A. Lange & Sohne Platinum Datograph 403.035, Meter Dial

Few watches were as important to the emergence of modern A. Lange & Sohne as the original Datograph. Introduced in 1999, it paired a flyback chronograph with the manufactures oversized date and, crucially, an entirely in-house chronograph movement at a time when this remained unusual among even the most established manufactures. The result has become one of the defining complicated watches of the modern era.

The reference 403.035 represents the Datograph in its original and perhaps most recognizable form: a substantial 39mm platinum case surrounding a black dial with contrasting silvered registers. The arrangement is unusually balanced for a watch of such complexity, with the oversized date at twelve and twin subsidiary dials forming the visual triangle that has become synonymous with the model. A peripheral tachymeter lends the watch a distinctly technical character without overwhelming the design.

This example is fitted with the desirable earlier METER dial, referring to the singular wording found within the tachymeter scale near two oclock. Later examples were changed to read METERS, making this seemingly minor typographical detail an important distinction among collectors of first-generation Datographs.

Visible through the sapphire caseback is the manually wound calibre L951.1, a 40-jewel, column-wheel flyback chronograph movement whose architecture is as much a part of the Datographs appeal as its dial. Its layered construction exposes the chronograph mechanism beneath hand-finished bridges, blued screws and the characteristic hand-engraved balance cock.

The platinum case displays typical surface wear from use, including light marks and scratches across the polished bezel and case, while retaining the strong proportions and substantial presence characteristic of the original Datograph. Fitted to a black strap with a signed Lange buckle, it presents as an appealing, honest example of the configuration that established the Datographs reputation and remains one of the most compelling modern chronographs.