A. Lange & Söhne Just Dropped a Honeygold Odysseus - And It’s As Wild As It Sounds

It's the Odysseus in Honeygold - Lange’s first proper sports watch, now made in their proprietary, weirdly magical gold alloy. Honestly, this one just hits the spot. Not just for collectors, but for Lange itself. Here's why.

Source: Hodinkee

A Quick Recap for the Newcomers

The Odysseus first launched back in 2019 and it confused a lot of people. A. Lange & Söhne was always the suit-and-tie brand from Glashütte, not the hoodie-and-sneakers type. Then suddenly, they came out with a watch that was 120 meters water-resistant, had pushers to change the day and date, and came on an integrated bracelet? That was... new.

Over time, the steel version became kind of a cult piece. Even the titanium one stirred things up. But this? This is the first time Lange has gone full precious metal and matched it with a solid Honeygold bracelet. It’s decadent in a very un-German way - and that makes it even cooler.

Honeygold, Explained for Normal People

So, what is Honeygold? It’s Lange’s own gold alloy, and yeah, it sounds like a marketing gimmick at first. But it wouldn’t be Lange if it was just that. Depending on the light, it shifts between the rich warmth of rose gold and the cooler, paler tones of yellow gold. Sometimes, it even leans toward white gold. It’s a shapeshifter, and it’s hard as hell to work with, which is why Lange only uses it for special pieces.

They debuted it back in 2010, and it’s mostly shown up in limited runs of ultra-high-end models. But this time, it’s on a full bracelet sports watch that you could (technically) swim with. That’s kind of crazy.

Source: Hodinkee

The Specs You Actually Want to Know

• Case: 40.5mm wide, 11.1mm thick, 18k Honeygold
  
  

• Dial: Brown, matte and textured - super rich, not boring
  
  

• Movement: L155.1 “Datomatic,” 50-hour power reserve
  
  

• Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, day of the week
  
  

• Bracelet: Solid Honeygold with micro-adjust
  
  

• Water resistance: 120m (yes, you can take it swimming. Will you? Probably not.)
  
  

Only 100 pieces will be made. The price is obviously not officially listed. But word in the community puts it around €102,000. Yeah, not cheap.

 

Source: Hodinkee

Why It’s Kind of a Big Deal

Let’s start with the bracelet. Lange hasn’t made a full gold bracelet for their watches in forever. Most of their metal bracelets in the past were actually made by German jeweller Wellendorff and were mostly paired with watches like the Lange 1 or Datograph. They looked like bank vault doors - impressive, but a little much. And super rare.

Now, Lange’s doing it in-house, and in Honeygold no less. The process is brutal on tools, so every bracelet link has to be machined, polished, and assembled under very strict conditions.

That’s why only 100 of these are being made. The material is limited, the production is slow, and honestly, it’s a logistical nightmare to manufacture. But the result? A wearable piece of art.

What Makes It Different (In a Good Way)

There’s something about this watch that just feels emotionally different from the rest of Lange’s catalogue.

It’s heavy in the hand, luxurious on the wrist, and unapologetically bold for a brand that normally leans towards quiet luxury. It still has the precision German finishing, the big calendar display, and that sculpted three-dimensional dial. But now there’s weight. There’s warmth. 

The brown dial is also a great move. Lange doesn’t do brown often, and here it just works. The layered dial architecture, with that fluted texture and gold-framed date windows, adds depth and contrast. 

Is It Worth the Price?

€100,000+ is a lot of money for a watch. At that price, you’re in the same ballpark as a full gold Royal Oak or Nautilus. You could get both a Lange 1 and an 1815 Chronograph instead. So yeah, this is luxury for people who already own a lot of other luxury.

But here’s what separates this watch from the pack:

• It’s made of a proprietary alloy no one else uses
  
  

• The bracelet is handmade, link by link
  
  

• The production is tiny
  
  

• And most importantly, it is clearly a Lange watch
  
  

That’s rare these days. Everyone’s trying to chase hype. This feels like Lange just doing its thing - and absolutely nailing it.

Source: Hodinkee

So, Should You Buy It?

If you’re one of the few collectors lucky enough to get allocated one? I’d say go for it. You’ll have something that very few others do - a fully gold Lange sports watch with character, weight, and soul. It might not be the most “typical” Lange, but in some ways, that’s what makes it so Lange.

Final Thoughts

This watch isn’t trying to be loud. But it is making a statement. A. Lange & Söhne has always been about subtle brilliance - until now. The Odysseus in Honeygold throws that rulebook out the window, but in the best way possible.

If this is what the future looks like for Lange’s sportier side, I’m here for it.

Now if only they'd do a Honeygold Zeitwerk. Just saying.