A. Lange & Sohne Odysseus Review

In 2019, the top German watchmaker A. Lange & Söhne launched the Odysseus watch family. It is a sporty watch family with the first model in stainless steel. It was a surprise as ALS had been a maker of dressy, formal watches since its founding. It was not a total surprise at the same time as the design trend for a more causal life style is obvious. The sporty watch in steel with an integrated bracelet has become a category of its own.

While ALS was expected to launch a chronograph next for this line, ALS surprised people again. In April 2020, two more Odysseus models in white gold case with either rubber or leather strap were introduced.  The watches in grey dial are as stunning with beautiful details as the stainless steel model in blue.  It seems to me the Odysseus model in rubber strap is even more of a “luxury sports” watch due to the white gold case (more luxury) and rubber strap (more sporty).  The availability of the leather strap to exchange quickly makes it a versatile watch as well. We will review here a luxury sports watch in while gold case from with ALS DNA inside and out.

Odysseus was conceived to be a “sporty watch” for clients during “holidays”,  “the most precious time of the year”. This was explained by Mr.  Anthony de Haas, the Director of Product Development at A. Lange & Söhne, in this interview.  A screw down crown, 120-meter WR, a rubber strap, luminous hands and robust construction. The Odysseus in white gold is a mission accomplished.  In a crowded field of luxury sports watches, Odysseus stands out by its  invigorating design rooted in Lange DNA. And a high performing calibre that is second to none.  It has joined AP Royal Oaks and Patek Nautilus in the elite club of highly sought-after sports watches.

The Lange DNA in Odysseus is best illustrated by comparing with a Lange dress watch. Here are some pictures of Odysseus with a Lange Saxonia Outsize Date side by side. First, the designs of the sub-dials including the second hand and the number markings are the same.  There are no differences in the big size dates in both watches, down to the fonts for the dates and the apertures.  The styles for the baton hour markings are consistent too, with the 12 o’clock indicated by double batons.  The design DNA of Odysseus dial is obvious by the side by side illustrations.  No wonder Odysseus doesn’t look like any of the other sports watches in the market. It was designed by following the Lange heritage rather than imitating others.

A new and innovative design that is unique to Odysseus is the pushers for date and day settings.  The geometric shapes project a sporty image with assertive sculpture like lines and shapes.  The pushers are firm yet easy to operate and it is not prone to being pushed down by accident.  As the water resistance is rated at 120 meters, there must be some cutting edge technology to safeguard any water leak between the moving parts.  The design and execution of the pushers demonstrated a perfect combination of form and function. 

With the watches turned over, the two calibers appear from the same family heritage. The Datomatic calibre inside Odysseus got its name from the the combination of “date mechanism” and “automatic winding”. The calibre took 4 years to complete the development. First, we notice the three-quarter plate that is a distinct hallmark of Lange movements compared to Swiss movements.  We then see the balance wheel is secured by a balance bridge at both ends rather than a balance cock as seen in the Saxonia movement.  The more sturdy balance bridge was used to ensure better shock resistant for a sports watch.  The beautiful rotors in both calibres use a platinum ring to add weight.  The name “Datomatic” is engraved on the rotor to showcase a brand new movement.

It is common that luxury sports watches use the same calibre as their brands’ dress watches.  For example, the AP Royal Oaks basic model shares the same 4302 calibre as the Code 11.59 basic model.  The new AP chronograph calibre was introduced for Code 11.59 first before coming to Royal Oaks. The movement “324 S C” inside Patek Nautilus 5711/1A-010 is exactly the same one that has been used in many Calatrava and Twenty-4 watches.   Not for Odysseus, as we see here. A new calibre was developed from ground up for Odysseus. The goal is to ensure the robustness and performance in the harsh and extreme conditions.   

Last but not least, we may look at the rubber strap for Odysseus, another first for Lange.  The rubber strap connects with the case links with matching patterns on the top of the strap. On the back, there are air ducts to provide air circulation for wearing comfort.  On one of the links, there is a circular button used for quick release of the strap.  It is possible to exchange instantly the rubber strap with the leather strap. 

Odysseus is a sporty, more casual Lange watch suitable for weekends, vacations and daily wear.  It is a new product line, the 6th for Lange, designed from scratch in and out for this purpose. Yet the design derived from the Lange DNA, both for aesthetics and the engineering. Lange designers must have Royal Oaks, Nautilus and Overseas in mind when contemplating options for Odysseus. They certainly didn’t simply go with the flow like some other brands.  The stunning outcome is testimony of Lange’s watchmaking prowess and innovative spirit. This has won over the hearts of watch collectors and enthusiasts. 

It is fun to guess what complications will come next after the initial Odysseus models.  There could be two variations that may emerge without big modifications.  One is the dual-time GMT function that is useful for vacations and business travels.  As the crown only adjusts time for the current models, it will be easy to use the crown to set the 2nd time zone.  The other choice would be the chronograph that is a favorite of many watch lovers. The nice thing is that the  two pushers are perfect for the chronograph operations. The main work would be to replace the date/day displays with sub-dials for elapsed time tracking.  Well, we will know for sure when the new models are coming out in the future.  In the meantime, I’m a very happy man with my Odysseus with the rubber strap. 

Technical Specs:

• Case diameter is 40.5mm and height is 11.1mm
• 50 hours of power reserve
• Calibre L155.1 Datomatic self-winding mechanism with central rotor, 312 parts, 31 jewels. movement dimensions diameter 32.9mm and height 6.2mm