Side by Side – The A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 and Lange 1 Daymatic
The other day A. Lange & Söhne sent us two watches for review and not one, as they would normally do. The two watches were the new blue dial Lange 1 and Lange 1 Daymatic. While the new blue dials are stunning (really they are!), we already covered them and well, without being blasé about it, it’s a dial colour and we cannot say much more about this. The thing that really intrigues me, already since the Lange 1 Daymatic was introduced back in 2010, is how these two timepieces compare. So we put them next to one another, the iconic hand-wound Lange 1 that has become so important for the brand and the newer automatic sibling named Lange 1 Daymatic. How do they compare? What are the differences and common points? And, what is your favourite?
The other day we showed you the very heritage-inspired Captain Cook Mark II from Rado. Well, now it’s time for the other side of the coin, the modern take on an old classic. Meet the Rado Tradition Captain Cook Mark III. On paper, it’s a titanium-cased diver with an internal bezel. On the wrist, it’s so much more. The titanium case is large (46mm large), but not overwhelmingly so, thanks to a curvy, lugless case design. And while the Mark II is reflection city, this guy sucks up the light like nobody’s business, thanks to the super-hard matt finish. The domed sapphire crystal is something else, showing every tiny popping yellow detail on the dial below. And while all the individual elements are pretty good, what I appreciate the most about this watch is the whole picture — it’s a modern dive watch that’s fit for purpose, and one that manages to be its own creation rather than an homage (knowing or otherwise) to other designs. Bravo Rado! Rado Tradition Captain Cook Mark III Australian pricing and availability Rado Tradition Captain Cook Mark III, $3450
Editor’s note: The thing I love most about Tudor is their capacity to surprise. They get me every single time. I mean, every time a new watch is announced I know it’s probably going to be a Black Bay, but they still manage to defy expectations. And that’s exactly what they did last year, with the announcement of the BB Chrono, which took the heritage diver to a whole new, complicated level. Is it too early to start thinking about Basel 2019? Over the years, Tudor has proved their mastery of a particular genre of historically revisionist bricolage — most obviously through their fan-favourite diver, the mighty Black Bay. Except now that straight up diver classification doesn’t sit so easy. The 36 and 41 models add a dressy touch, and the Chrono brings a hefty dose of sporty style to the mix. So perhaps the real question is: does the pick and mix approach, which serves Tudor so well with the relatively restrained palette of the ‘regular’ Black Bays, work with this more complicated offering? And then, of course, there’s that movement … The case The 41mm steel case of the BB Chrono is at once familiar and unfamiliar. The shape and…
