There are always watches that are high on your wish-list while knowing you probably will never actually own one. Simply because it’s (far) out of budget or because they are only produced in limited numbers and hard to acquire. And sometimes it’s even both. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it in some way which is exactly what happened when we had the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Tourbillon with enamel dial for a few days.
First of all, it’s a Lange. Not that this is a reason to buy one right away but simply put I am biassed when it comes to this brand. The designs and an incredible level of detail always impress me. And the same goes for this 1815 which impresses more the closer we look at it. But before diving into the details let’s have an overlook of the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Tourbillon with enamel dial.
1815 Tourbillon Enamel
Although this limited edition looks similar to the regular version there are a few tiny details which set it apart. Where this limited edition is made in platinum only, the regular version is available in pink gold also. While having the same case diameter of 39,5 mm the thickness is slightly increased to accommodate the enamel dial. But with an increase of only 0,2 mm, this will be hard to notice. Also, the dial is produced from copper instead of the traditional silver. This has to do with the production process of the enamel dial which is a time consuming and difficult process.
Looking more closely you will discover various fine details which suit a watch of this caliber. On the top of the dial, the 12 o’clock sign is printed in red which adds contrast to the dial. Doing this brings an additional step in the production process of the dial. Fine details such as the minute track with different hour markers at 3, 9 and 12 o’clock set also bring some life to the dial without making it too busy.
Double patents
Inside the watch and visible through the open enamel dial beats the hand-wound L102.1 caliber. Featuring two patents by A. Lange & Söhne combined into one movement. First of those is the stop seconds function which stops the tourbillon cage when setting the time. Combined with a Zero-Reset function it allows you to set the watch with the utmost precision. When pulling the crown to set the time, the seconds hand on the tourbillon cage resets to zero instantly. This way you can set the time perfectly to start the movement again at the beginning of the minute.
In the picture above you can see the stop lever which works as a brake for the tourbillon. When pulling the crown the lever drops which stops the tourbillon. At the same time the seconds hand will reset to zero.
Perfection into detail
From the back side of the watch you have a clear view of the movement. Created from untreated German silver the plates and bridges have a nice warm tone. The tourbillon bridge is fully engraved by hand. As you can see in the detail below the gold screwed chaton comes with a set diamond.
Incredible when you realise these decorations are done by hand. Especially when you take into consideration that the design is just a few millimetres in size. It doesn’t matter where you focus in on the details. They are all perfectly finished.
Lange did a great job creating a classic looking watch with modern techniques incorporated to even improve the accuracy of a tourbillon watch. As you can expect this comes at a price tag. This limited edition 1815 Tourbillon with Enamel dial will set you back 198.000 Euro. For that, you get a watch which is created and finished with an incredible amount of craftsmanship and detail.
For more info visit the A. Lange & Söhne website.
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