A. Lange & Söhne Introduces the 1815 “Homage to Walter Lange”

A. Lange & Söhne Introduces the 1815 “Homage to Walter Lange”

To honor the life and work of their founder Walter Lange, A. Lange & Söhne has released a series of jumping seconds timepieces. Here’s the lowdown.

By Josh Shanks
Contributor

Walter Lange left us in January 2017 – leaving behind a legacy that will survive for many generations. The great-grandson of Ferdinand Adolph Lange, Walter relaunched the brand in 1994. Since then, the brand has been hard at work developing in-house calibers and some very stunning novelties including the Lange 1, Zeitwerk, and Saxonia.

The A. Lange & Söhne 1815 link has been a hallmark of Lange’s catalog for years. The 1815 Chronograph introduced earlier this year is one of my favorite novelties of 2018. Which brings us to today, Lange has issued the 1815 “Homage to Walter Lange” timepieces.
 

Coveted by collectors

A. Lange & Söhne timepieces have been coveted by collectors for decades. Their relative rarity and desirability is due in part to the small production numbers coming out of Glashütte. The brand produces just a few thousand pieces per year.

Rarer still – is the brand’s relationship with Stainless Steel. Lange has primarily produced timepieces in gold and platinum and only a handful of steel pieces are known. Some speculate that the few steel pieces seen in the wild are prototypes never meant to see the light of day. This fact – coupled with the secrecy behind Lange’s steel pieces –  is what makes today’s introductions so interesting.

Tribute to a legend: Walter Lange

Steel!

Here it is! The 1815 “Homage to Walter Lange” in steel. A unique, one-of-one timepiece made to celebrate the life and career of Walter Lange. This 1815 model features jumping sweep seconds, one of Walter Lange’s favorite complications.

Featuring an exquisite black enamel dial set inside a 40.5mm steel case. The 1815 in steel is a stunning example of what makes Lange tick. The railway-track minute scale and polished hands complement and contrast the dial in a way that sufficiently resembles pocket watches of yesteryear.
 

From a technical standpoint, the newly introduced movement has the designation L1924, which is an homage to Mr. Lange’s year of birth. The manual wind movement has a power reserve of 60 hours and beats at 21,600 vph. The jumping seconds mechanism is operated via a button at 2 o’clock. Hour, minutes, sub seconds, and stop seconds are well displayed in a flourishing fashion that give an ode to the uniqueness of this piece.

The caseback displays the reference designation of 297.078 which represents Mr. Lange’s birthdate of July 29. This unique piece will be sold via charity auction in 2018. 
 

Production Models

A. Lange & Söhne has also released production variants of the 1815 “Home to Walter Lange” in Yellow, White, and Pink gold. Featuring the same jumping sweep second complication as the steel. Size wise, these pieces also have 40.5mm cases and alligator leather straps.  Powered by Lange’s manually wound manufacture caliber L1924 with the same exquisite finishing you’ve come to expect from the brand.
 

Production numbers for the gold versions are as follows; 27 pieces in Yellow gold, 145 pieces in White gold, and 90 pieces in Pink Gold.

The “Homage to Walter Lange” is priced at 47,000 Euro for all three gold variants.

Summary

Despite the loss of their founder, A. Lange & Söhne finishes the year on a high note. The 1815 “Home to Walter Lange” should be quite the success. It’s refreshing to see the brand recognize the admiration collectors have for their steel pieces. This writer is hoping to see a few more steel alloys come out of Glashütte. 

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