A. Lange & Söhne Presents Three Honey Sweet Delights

A. Lange & Söhne Presents Three Honey Sweet Delights

Martin Green
By Martin Green September 15, 2020

With three new creations is A. Lange & Söhne paying tribute to its founder, Ferdinand Adolph Lange, who started the manufacture 175th year ago. All three watches are part of the 1815 collection, named after his birth year, and feature a honey-gold case. This has become a tradition of the unique “Homage to F. A. Lange” anniversary editions, as ten years ago, they did the same. Despite that they come from the same collection and share the same case material are all three watches quite different in nature.

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Of the three watches, the Tourbograph Perpetual Honeygold is the most complex. It combines a perpetual calendar with a split-second chronograph and is equipped with a tourbillon as well. For this watch A. Lange & Söhne made the dial also from honeygold. In terms of color, honeygold is somewhat in between yellow and rose gold, but much more challenging to work with. This is also the reason why A. Lange & Söhne is only using it for select limited edition watches. The 50 watches that the brand will make of the Tourbograph Perpetual are very striking not only because of the materials used but also because the dial features relief markings that are polished. The dial’s lower-lying base has been treated with ‘black rhodium,’ which gives it a beautiful grey finish. This contrast is not only stunning but also makes the dial highly legible.

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While the Tourbograph Perpetual Honeygold might be more complex, the 1815 Rattrapante Honeygold has no problem to make an equally favorable impression on its own. It does so by being the first chronograph of A. Lange & Söhne to be fitted with the L101.2 movement, which is based on that of the 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar. It is also the first chronograph of the brand to be equipped with a honeygold case, which it combines with a black dial. This results in an irresistible combination. With a height of only 12.6mm is the 1815 Rattrapante Honeygold pleasantly slim for such a complex watch. As the parts that support the chronograph functions are placed at the back of the movement, the view through the sapphire caseback is breathtaking.

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The 1815 Thin Honeygold may be the simplest of the three watches in this “Homage to F. A. Lange” anniversary edition, but less is more. The watch is very pure with its 38mm large case, which is only 6.3mm thick. Its manual wind movement is a thing of real beauty, with its traditional three-quarter plate made from German-silver, that has been given a granular texture. The enamel dial consists of two parts, which gives it some depth and play of light while offering a pleasant contrast with the honeygold case. The 1815 Thin Honeygold is limited to 175 pieces and showcases a less complicated yet equally passionately made side of the A. Lange & Söhne collection, which is also an inseparable part of the brands’ rich history.