A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Thin Honeygold “Homage to F. A. Lange”

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A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Thin Honeygold “Homage to F. A. Lange”

1815 Thin Honeygold “Homage to F. A. Lange”
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Limited edition commemorating the 175^th anniversary of Saxon precision watchmaking
La Cote des Montres - January 11th, 2021

With the 1815 Thin Honeygold “Homage to F. A. Lange”, A. Lange & Söhne celebrates the establishment of Saxon precision watchmaking 175 years ago, when Ferdinand Adolph Lange founded his manufactory for fine timepieces. The two-hand watch in a limited edition of 175 pieces features a case in Lange’s exclusive honey gold, a white enamel dial, and special movement finissage.

The seventh of December 1845 marks a turning point in the history of the town of Glashütte. The inauguration of the first pocket watch workshop in the former mining community south of Dresden by Ferdinand Adolph Lange, then 30 years old, laid the cornerstone for Saxon precision watchmaking. To commemorate the anniversary, A. Lange & Söhne is now presenting three limited-edition timepieces 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.

Inspiring tradition

With numerous traditional features, such as the railway-track minute scale on the dial, the 1815 Thin Honeygold “Homage to F. A. Lange” recalls Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s legendary pocket watches. Beyond that, it unites two key facets that characterise his design: perfection and clarity.

Limited to 175 pieces, the two-hand watch has a 6.3-millimetre thin case in honey gold and a classic white enamel dial.

An elegantly
simple design

The case is merely 6.3 millimetres high and has a diameter of 38 millimetres. Just like the hands and the buckle, it consists of honey gold, an alloy developed exclusively for and used only by A. 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. It was used for the first time in 2010 for the three watches of the “165 Years – Homage to F. A. Lange” anniversary edition. So far, only eight limited editions of watches cased in this exceptional gold alloy with its warm glow have been launched.

A perfect enamel dial

Like the hands and the buckle, the elegant 38-millimetre case consists of honey gold, which was developed explicitly for A. Lange & Söhne. The brilliant white, two-part enamel dial stands out prominently in this exclusive setting. It is the result of an elaborate production process. The dark grey printed Arabic numerals and the classic railway-track minute scale contrast well against the bright background.

A sublime creation

Simple and perfect: The L093.1 manufacture calibre of the 1815 Thin Honeygold “Homage to F. A. Lange” 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 freehand engraving on the balance cock is the signature element of all Lange manufacture calibres. The fine lines of the floral pattern are black-rhodiumed, just like the inscription on the plate. The dark hue of the galvanic coating echoes the grey of the dial imprints and at the same time amplifies the three-dimensional effect of the engravings.

About
A. Lange & Söhne

Dresden watchmaker Ferdinand Adolph Lange laid the cornerstone of Saxony’s precision watchmaking industry when he established his manufactory in 1845. His precious pocket watches remain highly coveted among collectors all over the world. The company was expropriated after World War II, and the name A. Lange & Söhne nearly vanished. In 1990, Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s great-grandson Walter Lange had the courage to relaunch the brand.

Today, Lange crafts only a few thousand wristwatches per year, predominantly in gold or platinum. They are endowed exclusively with proprietary movements that are lavishly decorated by hand and assembled twice. With 66 manufacture calibres developed since 1990, A. Lange & Söhne has secured a top-tier position in the world of watchmaking. Brand icons such as the Lange 1 with the first outsize date in a regularly produced wristwatch, and the Zeitwerk with its precisely jumping numerals display, rank among the company’s greatest successes.

Exceptional complications such as the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater, the Triple Split, and the so far most complicated model, the Grand Complication presented in 2013 in a six-watch limited edition, reflect the manufactory’s determination to achieve ever new pinnacles in its tradition-steeped horological artistry. Launched in 2019, the sporty-elegant Odysseus marks the beginning of a new chapter for A. Lange & Söhne.