A. Lange & Söhne is enriching its 1815 collection with a timepiece featuring one of the most sophisticated horological complications – the chronograph rattrapante.
A. Lange & Söhne’s watchmakers yet again demonstrate their expertise in the field of short-time measurement with the latest 1815 Rattrapante. Its complex mechanism expands the functionality of a classic chronograph by allowing the measurement of a random number of lap times within a minute. For this purpose, the watch has two superposed chronograph hands, the centre chronograph hand and the centre rattrapante hand.
Both hands start together when the pusher at 2 o’clock is actuated. The centre rattrapante hand can now be stopped independently of the centre chronograph hand and then resynchronised with it. This procedure, used for instance to measure lap times, can be repeated infinitely.
The 1815 Rattrapante comes in a platinum case and is limited to 200 pieces. Instead of the ordinary positions for subsidiary dials at 3 and 9 o’clock, the 30-minute counter and the subsidiary seconds dial are at 12 and 6 o’clock, respectively, on the vertical centre axis.
The watch is powered by the manufacture movement L101.2. The entire rattrapante chronograph mechanism is configured such that it is visible through the sapphire-crystal caseback (above). This allows the complex switching processes to be observed in detail. The control of elapsed and lap-time measurements is handled highly precisely in the classic manner with two column wheels. When fully wound, the mainspring barrel delivers a power reserve of 58 hours.
As befits the 1A quality attribute – the highest quality category of his pocket watches – the calibre L101.2 movement features bridges and cocks made of untreated German silver, a screw balance, screwed gold chatons that secure the jewels and a hand-engraved balance cock. All upper sides of the moving parts of the rattrapante chronograph, such as levers, springs and jumpers, are decorated with straight graining while the peripheral chamfers are polished. Bevel-polishing re-entrant angles is a particular challenge for the finishing specialists.
Technical Specifications:
| 1815 RATTRAPANTE Ref. 425.025 | |
| Movement | Lange manufacture calibre L101.2, manually wound, crafted to the most exacting Lange quality standards, decorated and assembled by hand; precision-adjusted in five positions; plates made of untreated German silver; balance cock and chronograph bridge engraved by hand |
| Movement parts | 365 |
| Jewels | 36 |
| Screwed gold chatons | 4 |
| Escapement | Lever escapement |
| Oscillation system | Shock-resistant screw balance; balance spring crafted in-house, frequency 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour; precision beat adjustment system with lateral setscrew and whiplash spring |
| Power reserve | 58 hours when fully wound |
| Functions | Time display with hours and minutes as well as subsidiary seconds with stop seconds; rattrapante chronograph with 30- minute counter, tachometer scale |
| Operating elements | Crown for winding the watch and setting the time; two chronograph pushers, one pusher to operate the rattrapante mechanism |
| Case dimensions | Diameter: 41.2 millimetres; height: 12.6 millimetres |
| Movement dimensions | Diameter: 32.6 millimetres; height: 7.4 millimetres |
| Crystal and caseback | Sapphire crystal (Mohs hardness 9) |
| Case | 950 platinum |
| Dial | Solid silver, argenté |
| Hands | Hours, minutes, and subsidiary seconds: blued steel; 30-minute counter: blued steel; centre chronograph hand: rhodiumed steel; centre rattrapante hand: blued steel |
| Strap | Hand-stitched alligator leather, black |
| Buckle | Prong buckle in 950 platinum |
| Limited edition | 200 watches, edition engraving, boutique exclusivity |
Price on application. For more information please visit A. Lange & Söhne