A. Lange and Sohne FIRST SERIES Lange 1 101.002 18K Yellow Gold SOLID BACK RARE

The A. Lange and Sohne Lange 1 ref. 101.002 is one of the key watches from the brand's return in 1994. This example is from the original Lange 1 launch and has the correct early solid caseback configuration. In 18K yellow gold, it is the scarcer first-series version of the reference, made before display-back examples became standard. The silver dial with blued hands, applied markers, outsize date, off-center time display, power reserve, and subsidiary seconds shows the layout that defined the Lange 1 from the start. Inside is the manually wound caliber L901.0, the early in-house movement that set many of the finishing and construction details collectors still associate with Lange: a German silver three-quarter plate, hand-engraved balance cock, and gold chatons. What matters here is not just the reference, but this specific early execution. The closed back is correct to the earliest production and gives the watch a more restrained feel than later display-back versions. Within the first generation, the 101.002 is especially appealing for its yellow gold case, silver dial, and blued-hand configuration, a combination many collectors consider one of the cleanest early Lange 1 formats. At 38.5mm, it keeps the original proportions that set the Lange 1 apart from many of its Swiss contemporaries, and the asymmetrical dial remains unusually balanced on the wrist. Among early post-relaunch Lange watches, few pieces speak so clearly to the brand's formative period. For a collector looking for a correct first-series Lange 1, this solid-back 101.002 is a strong and important example. Like New with EWC Travel Case.