Home A. Lange presented two new watches a few days ago, the 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar and the Lange 1 Time Zones. Two watches that arrive in two new versions, the 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar with a white gold case and red gold dial and the Lange 1 Time Zones in platinum. Two watches with an unmistakable design, high legibility and an adequate incorporation of complications making them useful.
Two new versions of two easily recognizable watches from the house of A.Lange & Söhne. The style and know-how of this Saxon house are quickly identified in them.
We have had the opportunity to talk about these models with CEO A. Lange & Söhne, Wilhelm Schmidwe attach a summary:
Two new watches, two new versions. What is the reason to present these novelties now and not in W&W?
We wanted to give the ODYSSEUS CHRONOGRAPH the big stage in Watches and Wonders, because this watch individually deserves to be in the spotlight. And we had already announced at the fair that more news from A. Lange & Söhne could be expected, as it has become a good tradition for us to also launch new products in the course of the year. By introducing the LANGE 1 TIME ZONE in platinum and the 1815 RATTRAPANTE PERPETUAL CALENDAR in white gold, we are adding new iterations of two important timepieces to our collection.
What is the target audience for these two watches?
We do not pursue a strategy of specifying target audiences. Our watches inspire and excite a large number of people. However, both novelties are, of course, different, due to their features and complications, and therefore naturally appeal to different users. The LANGE 1 TIME ZONE lets you wear the world on your wrist. Because it shows the time at home and in another time zone at a glance, it's especially useful for cosmopolitans and people who travel a lot. On the other hand, the new 1815 RATTRAPANTE PERPETUAL CALENDAR with its rare combination of a split-second chronograph and a perpetual calendar speaks to connoisseurs of sophisticated watchmaking complications.
How do they strike that nice balance between creating complications while still being useful?
Our goal is to integrate the most challenging complications into the design of our family of watches in an elegant and harmonious way, always with utility in mind. This is also demonstrated by the two novelties: The way in which the LANGE 1 TIME ZONE displays the time at home and abroad, the ring-shaped day/night displays and the summer time display not only fit perfectly into the off-center dial architecture of the LANGE 1, they also ensure a high degree of usability and readability. The same goes for the RATTRAPANTE PERPETUAL CALENDAR of 1815 with its harmoniously arranged displays. Even if the in-house caliber L101.1 is one of our most complex movements, all sections, as well as the additional graduation on the peripheral minute scale, are clear and intuitive to read.
1815 RATTRAPANTE PERPETUAL CALENDAR is limited to 100 units. Because? the difficulty of the caliber? get a correct quality control?
Since our watches are made by hand with great skill and effort, our manufacturing capabilities are naturally limited. Due to their complexity, the manufacture of our watches usually takes several months. Therefore, without limitations, and especially when it comes to highly complicated watches like the 1815 RATTRAPANTE PERPETUAL CALENDAR, our best watchmakers would be tied to these models for too long and would not be able to work on the next novelties for months or years. That would also mean that there are not enough watchmaking capabilities available for other watches in the current collection. Consequently, without limitations, the resulting wait time for customers of certain models would be further increased.
Are there differences between working the gold case and the platinum case?
Yes, there are differences. Compared to gold, platinum is much heavier, harder and stronger, which of course has an effect on manufacturing and finishing. For example, different tools must also be used to meet the material properties.
In a classic design they present us with three of the most ambitious and valued watchmaking complications in a classic design. The rare combination of split-seconds chronograph and perpetual calendar now arrives in an 18-carat white gold case and red gold dial. It is limited to 100 units.
It is, after the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon (2019) and the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar (2021), the third A. Lange & Söhne watch with an 18-carat red gold dial. The numerous perpetual calendar and split-seconds chronograph indications are perfectly integrated into the dial. The calendar indications are at 3 and 9 o'clock. The left subdial displays the date and day of the week, and the right the month and leap year. The indication of the phases of the moon, which shares an auxiliary dial with the small seconds at 6 o'clock, adds a touch of colour. At 12 o'clock there are indications of the minute totalizer and the power reserve. The short golden hand on the inner circle shows the power reserve. The long blued steel hand informs about the stopped minutes.
The case is made of 18-carat white gold with a size of 41.9 mm in diameter and a thickness of 14.7 mm. It has sapphire crystal both on the front and on the back seen.
Inside we find the manufacture caliber L101.1. Mechanical movement with manual winding made up of a total of 631 parts. Among other finishes, it has screwed gold settings, blackened screws, swan-neck regulation, and a hand-engraved balance bridge. It has a 42-hour power reserve.
“With three classic complications, the L101.1 manufacture caliber is one of our most complex movements. If separately they are already technical masterpieces, their combination is a much greater challenge. Both for our builders and for our watchmakers, as the precision adjustment and coordination of all the mechanisms requires a high level of delicacy and technical knowledge»
Anthony de Haas, Director of Product Development at A. Lange & Söhne
The ensemble is completed by a dark brown hand-stitched leather strap with an 18-carat white gold folding clasp.
New model of the complication presented for the first time in 2005 and its second generation in 2020. Complication that allows the simultaneous display of two time zones, one of the most useful watchmaking functions. This new LANGE 1 TIME ZONES now appears for the first time with a 950 platinum case and a solid silver rhodinized dial.
The sphere is rhodinized solid silver. Outside is the ring of cities with its 24 landmarks. Thanks to the design of its dial, the time of the place of origin and that of a second time zone can be seen at a glance, in addition to the large date and the indication of the power reserve. While the larger circle of time reports the time at the current location, the smaller one shows the time in the second time zone. When the correction pusher is pressed at 8 o'clock, the ring of cities advances one time zone from west to east. At the same time, the hour hand on the small auxiliary dial advances one hour, showing the time zone of the city that is visible under the golden arrow-shaped appliqué representing that time zone.
The case is made of 950 platinum. It has a size of 41.9 mm in diameter and a thickness of 10.9 mm. It has sapphire crystal both on the front and on the bottom seen.
Inside it has the Lange L141.1 manufacture caliber. Manual winding mechanical movement. It is decorated and assembled by hand and precisely regulated in five positions. It has natural nickel silver plates and bridges as well as a hand-engraved balance wheel and intermediate wheel bridge. It has a 72-hour power reserve. It is made up of a total of 448 pieces.
The strap is black leather sewn by hand with a 950 platinum buckle.
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