A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1815 Rattrapante Chronograph

Overall Condition: Very good condition overall. Case shows light wear consistent with age and gentle use. Dial and handset are in excellent condition.

Born in 1815, Ferdinand Adolph Lange received a rigorous education at the hands of nurses and governesses. At 15 he became a student at the Saxon Technical school in Dresden. Following that, he pursued training under Johann Christian Friedrich Gutkaes, Sr, royal clockmaker to the King of Saxony. In 1846 he and his brother-in-law formed A. Lange & Söhne.

Lange’s use of precision tools and instruments allowed the manufacture to attain a level of precision that was heretofore unknown in mass-produced watches. After his death in 1878, his sons Richard and Emil would carry on his legacy. However, the Soviet occupation of East Germany at the end of the Second World War saw an end to A. Lange & Söhne. But after Reunification in the 1990s, the manufacture would make its triumphant return. At the helm of the company would be another Lange, Ferdinand’s great-grandson Walter.

The 1815 family honors this watchmaking legacy. Simple and elegant, it’s a careful distillation of Saxon watchmaking and design — adorned with just enough decoration to be beautiful, its otherwise minimalist look mixes Bauhaus principles with classical aesthetics.

But this particular watch is no ordinary, run-of-the-mill 1815 — if there is such a thing to begin with!

What we have here is a split second chronograph; featuring a 41.2mm 950 platinum case with a sapphire crystal, a signed crown, square pushers, a polished bezel, and a satin silver dial with recessed sub registers, printed black 'Arabic' numerals and a matching blued-steel 'lance' handset.

Limited to just 200 examples, this incredible split second piece is powered by the mammoth Calibre L101.2. The stunning movement has over 350 parts, each hand finished, and represents the pinnacle of complicated movement construction.

This piece comes fitted to a signed black alligator strap with a matching platinum pin buckle.

There’s nothing wrong with a classic dress watch from a member of the “Holy Trinity.” But for a modern stunner, strap on this incredible, classically-inspired chronograph — which is complete with its factory goodies — and feel the awesome horological power of the Lange dynasty!