A. Lange & Söhne launched a one-of-a-kind incarnation of the 1815 CHRONOGRAPH at the Concours of Elegance this September, with plans to bring it to auction in Geneva on the 6th November, by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo. All proceeds from the sale of the unique timepiece (which features a solid-silver dial and a hand-engraved hinged cuvette) will go to The Prince’s Trust, a youth charity set up by HRH The Prince of Wales.
Launching at a high-calibre beauty pageant
A. Lange & Söhne has been a partner of the Concours of Elegance since 2018. This year the event takes place from 2nd to 4th September in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace. The pageant not only showcases rare automobiles but also exclusive mechanical timepieces crafted by A. Lange & Söhne. As such, the Concours of Elegance provides the ideal backdrop for introducing a very special watch: the unique version of the 1815 CHRONOGRAPH with its hinged cuvette.
The Geneva Watch Auction XV
Following its high-profile introduction, the exclusive timepiece will be auctioned on 6 November 2022, benefitting the charitable organisation founded by HRH The Prince of Wales. The Prince’s Trust was inaugurated in 1976 to support young people aged 11 to 30 in developing essential life skills, preparing for work, and accessing job opportunities. It’s a cause close to the heart of Wilhelm Schmid; the Lange CEO is convinced that each child, regardless of their upbringing and social background should have a fair chance of self-fulfilment and a happy future. “We are proud to have the opportunity to support the important work of The Prince’s Trust” Schmid has said.
Classic design and progressive technology
The 1815 CHRONOGRAPH was first introduced in 2004, displaying artisanal perfection and refined details, its design fully focused on optimised legibility. The dial boasts Arabic numerals, the railway track minute scale and slightly shifted subsidiary dials reminiscent of the of A. Lange & Söhne’s historic pocket watches. The latest Hampton Court Edition has been crafted exclusively for this year’s Concours of Elegance, offering a unique combination of features.
A brand new design
A white-gold case is complemented by a black dial with sandstone-coloured numerals and scales. The tachometer scale on the peripheral – which enables the calculation of average speeds – emphasises the historic connection between motorsport and time measurement, while the rhodié-coloured subsidiary dials for the small seconds and the minute counter also contrast well with the black dial. Rhodium case-matched gold hands mark the hours and minutes, with steel hands for the chrono seconds, the subsidiary seconds, and the minute counter.
Combining motorsport and time measurement
A hinged cuvette is hand engraved with the logo of the Concours of Elegance, concealing the Lange calibre L951.5 movement launched in 2010. Assembled twice, it features a column-wheel control, a precisely jumping minute counter, and a flyback function. The manually wound calibre has a power reserve of 60 hours. A large cam-poised balance wheel driven by a freely oscillating hairspring crafted in-house assures excellent rate accuracy, and, with its frequency of 18,000 semi oscillations per hour (2.5 hertz), the watch displays stopped times to a brilliant accuracy of one-fifth of a second.
A unique piece of horology
A stunning sapphire-crystal case back provides a peek at the hand-finished chronograph mechanism, while a subtly arranged choice of different materials and surface decorations to highlight the three-dimensionality of the open movement architecture. Through this, the complex switching processes as well as the artistically hand-engraved balance cock with Lange’s iconic whiplash spring can be seen. A small but beautifully decorated floral motif makes this part of the movement recognisable as a Lange piece.
Finally, the timepiece carries the engraver’s personal signature and is completed by a black hand-stitched alligator leather strap, secured on the wrist, with a prong buckle in solid white gold.
