A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Platinum

We'll just come right out and say it: The A. Lange & Söhne Datograph might just be the most important watch of the modern era. With its combination of avant-garde and teutonic design languages, mind-blowing mechanical architecture, function-heavy use, and luxury materials, the Datograph has not only won the hearts and minds of collectors and enthusiasts the world over — it also created and set the bar for modern haute horlogerie. And it came from Germany, not Switzerland. We are yet to meet a horological virtuoso who doesn't consider the Datograph to be anything other than a triumph of design and mechanical engineering. Indeed, even the maestro himself - Philippe Dufour - can regularly be spotted wearing his rose-gold example from the first series! From its hefty wrist presence to the depth and intricacy of its miniature city-like movement, from the snap of its flyback chronograph mechanism and the classically-inspired outsize date function, the Datograph is a triumph, pure and simple. This particular first-generation example is finished in platinum, giving it perhaps the cleanest appearance of any Datograph configuration as well as a little added weight (lest you forget you were wearing it). Housed in a 39mm platinum case with a signed crown, dual chronograph pushers, and a corrector at 10 o'clock, it features a black dial with an outer base-1,000 tachymeter scale in silver, a dual-register chronograph, luminous 'alpha' hands, applied Roman indices, and an outsize date window below 12 o'clock. Powered by the exquisite, hand-wound L951.1 hand-wound movement with flyback capability, it comes paired to a signed, black leather strap and includes its factory goodies. Despite their popularity, we have yet to see prices for these special watches skyrocket out of control - something we fully expect over the coming years. After all, with watches as spectacular and important as this one, why wouldn't they?