There are no compromises when it comes to A. Lange & Söhne: each watch from this house is an authentic masterpiece, touching upon impressive levels of precision and accuracy.
A. Lange & Söhne has always stood out for the very high complexity of its timepieces, made respecting the oldest traditions of Saxon watchmaking, interpreting them and making them attractive even today.
For years now, this manufacture has accustomed us with complicated watches characterized by a unique and immediately recognizable design.
Wonderful timepieces such as the 1815 Ratrappante Perpetual Calendar or the Triple Split represent the dexterity that A. Lange & Söhne possesses in raising the complications of traditional watchmaking to the highest levels.
However, we have noticed how this house is able to transcend tradition and create something truly extraordinary. The Odysseus and Zeitwerk models, the latter declined in its various versions, are two clear examples of how A. Lange & Söhne manages to translate the canons of Teutonic watchmaking into a modern key.
Today, however, we will deal with a timepiece belonging to one of the most classic collections of A. Lange & Söhne, which brings together exceptional watches, from the simplest to the most complicated, all united by a timeless and unmistakable design: the 1815 collection by A. Lange & Söhne.
The 1815 collection: Lange’s classic
The 1815 series owes its name to the founder of this extraordinary maison, Ferdinand Adolph Lange, whose year of birth it represents. This collection is characterized by a classic, clean and particularly legible line, which pays homage to the most historic pocket timepieces made by Lange himself.
The watches in this collection, including movements, are crafted following Glashütte’s watchmaking tradition, from the finishes and details of the movement to the style of the dial and hands.
Watches of exceptional complexity appear in the 1815 series, such as the Tourbograph Perpetual “Pour le Mérite”, a split-seconds chronograph equipped with a tourbillon and perpetual calendar. All moved thanks to a chain and fusee transmission. it is a very ancient technique that involves the use of a very thin miniaturized chain (as a structure very similar to that used in the transmission of bicycles) and a gear with a conical shape. All this aims to reduce the effects of the torque difference generated by the fully charged and nearly discharged spring.
Another mechanical masterpiece is the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Grand Complication, also a split-seconds chronograph with a perpetual calendar, to which the minute repeater is added, along with the grande and petite sonnerie.
There is no shortage of simpler models in the 1815 collection, such as ultra-thin time only or with power reserve indicators, always made with the care and excellence typical of A. Lange & Söhne.
The watch we will talk about today is an excellent compromise between complexity and simplicity, which manages to be as light and aesthetically undemanding as it is complex on the inside.
The 1815 Rattrapante Platinum by A. Lange & Söhne
The 1815 Rattrapante is not in itself a novelty at A. Lange & Söhne: in fact, in 2020 the 1815 Rattrapante Honey Gold was introduced, the first “pure” split-seconds chronograph by A. Lange & Söhne.
Made of a particular gold alloy, designed and developed by A. Lange & Söhne herself, this split-seconds has been released in a limited edition of one hundred pieces and shares the movement and general aesthetics with the Platinum.
The 1815 Rattrapante Platinum presents itself as a classic watch, with a 41.2 mm diameter 950 platinum case. The entire thickness of the watch, despite the technical complexity of the movement, is only 12.6 millimeters, making it even thinner than other famous split-seconds chronographs.
The silver dial, together with the case, are the details that vary between this Platinum and the previous Honey Gold, equipped instead with a black dial.
All hands are blued except for the split second chronograph seconds. The excellent legibility of the dial is obtained thanks to the Arabic indexes, a typical detail of this collection.
Both the front and back glass are made of very high quality sapphire. In particular, the one on the caseback allows you to admire the wonderful in-house caliber, the L101.2.
This hand-wound split-seconds chronograph caliber with 36 jewels is made up of 365 components; its balance wheel oscillates with a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour and has a power reserve of 58 hours.
The movement is breathtaking: completely conceived in-house (click the link to read the difference between in-house and supply movements) and made with meticulous care. The finishes of each component are sublime, as one would expect from A. Lange & Söhne. Techniques such as anglage and Nastro di Glashütte (very similar to Côtes de Genève, in general the processing is less dense in the latter) give the gauge a pleasant play of reflections, enhanced by the black polishing of all levers.
The blued screws and the manual engravings of the bridges give personality to the movement, whose complex structure emphasizes its three-dimensionality.
Looking at the watch, you notice an unusual arrangement of the chronograph sub dials: unlike the classic one at 3 and 9 o’clock, in this 1815 Rattrapante the dials are at 12 and 3 o’clock, a choice that is inspired by watches of the past. , in particular to the chronography of pocket timepieces.
A classic timepiece, discreet but that does not go unnoticed, thanks to its inimitable style; in full Saxon style, as the writing on the dial reminds us, clean and austere.
This 1815 Platinum is in a limited edition of two hundred copies and its selling price is on request, but we can imagine it is a figure higher than that necessary to buy the brother Honey Gold, of 134,000 dollars.
Final take
We at IWS cannot but admire the mastery of A. Lange & Söhne, who once again gave life to a creation of the highest level, both aesthetically and technically.
Watchmaking manufacturers such as A. Lange & Söhne, which makes about five thousand watches a year, donate unique pieces to the world of watchmaking, with the highest quality and attention to detail, which only a few independent houses can achieve.
We can only wish houses like A. Lange & Söhne to continue to transcend the boundaries of watchmaking, giving us enthusiasts the pleasure of admiring these wonders.
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