Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon
A. Lange & Söhne, "Accurate masterpieces", a story of tourbillons
We witnessed a world premier at the minimalist A. Lange & Söhne store in Paris: the brand was introducing some rare tourbillons from its collection. It was an exhibition about accuracy, and much more!
By Benjamin Teisseire
Contributor
It cannot be stressed enough. First, Abraham-Louis Bréguet invented the tourbillon, which was filed for patent in 1801, to compensate for the gravitational effect on the balance and hence improve the regularity of pocket watches. It was embedded with the regulating organs of watches (balance and escapement) in a carriage that rotated around the seconds wheel. The complication did not seem as useful in wristwatches because they were constantly being redesigned. However, people were undoubtedly fascinated by it – after all, its creation entailed numerous high-level watchmaking skills and made the timepieces they were housed in prized possessions for collectors.
A quest for accuracy
A. Lange & Söhne has not once relented int its quest for accuracy. However, it wasn't until 1994 that the brand used the tourbillon for the first time. From then on, the Manufacture strived to perfect its skills in crafting this fascinating complication and combine it with other complications. And the brand wonderfully achieved this goal – the A. Lange & Söhne tourbillons are today more than just 'simple' interpretations of this powerful mechanism. The first model issued was the Tourbillon "Pour le Mérite". Its 38.5-mm case housed a tourbillon and a fusee-and-chain transmission mechanism. A miniaturized masterpiece that ensured that constant force was being supplied to the timepiece's escapement, the fusee-chain is the "Pour le Mérite" label's signature and was immediately acclaimed a prowess. Since 1994, when the mechanism was coupled to the tourbillon, it has illustrated the brand's great mastery.
The most "traditional" interpretation
In 2001, the Lange 1 Tourbillon was released. It sported all the distinguishing features of the Saxon brand: an off-centered dial, a large date and a hand indicating the 72-hour power reserve to which was added an aperture that showed part of the in-house tourbillon. A small seconds sub-dial completed the distinctive marks of this timepiece that quickly became a valued object filled with the purest tradition of Lange's famous subtlety and elegance.
"Pour le Mérite" tours de force and world premieres
A. Lange & Söhne is very serious about Haute Horlogerie. The Tourbograph "Pour le Mérite" is obvious proof of this. Introduced in an ultra-limited edition of 51 pieces in 2005, the world debut piece was equipped with some major complications: a split-seconds chronograph, a tourbillon and a fusee-chain transmission. It was a true prowess with an enchanting complexity that was enhanced in the large 41.2-mm case (initially made in platinum). The honey gold color of the brand's 165th anniversary version added a sweet touch to the piece and made it even more appealing. It was fascinating.
The range of exclusive pieces continued with the introduction of the Cabaret Tourbillon. Released in 2008, its shape sported the streamlined aesthetic codes of Art Déco and it was furthermore the first wristwatch to house a stop-second mechanism on a tourbillon. Filed for patent by the German brand, it was also the first piece to enable stopping the carriage's rotation by simply pulling the crown and thus set the precious timepiece to the second. Once again, A. Lange & Söhne had managed to blend the science of watchmaking complications with unrivaled aesthetics and also to mix ingenious high-level skills and useful creativity with the values of traditions. On top of that, it provided a unique five-day power reserve through two barrels of the hand-wound L042.1 caliber.
The brand took its quest for accuracy to another level by also adding a patented seconds zero-reset system to its 1815 Tourbillon. The system made the seconds hand automatically jump to zero while the tourbillon carriage stopped. After this, all that was missing was an atomic clock.
A final surprise
Unfortunately, all good things have to come to an end and the exceptional pieces that we found on show outside the brand’s walls for the first time had to go back to the Saxon forest. However, aficionados need not depair for several amazing models, such as the Richard Lange Tourbillon "Pour le Mérite", are still available at the brand’s store on Rue de la Paix. This watch features the in-house tourbillon and stop-second mechanism coupled with the fusee-chain transmission for optimal working regularity and an accurate-to-the-second setting. It is housed in a gold 41.9-mm case that displays time as a regulator – that is, small hours and large minutes – and has an opening which gives a view on the tourbillon. The final touch that added another layer of uniqueness to the timepiece was the hour dial. Cut between 7:30 and 10:30 to leave space for the tourbillon's opening, it is immediately completed between 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock with a perfect hour display and an innovative animation of the watch face.
A. Lange & Söhne's reputation for optimal accuracy and both useful and ingenious innovation is not an exaggeration. And neither are the exclusivity of its timepieces nor the recognizable hand-made finishes and decorations
