A. Lange & Söhne Introduces The Show-Stopping Odysseus In Honeygold
And the award for “Best in Show” goes to…? The new A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus Honeygold will most definitely be at the top of the list for many watch fans, including yours truly. Watches and Wonders 2025 is about to get underway, and the German brand drops a stunner of a watch. A Honeygold case and bracelet combine with a beautiful dark brown dial to give the Odysseus a completely new aesthetic. Let’s find out more about one of the most striking timepieces at Watches and Wonders this year.
Over the past few years, we have seen some amazing gold watches take the spotlight during Watches and Wonders. Last year, we saw the Philippe Golden Ellipse with the beautiful new bracelet, and the reimagined Piaget Polo came out right before the show. In 2023, Cartier treated us to the brilliant yellow gold and platinum Privé Normale, and Rolex released a stunning yellow gold GMT-Master II. In 2022, the show’s biggest release and a watch on many people’s year-end lists was the Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 in gold. Yes, we have seen several jaw-dropping full-gold releases in the past few years that were often favorites among fans and critics. This time, an immediate favorite is the new A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus in Honeygold with a luscious brown dial.
The story of the new A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus in Honeygold
My favorite A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus is the titanium version that came out in 2022. After seeing that one, I fell in love with the brand’s take on a modern sports watch with an integrated bracelet. All in all, the hue of the titanium material in combination with the ice-blue dial just spoke to me immediately. On top of that, it was the brand’s first titanium timepiece. As I said in the review, that fact alone was a milestone for A. Lange & Söhne. However, the way the watch was finished showed the incredible craftsmanship of the artisans in Glashütte.
Despite the beauty of the stainless steel and white gold versions that came before, it wasn’t until that lightweight titanium version came out that I fell in love with the Odysseus. The year after, we saw the release of the super-impressive Odysseus Chronograph. Last year, we didn’t see any Odyseuss models, but the Glashütte brand completely makes up for that with this new Honeygold version. Notably, it’s also the first all-gold version of Odysseus since the white gold one only comes on a rubber strap.
The details of the new A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus in Honeygold
So, the story of this new Odysseus is pretty straightforward. Basically, it’s a new addition to the existing lineup. Then again, any new version of a familiar Lange model is still more than enough reason for amazement. Let’s start with some basics. This new Odysseus features the familiar 40.5mm case with an 11.1mm thickness. It also has the same five-row bracelet design we know from previous versions. This time, Lange executed both the case and bracelet in its proprietary Honeygold. This material is harder than other gold alloys and has an amazing hue, as I explained in my review of the 1815 Rattrapante Honeygold “Homage to F. A. Lange,” my grail watch at the time. There is a fluidity in color that stretches from almost white gold to a lighter version of rose gold, depending on how the light hits the material.
The beautifully sculpted case displays stunning finishing with a mix of brushed and polished surfaces. Additionally, it is matched with a chocolate-brown dial, immediately giving the watch a classy, almost regal presence. As some of you might know, I have a thing for brown dials. In my opinion, with the right dark brown dial, almost any watch looks better. Sadly, brown has long been a no-go color in the traditional Swiss watch industry because of the associations with it. But since A. Lange & Söhne is a German brand, preconceived notions do not apply! I’m kidding of course, but I must say that the combination of Honeygold and brown works exceedingly well.
The stunning brown dial of the Odysseus in Honeygold
The level of detail on the dial is crazy. Just look at the outsize day and date displays with the Honeygold frames around them. I love that the designers made the day and date discs the same shade of brown so that they blend into the design flawlessly. Additionally, the embossed groove structure between the hour markers and on the scale of the sub-seconds dial looks flawless. Unlike the dials for the stainless steel and the titanium models, the grooves remain straight and do not curve down. While I love that feature on the titanium dial because it adds an organic feel, here, I prefer them straight as an arrow. Overall, the pattern underscores the three-dimensional impact of the dial.
The hands and hour markers are also executed in Honeygold and feature a rich coat of white lume. Finally, on the circular-brushed rehaut, you will find the minute track in black, with only the 60-minute marker executed in red for a nice touch of color. I absolutely love the combination of the brown base color with contrasting Honeygold and white details. It creates a dial that just looks awesome.
The familiar A. Lange & Söhne caliber L155.1
Inside the case, A Lange & Söhne equips the watch with its Datomatic caliber L155.1. Thanks to the display case back, you get a good view of this automatic movement that Lange developed specifically for the Odysseus collection. It consists of 312 components, operates at 28,800vph, and offers a 50-hour power reserve. The beautiful 31-jewel caliber also features a skeletonized and partially black rhodium-plated central rotor with a centrifugal mass in 950 platinum.
The rotor is signed “DATOMATIC” in reference to the automatic date function and “PLATIN” to indicate the material. The manually engraved balance-wheel bridge, which is fixed on both sides, features a stylish wave pattern. The pattern refers to the watch’s 120m water resistance. Furthermore, the characteristic German silver plate is decorated with the famous Glashütte stripes and the screwed gold chaton that marks the position of the escape wheel.
Final thoughts on the new A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus Honeygold
Finishing the brilliant looks is the great five-row Honeygold bracelet that tapers nicely from the case to the safety deployant buckle with its micro-adjustment system. You can operate this with a hidden pusher, which is the A. Lange & Söhne logo on the clasp. This provides up to a 7mm extension. While all of that is impressive in terms of practicality, the execution is where the bracelet truly stands out. It is created without using screws or friction pins, so you get a visually unobstructed flow between the links. Additionally, the contrast between the links’ brushed surfaces and polished bevels is simply wonderful.
It’s exactly this level of craftsmanship and detail that makes this A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus Honeygold stand out past just the shape and the materials. We will undoubtedly see more beautiful gold watches during Watches and Wonders 2025. However, not many of them will be as impressive as this new Honeygold version of the German brand’s Odysseus. I adore this watch, and for me, it is easily among this year’s absolute best. A. Lange & Söhne will produce 100 pieces of this new Odysseus. They will be available to people who will ask for the undisclosed price once they have already made up their minds. If I were one of them, that would take only a few seconds.
