IntroducingThe A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Jumping Seconds In White Gold With A Solid Pink Gold Dial

September is starting strong for fans of A. Lange & Söhne, as the brand has launched a pair of new limited edition models today, including the fourth outing of the seconds-obsessed Richard Lange Jumping Seconds. This new variant retains the technical chops that make the model such a special watch, while offering a brand new combination of a white gold case and a don't-call-it-salmon pink gold dial. 

For those of you not ticking in step with the deadbeat seconds of the Richard Lange Jumping Seconds, here is a brief history with plenty of links to keep you reading. The original reference, 252.025, was launched in 2016 with a platinum case and a silver dial in a limited edition of 100 pieces (see a hands-on here). Then, in 2017, the pink gold/silver dial 252.032 was launched, also as a limited edition of 100 pieces. Finally, for the third act, 2019 saw the release of the 252.029, a non-limited model with a white gold case and a black dial. 

For this latest outing, reference 252.056, the broad details remain unchanged from the 2016 launch edition and its siblings, including a 39.9mm wide case (now in 750 white gold) that measures just 10.6mm thick. The water resistance is 30 meters, and the watch comes on a brown alligator strap with a white gold buckle. 

In this case, I'd say we're dealing with an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" scenario as the Richard Lange Jumping Seconds is a technical marvel, even coming from a brand like A. Lange & Söhne. Under that warm pink gold dial, we find the manually-wound L094.1 movement, which uses a constant-force escapement with a remontoir spring to deliver deadbeat seconds (meaning the watch ticks each second, rather than sweeping). If you'll allow my attempt to simplify the complication, the remontoir spring (made in-house by Lange) is part of the constant force escapement. It provides a specific amount of energy from the mainspring into the escapement, allowing the precise advance of the prominently featured seconds hand. 

If that's not enough, the Richard Lange Jumping Seconds has a party trick, one that Lange aptly calls the Zero-Reset. It's a mechanism that actively resets the seconds hand to 60 when the watch is being set, allowing for a more straightforward process of setting the watch against reference timekeeping (such as the clock function in the Hodinkee app). Rounding out the functions, you'll also note a small triangular aperture in the overlap of the minutes and hours display. This is a low-power indicator for the hand-wound 42-hour power reserve. 

The A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Jumping Seconds 252.056 is limited to 100 pieces, and pricing, likely due to the currently dynamic scenario involving tariffs, is communicated as being in the neighbourhood of EUR 110,000. 

I recall being at the final edition of SIHH in 2019 when Lange launched the white gold/black dial 252.029. These are really special watches that offer a compelling mix of old-world charm and advanced watchmaking. With the overlapping displays for hours, minutes, and seconds, the watch feels like a love letter to the chronometer... and that's before you try the crisp reset of the seconds hand. In fact, the dial's design is derived from the Chronometer No. 93, made by Dresden-based watchmaker Johann Heinrich Seyffert in the 18th century, with a specific focus on legibility. 

Since 2019, they've done little to change the format, but the price has increased (as it has for essentially all watches – granted, this reference is limited, while the previous was not), and we now get to see the watch with a solid and warm pink gold dial (only the fourth reference from the brand with such a dial). As much as I like the cool, almost clinical feel of the black dial, there is something really charming about the way that Lange does a pink gold (aka salmon-adjacent). 

Alongside a brand new version of the 1815 Tourbillon, it seems A. Lange & Söhne was unwilling to see the party in Geneva and not drum up a little fanfare at home in Saxony. 

Brand: A. Lange & Söhne
Model: Richard Lange Jumping Seconds
Reference Number: 252.056

Diameter: 39.9mm
Thickness: 10.6mm
Case Material: 750 White Gold
Dial Color: Solid 750 Pink Gold
Indexes: Printed scales
Water Resistance: 30 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Dark brown alligator with white gold buckle. 

Caliber: A. Lange & Söhne L094.1
Functions: Separate displays for hours, minutes, seconds, jump seconds with zero-reset function, low power reserve indication
Diameter: 33.6mm
Thickness: 6.0 mm
Power Reserve: 42 hours
Winding: Manual
Frequency: 21,600 vph
Jewels: 50
Additional Details: Hand assembled and finished, plates and bridges in German silver, balance cock engraved by hand. 

Price: ~ EUR 110,000
Limited Edition: 100 pieces. 

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