A Honeygold Christmas Gift From Lange

A. Lange & Söhne doesn’t do surprise drops often, but when they do, it’s usually an absolute banger. This time, it’s the Lange 1 Daymatic making its way back into the spotlight, dressed in one of the brand’s own metals: Honeygold. Add a brown dial to the mix and you get a very different personality compared to the earlier versions.

For a watch that disappeared from the catalogue a few years ago, seeing it return in this warm, golden-brown palette feels like a nice touch for collectors who always considered the Daymatic the slightly misunderstood sibling of the original Lange 1.

 

Source: MonochromeWatches

A Familiar Shape with a New Attitude

If you already know the Lange 1, the Daymatic will feel both familiar and a little new. The whole idea behind the model back in 2010 was simple: take Lange’s most iconic layout and mirror it. The power reserve indicator became a retrograde day-of-the-week display, and the movement became automatic instead of hand-wound.

This new version keeps that charm. The case size stays at 39.5mm with a slim-looking 10.4mm height, and everything is wrapped in Honeygold, Lange’s proprietary alloy that sits somewhere between yellow and rose gold but carries a deeper, richer tone. It’s warm, and honestly, absolutely stunning.

The dial is brown, but not flat or dull. It has the signature Lange texture in 925 silver, and the oversized date window gets matching brown discs, so nothing breaks the colour flow. The hands and markers, of course, follow the Honeygold theme. Paired with a taupe alligator strap, the whole thing feels like it was designed to look cohesive rather than eye-catching for the sake of it, which is a very Lange thing to do.

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A Closer Look at the Mechanics

Inside sits the automatic L021.1 calibre. Lange doesn’t lean heavily on self-winding movements, so when they do one, they make it interesting. The rotor is pure Lange: gold with a platinum mass around the edge and open-worked spokes that give the back some breathing room instead of blocking everything with a wall of metal.

The rest is classic Glashütte: stripes, gold chatons, hand-engraved balance cock. It beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour and carries a 50-hour power reserve, which feels perfectly fine for a movement that winds itself.

Adjusting the watch is straightforward. A recessed pusher on the case handles the day of the week, and the big-date corrector sits on the left side like on other Lange 1 models.

Source: MonochromeWatches

Why Bring Back the Daymatic?

It’s hard not to feel like this release exists partly because collectors kept asking for it. The Daymatic has always been a bit of an insider pick. People who wanted a Lange 1 but also wanted something slightly unusual always gravitated toward it. The retrograde day display isn’t a showy complication, but it adds some charm.

Bringing it back in Honeygold makes sense. The brand has been leaning heavily into the alloy this year, and collectors go crazy for it. But that’s also the one potential downside: 2025 has already seen a Honeygold Odysseus and a Honeygold Saxonia Thin, so this makes three Honeygold pieces in a short period. The alloy used to signal ultra-rarity. Now it risks losing a bit of that mystique.

That said, the look works. Brown and gold tones together look amazing, and on a watch as balanced as the Daymatic, it feels intentional rather than trendy.

Source: MonochromeWatches

My Take

The Daymatic is one of those watches that rewards people who pay attention. It’s not the first Lange most people think of, and it never will be - which I consider part of its charm.

This Honeygold revival is tasteful. The colour combination feels confident without being over-the-top, and the mirrored dial layout still stands out as one of Lange’s cleverest design decisions. The only part that gives me pause is the limited edition status. Only 250 pieces, each individually numbered.

Honestly, I would’ve liked to see this return as a regular production model. The Lange 1 family is iconic, and there’s room in the lineup for a Daymatic that isn’t restricted to a small group of buyers. A less-exclusive metal and a more accessible execution would’ve given the model a second life for a wider audience.

But exclusivity sells, and Honeygold always brings out collectors’ instincts. Even with 250 units, it’s not going to be easy to get. And for the people who do, it’ll be a genuinely special piece, especially if they’ve always loved the Daymatic’s mirrored charm.

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Price and Availability

The watch is limited to 250 pieces and available only through Lange boutiques. Pricing is on request, but based on recent Honeygold releases, expect it to land comfortably north of €60,000.

Source: MonochromeWatches