel that is as innovative as it is sensational. The combination of minute repeater and perpetual calendar is extremely complex and only produced by a few exclusive manufacturers such as Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and Audemars Piguet. Now A. Lange & Söhne has joined the ranks of these exquisite manufacturers. With its limited edition of only 50 pieces and a price that is speculated to be in excess of $700,000 at the time of writing, this watch is reserved for a carefully selected group of buyers. Nevertheless, the Minute Repeater Perpetual is a technically fascinating and visually beautiful timepiece that stood out from the crowd at Watches and Wonders 2025.
