A. Lange & Söhne has unveiled the new 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar in white gold with pink-gold dial 421.056FE. Price available on request
10 years after the launch of two versions in pink gold and platinum at the beginning of 2013, A. Lange & Söhne has unveiled the new 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar in white gold with a pink-gold dial.
Equipped with a specially developed movement, this highly exclusive timepiece combines three of the most elaborate complications: a chronograph, split-seconds, and perpetual calendar, all while maintaining the classic, elegant design of the 1815 watch family.
The warm, golden hue of the pink gold dial elegantly contrasts with the cool white gold of the 41.9 mm x 14.7 mm case. Featuring a traditional railway-track minute scale, Arabic numerals, and a harmonious arrangement of the four subsidiary dials, this dial captures the essence of the watch family named after Ferdinand Adolph Lange's birth year.
The manifold displays of the perpetual calendar and the rattrapante chronograph evoke the classic aesthetics and elegance of earlier Lange pocket watches. The two pairs of combined calendar indications are arranged at 3 and 9 o’clock. The left subsidiary dial shows the date and day of the week, the right the month and leap year. Sharing an auxiliary dial with the subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock, the moon-phase display provides an expressive colourful accent.
Assuming that the watch has been kept fully wound, the calendar indications must only be corrected by one day, but not until 1 March 2100. According to the rules of the Gregorian calendar, the leap year will then be skipped.
The chronograph minute counter and the power-reserve indicator are concentrically located at 12 o’clock. The shorter gold hand in the inner circle indicates when it is time to deliver new power to the movement via the winding crown, while the longer hand made of blued steel provides information about the stopped minutes.
The split-seconds or rattrapante function of the 1815 represents one of the greatest horological challenges. In addition to the conventional functions of a chronograph, this sophisticated complication is capable of measuring intermediate times and comparative times as well as determining minimum and maximum values within one minute.
Since the balance wheel of the manufacture calibre L101.1 beats with six semi-oscillations per second, the stopped times can be recorded with an accuracy of one sixth of a second. High-precision readings are assured thanks to the additional graduation on the peripheral minute scale.
Beating at 21,600 vibrations per hour with a power reserve of 42 hours, the impressive hand wound Calibre L101.1 can be observed through the sapphire-crystal caseback.
Of the 631 individual parts of this remarkable movement, 211 are devoted to the mechanism of the perpetual calendar, while 206 are for the rattrapante-chronograph mechanism.
The classic two-column wheel transmission is used to control the measurement of stopped and intermediate times. As is typical for A. Lange & Söhne, technical intricacy is combined with a high degree of artisanship. The upper surfaces of all moving parts are decorated with straight graining, while the peripheral chamfers are polished.
Lange-typical quality hallmarks such as screwed gold chatons, blued screws, an elaborate whiplash precision index adjuster, and the hand-engraved balance cock are all there.
The production of the new A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar ref. 421.056FE will be limited to 100 pieces. Price available upon request. alange-soehne.com
One of my grails. I imagine it will not be easy to find it in a boutique even just to admire it.
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