A. Lange & Söhne: Honeygold Collection “Homage to F.A. Lange”

To celebrate the 175° anniversary of Saxon precision watchmaking, at Watches & Wonders Shanghai 2020, A. Lange & Söhne presents three limited edition that share the epithet “Homage to F. A. Lange” – the 1815 RATTRAPANTE HONEYGOLD, the TOURBOGRAPH PERPETUAL HONEYGOLD and the 1815 THIN HONEYGOLD. All three models belong to the 1815 watch family that refers to Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s birth year with its name. 

1815 THIN HONEYGOLD «Homage to F.A. Lange»

With its numerous traditional hallmarks, the 1815 THIN HONEYGOLD “Homage to F. A. Lange” is also reminiscent of his legendary pocket watches. 

In this case measuring 38mm in diameter and only 6.3mm high, the brilliant white, two-part enamel dialcontrasts with the dark-gray printed Arabic numerals and the classic railway-track minute scale. Like the case, the hands and pin buckle are also crafted of honey gold, an alloy developed exclusively for and used only byA. Lange & Söhne. Thanks to special admixtures and special thermal treatment, the metal is harder and thus more scratch-resistant than other gold alloys with a fineness of 18 carats. 

Simple and perfect, the L093.1 manufacture calibre is a modern interpretation of Lange’s product philosophy. With a power reserve of 72 hours, the 2.9-millimetre-high manually wound movement proves that compact dimensions and performance are not mutually exclusive. The freely oscillating Lange balance spring has a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour. In combination with a classic screw balance, it assures optimised rate accuracy. 

In all of its artisanal facets, the manually assembled 167-part movement pays tribute to the style introduced by Ferdinand Adolph Lange. Contrary to the Glashütte 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. The crown and ratchet wheels are visibly integrated in the train bridge and decorated with perfectly executed circular graining. Gold chatons secured by three thermally blued screws trace the path of the power transmitted from the mainspring barrel to the escapement. The invisible quality hallmarks include the two-fold assembly of the movement which guarantees technical and visual perfection. 

The 1815 THIN HONEYGOLD “Homage to F. A. Lange” is limited to 175 pieces and available at the price of € 33.000 (German TAX)

1815 RATTRAPANTE HONEYGOLD «Homage to F.A. Lange»

The new model 1815 RATTRAPANTE HONEYGOLD “Homage to F. A. Lange” comes with a 41,2mm honey gold case. For the first time, it has now been combined with a black dial in solid silver that highlights its modern, captivating looks. 

Lange & Söhne’s sixth split-seconds chronograph stands out with another premiere: for the first time, the complication is in the spotlight. The complex mechanism ranks among the most elaborate devices in precision watchmaking. The superposed chronograph and rattrapante sweep-seconds hands make it possible during a running time measurement to ascertain any number of lap times within the course of a minute. The chronograph sweep-seconds hand, the lower hand, consists of pink-gold-plated steel. It entrains the superposed rattrapante hand made of rhodiumed steel. Both hands start together when the pusher at two o’clock is actuated. 

The rattrapante sweep-seconds hand can be stopped independently of the chronograph sweep-seconds hand and then resynchronised with it. This function is controlled with the pusher at ten o’clock. If it is actuated during an ongoing measurement, the rattrapante sweep-seconds hand stops and displays the lap time while the chronograph sweep-seconds hand keeps running. A second actuation of the pusher causes the rattrapante sweep-seconds hand to catch up and then synchronise with the chronograph sweep-seconds hand. This lap-time measurement procedure can be repeated as many times as needed. 

The complex chronograph/rattrapante mechanism is located on the movement side of the new L101.2 manually wound calibre. The control of elapsed or lap-time measurements is handled highly precisely in the classic manner with two column wheels. Like the rattrapante clamp that blocks the rattrapante hand in the lap-time display mode, it is visible through the sapphire- crystal caseback. This allows the precise switching processes to be observed in detail. When fully wound, the mainspring barrel delivers a power reserve of 58 hours. 

The 1815 RATTRAPANTE HONEYGOLD “Homage to F. A. Lange” is limited to 100 watches and available at the price of € 130.000 (German TAX)

TOURBOGRAPH PERPETUAL HONEYGOLD «Homage to F.A. Lange»

Like no other watch, this special model shows how A. Lange & Söhne has evolved the tradition of precision watchmaking and repeatedly infused it with fresh momentum. Five complications are combined in a unique masterpiece of technology called TOURBOGRAPH PERPETUAL “Pour le Mérite”, introduced in 2017. As a tribute to Ferdinand Adolph Lange, a limited special edition in honey gold is now debuting with a black-rhodiumed dial made of the same material. 

With the dial of the TOURBOGRAPH PERPETUAL HONEYGOLD “Homage to F. A. Lange”, A. Lange & Söhne has taken a totally new approach. It is black-rhodiumed and, like the 43mm case, consists of solid, 18-carat honey gold. The raised numerals and scales as well as the logo contrast vividly against the dark background. 

The hands of the time and calendar displays as well as the black-rhodiumed lunar disc are made of the same gold alloy. Its two glistening, slightly cambered moons are framed by hand- engraved stars.  

With calibre L133.1, the TOURBOGRAPH PERPETUAL HONEYGOLD “Homage to F. A. Lange” is endowed with a movement of peerless complexity; it consists of 684 parts. The combination of five complications in this arrangement is unique. As long ago as 2005, A. Lange & Söhne had already created a watch with a fusée-and-chain transmission, a tourbillon, and a rattrapante chronograph: the TOURBOGRAPH “Pour le Mérite”. But the addition of a perpetual calendar required more than 200 extra parts, dramatically changing the power flows in the movement and requiring a new design concept. 

With analogue displays, the perpetual calendar indicates all month durations correctly until 2100. After a one-time correction, the calendar is then properly calibrated for the next century. It has three subsidiary dials. The date at twelve o’clock and the day at nine o’clock are indicated with honey-gold hands. The month and leap year are both displayed at three o’clock. The upper half of the analogue date accommodates the moon-phase display which is calculated at an accuracy of 122.6 years. 

The connection between the perpetual calendar and the rattrapante chronograph posed a special challenge for the engineers. This is because when both the chronograph function is used and the calendar displays switch, mechanical conflicts must be avoided alongside amplitude fluctuations that could have a negative impact on rate stability. The top-mounted rattrapante hand in blued steel can be stopped independently of the gold-plated chronograph hand and also resynchronised with it via the pusher at ten o’clock. The mechanical switching processes are controlled with two column wheels and can be observed in real time through the sapphire-crystal caseback. The 30-minute-counter at nine o’clock completes the repertoire of chronograph displays. 

With their carefully orchestrated interaction, the tourbillon and the fusée-and-chain transmission minimise two unavoidable physical phenomena that are common in all mechanical watches: gravity and the waning force of the mainspring. Via a fusée connected to the spring barrel with a chain, the power of the mainspring is delivered to the movement with constant force thanks to the ingenious way in which the principle of levers is harnessed. A planetary gearing mechanism inside the fusée assures that the flow of power from the mainspring barrel to the escapement is not interrupted while the watch is being wound. 

The finissage of the caliber L133.1 is distinguished by the surfaces of the German-silver bridges and cocks in granulated texture and endowed with black rhodium-plated lettering and the filigreed lines of the manually engraved chronograph bridge, also rhodium-plated in black. The artisanal decoration also includes the straight graining on the chain. The black polish on several areas of the curved tourbillon bridge challenges the skills of the finissage experts to the utmost.

The TOURBOGRAPH PERPETUAL HONEYGOLD “Homage to F. A. Lange” is limited to 50 watches and exclusively available in A. Lange & Söhne boutiques at the price of € 500.000 (German TAX).