SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY

A Lange & Sohne’s tribute piece to Walter Lange breaks new ground.

Last year, when news filtered through the halls of Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie of Walter Lange’s passing, a sudden, certain sadness set in. Walter, the fourth-generation heir of the storied A Lange & Sohne watchmaker, had returned to Dresden in 1990 following the fall of the Berlin Wall and reclaimed his heritage by restoring the watchmaking manufactory that bore his family name.

In remembrance of his herculean effort, the Lange manufacture has crafted a unique 1815 collection. This year’s 1815 Homage to Walter Lange is conceived with a stoppable jumping seconds hand, a complication that traces its origins to a 150-year- old invention by founder Ferdinand Adolph Lange. The deliberate choice of this complication is factored around Walter’s penchant for unfussy, puristic timepieces; one he would have deemed perfect for its ability to focus on the essence of timekeeping while offering the excitement of a novel complication.

A cursory glance at the dial will reveal the delightful chronometric achievement of the timepiece’s movement, with the blued sweep seconds hand ‘ jumping’ from second to second – as opposed to creeping across the dial as most mechanical timepieces do. A pusher at two o’clock starts and stops this sweep seconds hand. The genius behind this innovation is a flirt-and-star principle, in which a tensioned lever arm is liberated each full second by a star-shaped component, advancing the seconds hand by one marker. This tribute timepiece is available in a case size of 40.5mm and is made available in three material choices; 145 pieces in white gold, 90 in pink gold and 27 in yellow gold, with each limited edition corresponding to a significant milestone in the brand’s history.

A black- enamelled dial, stainless steel unique piece of this 1815 Homage to Walter Lange will be auctioned on the second weekend of May by Phillips Geneva, conducted by watch auctioneer supremo Aurel Bacs. Proceeds will be channelled to the Children Action Foundation. www.alange-soehne.com ≠

This year’s 1815 Homage to Walter Lange is conceived with a stoppable jumping seconds hand.