Hands-on: The new Odysseus Chronograph from A. Lange & Söhne

Text/photo: Mia Litström

While many of the other watch brands presented several new releases during Watches & Wonders, A. Lange & Söhne showed only one new release. But even though it's only one, it's a new release that is really good! We have looked at the new Odysseus Chronograph in stainless steel.

It's a high level, it's extremely well made with incredibly good quality in a restrained edition. That means that the majority of the customers are collectors and a long time ago the company turned to them to hear if there was something they were missing. Several then said that during their holidays they miss a hard-wearing sports watch. The company, which listens carefully to its customers, sat down at the drawing board right away and after several years of development they presented their first sports watch in steel by the name of Odysseus. It became a big success, the following ones were also one in white gold as well as one in titanium that was presented last year. Now they take the next step in the sporty direction and present their very first chronograph with an automatic movement, which has taken six years to develop.

Without a doubt you can see that it's an Odysseus. The case and link are in steel and the size is 42,5 x 14,2 mm so there is a fair amount of weight for the wrist. But not too heavy, it suits this type of watch, that it should be felt when you wear it. At the heart of the watch sits a new automatic movement called L156.1 DATOMATIC®. 

The model has been given a black matte dial which makes it very clean. But what makes it extra delicious is the colouring of the details. Red is the colour that illustrates sport and often a chronograph gets a little too many red details that take over. Here they have managed to do it very elegantly. The base is the black dial, to that details in white gold or steel, a uniform base, then they have added red only on the chronograph hand, the text by the logo and the 60 marking at 12 o'clock, no more is needed for an elegant sports watch. Really nice, which really speaks for less is more!

What also clearly shows that it's a Lange is the large date display at 3 o'clock as well as the display of the weekdays at 9 o'clock. They are large and clear. It's an advantage that they have not added large pushers by the crown to activate the chronograph but have continued with the slim and more discreet style on these, which are placed by the crown. And with the crown in the innermost/locked position the movement is in chronograph mode. The upper pusher is start/stop and the lower one is for resetting and starting over. Naturally when we talk Lange they have splashed out on a so-called split-seconds chronograph. If you pull the crown out to the middle position it's in adjustment mode for the date and day display. The upper pusher is the one you adjust the date with and the lower one is for the day. In the outermost position you adjust the time.

In terms of materials for the dial they have chosen white gold for the hands for minutes, hours, seconds and the indexes. The extra dial showing min for the chronograph, placed at 6 o'clock, has hands in steel. The chronograph hand in red is in aluminium. On the indexes and the hands for minutes and seconds there is also luminous material. The power reserve for the automatic movement is 50 hours and the watch is water resistant to 120 m.

As much as you want to look at the front you also want to look at the open back where you can now see the new movement, which is incredibly beautiful with a rotor in 950 platinum. 

The Odysseus Chronograph is a fantastic watch for Lange-lovers. With its new movement this one will probably be much sought after and I still have to say that it's quite surprising that they have chosen black for the dial, because much of the trends on both elegant and sporty watches in general right now are dials in strong colours and the salmon pink colour is stil trending so enormously. But it also shows that A. Lange & Söhne always do their own thing. The price is on request and if you fancy this sporty Odysseus Chronograph you have to be quick because it's limited to 100 pieces and is only available in their own stores. 

Read more about the watch at A. Lange & Söhne