175 years ago, Ferdinand Adolph Lange established the first watchmaker in what is now the home of fine German watchmaking, Glashutte. The brand that F.A. Lange created would go on to create some of the most innovative and beautiful time keeping instruments that the world has ever seen.
A Lange & Sohne has brought the world mechanical marvels like the Zeitwerk, a fully mechanical wristwatch that reads out as a digital display. The brand sought to weild the sword of Damocles to the traditional swiss houses like Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin, when they unveiled the Datograph. A movement so beautifully finished, so expertly crafted, that it forced Patek Philippe to develop a whole new chronograph calibre.
To celebrate the 175 year anniversary of the brand A Lange & Sohne has created three new limited edition timepieces, all in decadent honey gold, all designed to honour the watchmaking pioneer, F.A Lange.
The 1815 Thin Honeygold Homage to F.A. Lange
Limited to just 175 pieces, this traditionally designed watch may be the quintessential dress watch. The case, in all Lange Honey gold, measures just 6.3mm thick and showcases a brilliant white two part enamel dial.
Contrasting against the dial, A Lange & Sohne print dark grey Arabic numerals and a classical railway minutes track, demonstrating that simple design can make for exceptional results.
Beneath the enamel beats the artisanal design of the calibre L093.1, paying tribute to the style introduced by Ferdinand Adolph Lange. Contrary to the Glashutte ribbing commonly used in other Lange models, the German-silver three-quarter plate has a granular surface texture often found in historic Lange pocket watches. Gold chatons secured by three thermally blued screws trace the path of the power transmitted from the mainspring barrel to the escapement.
Measuring at 38mm in diameter and priced at $33,000 euros, the 1815 honey gold is an exemplary dress timepiece from the German manufacturer.
The 1815 Rattrapante Honeygold
This newly developed wristwatch is available as one of just 100 pieces to be made in tribute, and is exclusive only to A Lange & Sohne boutiques. The sixth split second chronograph in the A Lange & Sohne catalogue, the 1815 Rattrapante Honeygold puts the focus squarely on the eponymous complication.
Conservatively sized at 41.5mm, the lustrous Honeygold case and black dial, offer a modern and captivating look.
The incredibly complex and equally stunning calibre L101.2 manually wound movement is used to power the piece, time measurements and lap-time measurements are handled precisely with the use of two column wheels. They are visible through the sapphire-crystal case back, and the switching processes can be observed in detail.
100 pieces of this watch will be available for purchase for an RRP of $130,000 euros.
Tourbograph perpetual Honeygold
The final watch announced by A Lange & Sohne is perhaps the finest example of the brands watchmaking prowess to date.
The most complicated piece in the anniversary trilogy, the Tourbograph perpetual will be limited to just 50 pieces worldwide. With five separate complications, two of which – the tourbillon and the fusée-and-chain transmission – bear only one single shared purpose, to enhance theaccuracy of the timepiece. The addition of the remaining three complications, the chronograph, rattrapante and perpetual calendar, is a formidable horological challange. Their perfect interaction can be observed with a glance through the sapphire-crystal caseback of the L133.1 manufacture calibre.
In the dial, A. Lange & Sohne pursued a totally new approach. The warm dial consists of black-rhodiumed honey gold with raised numerals and scales that stand out from the dark background in relief.
The latest great mechanical marvel out of Glashutte caries a price of $500,00 euros.
