A. Lange & Söhne TRIPLE SPLIT Given A New Colour Combination

When A. Lange & Söhne introduced the TRIPLE SPLIT in 2018, it established an entirely new benchmark in mechanical chronograph construction. Designed to measure intermediate, comparative and aggregate times over periods of up to twelve hours, it remains a remarkable demonstration of what is possible when traditional watchmaking is pushed to its limits.

Now the Glashütte manufacture presents a new interpretation of this exceptional timepiece. Limited to just 100 pieces, the latest TRIPLE SPLIT combines a 950 platinum case with a rhodié coloured dial and contrasting darker grey subsidiary dials. The result is a quietly compelling composition in which technical sophistication is matched by understated elegance.

The TRIPLE SPLIT occupies a unique position within the world of mechanical chronographs. Its defining achievement is the extension of the rattrapante principle beyond seconds to include minutes and hours. While a conventional split seconds chronograph can record intermediate times within a period of one minute, the TRIPLE SPLIT allows these measurements to be maintained for as long as twelve hours.

This opens up a remarkable range of possibilities. During a marathon, for example, the watch can record the intermediate times of runners at successive distances while continuing to measure the overall duration of the race. In a classic automobile, it can record intermediate times at different stages of a journey while also determining the complete driving time, including periods spent stationary.

The chronograph is further distinguished by its flyback function. A single operation of the pusher at 4 o’clock stops the current measurement, returns the active chronograph and rattrapante hands to zero and immediately begins a new measurement when the pusher is released.

A choreography of mechanical precision

At the heart of the TRIPLE SPLIT is the manufacture calibre L132.1, a movement whose complexity is matched only by the precision with which its many components must work together.

The three blued rattrapante hands are normally positioned beneath their corresponding rhodiumed chronograph hands. Once the chronograph is activated, all six hands begin their journey together. Pressing the rattrapante pusher at 10 o’clock freezes the three blued hands while the chronograph hands continue to record elapsed time. A second press releases the rattrapante mechanism and allows the hands to catch up before continuing their journey in synchronisation.

It is an extraordinarily intricate mechanical ballet involving wheels, levers, springs, clutches and jumpers. Every element must operate in precisely the correct sequence, with the switching chains requiring exceptional levels of expertise and painstaking adjustment.

The demands placed upon the movement are considerable. The stopped rattrapante hands and the instantaneous advancement of the minute counters create additional friction, potentially affecting the power available to the regulating system. A. Lange & Söhne therefore employs a patented disengagement mechanism, first developed in 2005, which separates the friction intensive processes on the seconds and minute counter arbors. The result is greater stability of the rate and a consistent supply of energy to the oscillating system.

A dial designed around the mechanism

The complexity of the TRIPLE SPLIT is reflected in its carefully considered dial architecture. Each display has a precise role and the hierarchy of information is immediately legible despite the extraordinary number of functions.

The dominant central display is reserved for the chronograph and rattrapante seconds hands. At 4 o’clock, the minute counter advances instantaneously after each completed minute, while the smaller hour counter occupies the 12 o’clock position. Opposite it, at 6 o’clock, is the characteristic Lange UP/DOWN power reserve indicator, showing the remaining portion of the movement’s 55 hour autonomy. The subsidiary seconds display is positioned at 8 o’clock.

Around the perimeter, a tachymeter scale allows average speeds over a distance of 1,000 metres to be determined. It is a detail that reinforces the TRIPLE SPLIT’s relationship with the practical traditions of the chronograph while adding another layer to its considerable functionality.

Platinum, rhodié and grey

The latest TRIPLE SPLIT introduces a new colour palette to the collection. The cool character of the 950 platinum case is complemented by a rhodié coloured main dial, while the darker grey subsidiary dials provide depth and contrast.

Blued rattrapante hands introduce a distinctive touch of colour, while red detailing marks the hour and minute counters and the UP/DOWN power reserve display. The luminous hour and minute hands complete the carefully balanced composition. Measuring 43.2 millimetres in diameter and 15.6 millimetres in height, the watch is presented on a dark brown alligator leather strap with a platinum deployant buckle.

It is an aesthetic that avoids unnecessary drama. Instead, the combination of platinum, grey and rhodié tones allows the mechanical character of the watch to take centre stage.

The beauty beneath the dial

Turn the watch over and the true scale of the achievement becomes apparent. Through the sapphire crystal caseback, the L132.1 reveals an architecture of remarkable depth and complexity. Its 567 individual components form an intricately coordinated mechanism, each one finished according to the uncompromising standards expected of A. Lange & Söhne.

The levers, springs and rockers feature straight graining, while their chamfered edges are meticulously polished. Particularly demanding are the acute internal angles, which require painstaking hand finishing. Five gold screwed chatons are set into the untreated German silver bridges, which are decorated with Glashütte ribbing. The hand engraved balance cock provides a final reminder that this is as much an object of traditional craftsmanship as it is an exercise in advanced mechanical engineering.

Anthony de Haas, Director Product Development, describes the TRIPLE SPLIT as a chronograph that remains in a league of its own. At its centre is a calibre developed entirely within the manufacture, combining an extraordinarily complex triple rattrapante mechanism with an architecture that has been carefully considered to preserve wearability.

That balance between complexity and restraint is perhaps the defining quality of the TRIPLE SPLIT. Beneath its restrained exterior lies one of the most sophisticated chronograph mechanisms of contemporary watchmaking, while every visible surface demonstrates the patience and skill of the Glashütte tradition.

The new TRIPLE SPLIT will be presented during the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace during the first weekend of September. Limited to 100 pieces, it represents another chapter in A. Lange & Söhne’s continuing exploration of the mechanical chronograph, where precision, ingenuity and craftsmanship converge in exceptional fashion.

Technical Specifications:

TRIPLE SPLIT Ref. 424.025F
Movement	Lange manufacture calibre L132.1, manually wound; decorated and assembled by hand; precision-adjusted in five positions; plates and bridges made of untreated German silver; balance cock engraved by hand
No. of movement parts	567
No. of jewels	46
No. of screwed gold chatons	5
Escapement	Lever escapement
Oscillation system	Shock-resistant balance with eccentric poising weights; balance spring crafted in-house, frequency 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour; precision beat-adjustment system with lateral setscrew and whiplash spring
Power reserve	55 hours when fully wound
Functions	Time indicated in hours, minutes, and subsidiary seconds with stop seconds; flyback chronograph with triple rattrapante for additive and intermediate time measurements between one sixth of a second and twelve hours; precisely jumping chronograph and rattrapante minute counters; continuous chronograph and rattrapante hour counters; tachymeter scale; UP/DOWN power-reserve indicator
Operating elements	Crown for winding the watch and setting the time; two pushers for operating the chronograph; one pusher for operating the rattrapante mechanism
Case dimensions	Diameter: 43.2 millimetres; height: 15.6 millimetres
Movement dimensions	Diameter: 30.6 millimetres; height: 9.4 millimetres
Crystal and transparent caseback	Synthetic sapphire crystal (Mohs hardness 9)
Case	950 platinum
Dial	925 silver, rhodié/grey
Hands and appliques	Hour and minute hands (luminous), subsidiary seconds and chronograph minute counter in rhodiumed 750 gold; power-reserve hand, chronograph seconds hand and chronograph hour counter in rhodiumed steel; rattrapante seconds hand, rattrapante minute counter and rattrapante hour counter in blued steel; appliques in rhodiumed 750 gold, hour markers at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock luminous
Strap	Hand-stitched alligator leather, dark-brown with grey seam

Price upon request.

For more information please visit A. Lange & Söhne