Press release
It was a sensation when it premiered in 1999: with the Datograph, A. Lange & Söhne established an excellent reputation in the topmost league of chronograph-making and then systematically consolidated it with horological milestones such as the Double Split and the Datograph Perpetual. Now, the 1815 Chronograph debuts not only as a notable reinterpretation of a horological classic but also as a top-tier addition to the 1815 watch family that was relaunched just last year. It has a power reserve of 60 hours and a proprietary Lange balance spring.
Hardly any other watch manifests the union of tradition and inventiveness as well as of legendary beauty and advanced technology as remarkably as Lange's 1815 Chronograph. The dial reflects the subtle arrangement of indications shared by A. Lange & Söhne's coveted historic pocket watches, of which some 700 were already configured as chronographs. The two symmetrically positioned subsidiary dials for the seconds and 30-minute counter emphasise the balanced geometry and the classic style of the watch. The vintage railway-track scale at the periphery of the dial assures superb legibility of stopped times to one-fifth of a second. The precisely jumping minute counter also simplifies time measurements.
The sleek, elegant looks of the watch contrast with the intricacy of the calibre L951.5 chronograph movement with column-wheel control and a stepped pinion for the precisely jumping minute counter. One of the highlights among the numerous technical features is the flyback function, a device found only in very few chronographs. With one single push piece, the 1815 Chronograph can be stopped and reset in the middle of a time measurement. And a new measurement is started as soon as the push piece is released again.
A large mainspring barrel delivers a sizable power reserve of 60 hours. Rate stability is ensured by the large balance wheel with eccentric poising weights. It is powered by a balance spring developed and manufactured in-house and reciprocates with a frequency of 18,000 semi-oscillations per hour.
The sapphire-crystal caseback reveals one of the technically most exquisite and at the same time most beautiful chronograph mechanisms ever made. It showcases most of the technical and artisanal details, including the stepped pinion for the precisely jumping minute counter, the column wheel that controls the chronograph functions, and the precision beat adjustment system with its whiplash spring on the hand-engraved balance cock. This is state-of-the-art chronography at its absolute best.
Data sheet 1815 Chronogaph
Movement: Lange manufacture calibre L951.5, manually wound, crafted to the most exacting Lange quality standards and largely decorated and assembled by hand; precision-adjusted in five positions; plates and bridges made of untreated German silver; balance cock engraved by hand
Number of movement parts: 306
Number of jewels: 40
Screwed gold chatons: 4
Escapement: Lever escapement
Oscillation system: Shock-resistant glucydur balance with eccentric poising weights; superior-quality balance spring manufactured in-house, frequency 18,000 semi-oscillations per hour, precision beat adjustment system with lateral setscrew and whiplash spring
Power reserve: 60 hours when fully wound
Functions: Flyback chronograph with precisely jumping minute counter; time display in hours, minutes, subsidiary seconds with stop seconds
Operating elements: Crown for winding the watch and setting the time, two push pieces for operating the chronograph
Case dimensions: Diameter: 39.5 millimetres; height: 10.8 millimetres
Movement dimensions: Diameter: 30.6 millimetres; height: 6.1 millimetres
Glass and caseback: Sapphire crystal (hardness 9)
References: 402.032 402.026
Case: Pink gold White gold
Dial: Solid silver, argenté Solid silver, argenté
Hands: Blued steel Blued steel
Strap:
Hand-stitched crocodile strap, red-brown
Hand-stitched crocodile strap, black
Buckle:
Lange prong buckle in pink gold
Lange prong buckle in white gold
