Just five years after A. Lange & Söhne released the Lange 1, it came to the table with the Datograph. The primary reason this watch belongs on the list, besides it more obvious visual appeal, is that it was one of the first in-house chronographs developed in the post-quartz crisis era. Chronographs are extraordinarily difficult to construct, so the fact that a brand was going out of its way to build one—after the cheap, fast, and easy appeal of quartz nearly threatened to make traditional watchmaking extinct—was a huge testament and love letter to the art of horology. Produced in platinum or gold in small numbers for just 12 years, these pieces are still coveted by collectors.
A. Lange & Söhne
Beyond its contribution to perpetuating the craft, the Datograph remains renowned for its next-level movement architecture that would impress even a relative novice to the world of watchmaking. The caliber L951.1 set a high benchmark for movement-making and finishing that continues to be strived for by various brands across the industry. The Datograph is the predecessor to the Datograph Up/Down—a stunning new perpetual tourbillon version of which was released this year at Watches & Wonders that presented a smokey sapphire crystal dial allowing for a peek from the front of some of the complex inner workings of the revered chronograph. And in case you need more proof beyond our panel that this watch deserves a place on the “greatest" list, master independent watchmaker Philippe Dufour, who owns a pink gold model, is said to have called it “the best chronograph ever made."
From the article by Allen Farmelo, Paige Reddinger, Victoria Gomelsky, Oren Hartov, Blake Buettner
