The dial I look at twice
I’ve always liked the weight of the platinum Daymatic and the way its dial makes me look twice. My eye still goes to the wrong side for the time, and I never tire of seeing the weekday hand snap back. I’m always pleased when someone notices that little hand before asking about the platinum. It tells me they’ve spent a moment with the watch.
A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Daymatic Platinum
Reference 320.025 | 950 Platinum | Year 2014
The Sympathie Bi-Retro Perpetual brings together a perpetual calendar and chronograph within one of Roger Dubuis’ most distinctive case shapes. This example dates from circa 2002 and belongs to an edition of 28 pieces.
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Edition:
Limited to 28 piecesCase:
18K white goldCase dimensions:
Approximately 40 × 40 mmDial:
Mother-of-pearlCase back:
Sapphire crystal display back, secured by 8 screwsStrap:
Black alligator leatherBuckle:
18K white gold Roger Dubuis pin buckleSignature:
Dial, case and movement -
Calibre:
Roger Dubuis calibre RD5632 / RD56323Winding:
ManualFunctions:
Perpetual calendar, chronograph, bi-retrograde day and date, leap-year indication and moon phasesChronograph:
Oval pushersJewels:
25Certification:
COSC chronometer -
Service documentation: Service papers supplied
Time in Returning Arcs
The bi-retrograde day and date displays give the calendar a particular rhythm. Their hands travel across a scale before returning to the beginning, adding movement to the way the information is presented.
Moon phases and a leap-year indication contribute further detail. The dial asks for a little time to understand, and that process is part of the attraction.
A Watch with Its Own Presence
The approximately 40 × 40 mm white gold case makes the Sympathie a distinct presence on the wrist. Oval chronograph pushers continue the shaped character of the case.
Through the sapphire back, the manually wound movement offers a different view of the watch’s complexity. For the collector, the appeal is in that meeting of mechanical ambition and a design that follows its own course.
From the Early Years
The case geometry and combination of complications reflect the ambition of Roger Dubuis’ early independent period. There is a willingness here to give complicated watchmaking a strong visual identity.
The mother-of-pearl dial adds another layer. Its surface changes with the light, bringing variation to an already expressive arrangement of scales and indications.
