The introduction of the A. Lange & Söhne Datograph in 1999 was one of the greatest moments in contemporary watchmaking, at a time when there was very little effort in chronograph movement development. The Datograph immediately raised the bar for top-class in-house chronograph movements, and although the number of in-house chronographs in Haute Horlogerie has increased since then, the Datograph is still considered the benchmark against which other chronographs are measured.
The Datograph is fitted with Lange's proprietary flyback chronograph caliber L951.1 - a movement that was part of a changing landscape in terms of the way enthusiasts, collectors and the industry thought about chronographs. Before its debut, little had changed in the development of classic high-end chronograph movements for many years. We take it for granted that haute horology is synonymous with 'in-house', but historically this is not true. To illustrate: Patek Philippe's first in-house chronograph movement, the CH R 27-525 PS, was only introduced in 2005, 6 years after the Datograph. This impressively illustrates the major role played by the first generation of the Datograph in the world of watches.