A. Lange & Söhne’s Cabaret Tourbillon Hanwerkskunst combines superb watchmaking artistry, to the outermost angles of its rectangular case, with elaborate, traditional and, meanwhile, rare techniques. They include semi-transparent enamelling of the dial and several manual engravings in the lozenge design style.
The three-part dial is made of solid white gold and is crafted in the manufactory. The inner area with the typical Lange outsize date is manually engraved with a lozenge pattern. This regular motif sets a challenge to the engraver as every small deviation is instantly visible. It is inspired by the six lozenge-shaped hour markers in gold that face the centre. Together with the Roman numerals III, IX and XII, they stand in the outer zone of the dial with a delicate surface that serves as a stage. A thin line decorated with tremblage visually separates the dial parts from one another. This engraving technique also graces the frame of the hand eye and of the date aperture.
The separately integrated subsidiary dials for the small seconds and the power-reserve indicator, which at A. Lange & Söhne is traditionally executed with the UP/DOWN display, consist of rhodium-coloured gold; the hands are made of rhodiumed gold. An aperture in the dial reveals the one-minute tourbillon which is suspended between two diamond endstones. On its top side, the matt-finished tourbillon bridge has a black polishing that is applied using a technique that ranks among the most difficult types of finissage.
Limited to 30 pieces, the Cabaret Tourbillon Hanwerkskunst has a rectangular case in platinum measuring 29.5 by 39.2 millimetres forms the precious frame for the new exclusive version of the first tourbillon with a stop-seconds mechanism. It is graced with a deployant buckle in platinum and a black leather strap with grey contrast stitching.
The manually wound calibre L042.1 has a twin mainspring barrel that delivers a power reserve of 120 hours. It is a masterpiece of technology and craftsmanship. It is composed of 370 parts, of which no fewer than 84 are integrated in the filigreed tourbillon that weighs only a quarter of a gram. The movement owes its historic significance to a tiny component that transformed it into a milestone of precision watchmaking.
In 2008, more than 200 years after the invention of the tourbillon, A. Lange & Söhne showed how an oscillating balance inside the rotating cage can be stopped to set a tourbillon timepiece to the precise second. By pulling the crown, a complex lever mechanism is triggered that pivots a movable V-shaped spring onto the balance wheel rim. The balance stops instantaneously, even if one of the spring arms is in contact with one of the three cage posts. Measuring 22.3 by 32.6 millimetres, the form movement of the extraordinary timepiece is tailored to the rectangular shape of the case. In comparison with the 2008 version, it has a new indexless oscillation system with a Lange balance spring. The lozenge motif of the dial is echoed by the black-rhodiumed engravings on the tourbillon and intermediate wheel cocks, creating a visual bridge between the dial and the movement side. A limitation engraving on the case back indicates the rarity of the horological masterpiece.
Technical Specifications:
| CABARET TOURBILLON HANDWERKSKUNST Ref. 703.048 |
| Movement | Lange manufacture calibre L042.1, manually wound, crafted to the most exacting Lange quality standards, decorated and assembled twice by hand; precision-adjusted in five positions; three-quarter plate made of untreated German silver; tourbillon and intermediate wheel cocks engraved by hand |
| Movement parts | 370, of which 84 for the tourbillon |
| Jewels | 45, as well as two diamond endstones |
| Screwed gold chatons | 9 |
| Escapement | Lever escapement |
| Oscillation system | Shock-resistant screw balance; balance spring manufactured in-house, frequency 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour |
| Power reserve | 120 hours when fully wound |
| Functions | Time indicated in hours, minutes, and subsidiary seconds; one-minute tourbillon with stop seconds; UP/DOWN power-reserve indicator |
| Operating elements | Crown for winding the watch and setting the time; recessed push piece for correction of the date |
| Case dimensions | 29.5 × 39.2 × 10.3 millimetres |
| Movement dimensions | 22.3 × 32.6 × 6.4 millimetres |
| Crystal and caseback | Sapphire crystal (Mohs hardness 9) |
| Case | 950 platinum |
| Dial | 18-carat white gold, grey with hand-engraved lozenge pattern, semi-transparent enamelling |
| Hands and appliques | Rhodiumed gold |
| Strap | Hand-stitched leather strap, black with grey seam |
| Buckle | Deployant buckle in 950 platinum |
| Limited edition | 30 watches, engraved limitation number |
For more information please visit https://www.alange-soehne.com