A. Lange & Söhne 1815

The design of the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 was inspired by historic pocket watches from Glashütte. The name "1815" refers to the year of Ferdinand Adolph Lange's birth. Lange laid the foundation for the watch industry in Glashütte, Germany, when he founded his company in 1845. In the first year, he took on 15 apprentices, including former miners and basket weavers. Some of these apprentices soon went into business for themselves, working as subcontractors for Lange and other watchmakers in the city.

Today, the classic 1815 collection includes numerous gold and platinum watches. Arabic numerals, blued hands, railroad minute track and silver dials characterize the design of these timepieces. The watches are powered by high-precision hand-wound calibers. These movements are not only technically beyond reproach, but also a feast for the eyes with their ornate decoration. Not surprisingly, all the models in the 1815 collection have a sapphire crystal case back.

Along with simple three-hand models, the collection also includes timepieces with complications like a power reserve indicator, split-seconds chronograph, perpetual calendar, or tourbillon. With a moderate case diameter between 38.5 and 40 mm, most models fit on almost any wrist. Only the most complicated models are slightly larger, with diameters of 41.9 to 43 mm.

Reasons to Buy an A. Lange & Söhne 1815

• Top model: Grand Complication with perpetual calendar, rattrapante, and chiming mechanism
• Available with a chronograph function, tourbillon, or perpetual calendar
• Exclusive use of gold, platinum, and silver
• Case diameters ranging from 36 to 43 mm
• Design inspired by historic pocket watches

Prices for an A. Lange & Söhne 1815 start at around 24,000 USD. This level of investment will get you an unworn example of the variant with the reference number 235.032. The white gold Homage to Walter Lange (ref. 297.026) with jumping center seconds and start/stop function changes hands on Chrono24 for roughly 54,000 USD.

When major complications such as a tourbillon are involved, you should expect prices well above 110,00 USD, as is the case with the ref. 730.032. The rare Tourbograph Perpetual Pour le Mérite (ref. 706.025) features a perpetual calendar in addition to a tourbillon. This model demands an investment of approximately 558,000 USD.

The Grand Complication ref. 912.032 occupies the top price position. This particularly rare timepiece has already sold for over 2.2 million USD.

Simple watches with few additional functions are best suited as dress watches. In the 1815 collection, the three-hand model with small seconds is the ideal timepiece for daily business. Models in the current collection come in rose or white gold. Powered by the in-house caliber L051.1 , the watch has a power reserve of 55 hours and a stop-second function for setting the time to the exact second. Also typical are the ruby jewels, set in gold chatons. Blued screws secure the chatons to the three-quarter plate.

Plan on shelling out over 23,000 USD for the ref. 235.0265 in like new condition. The white gold version (ref. 235.026) is slightly more expensive at around 27,900 USD.

The 1815 UP/DOWN adds a useful power reserve indicator to the simple three-hand version. The function is located at the 8 o'clock position and uses a hand to indicate when to wind the watch. In the case of the 1815 UP/DOWN, powered by caliber L051.2, the watch will need winding every 72 hours. The UP and DOWN ("AUF" and "AB") are typical of A. Lange & Söhne watches. The case comes in 18-karat rose or white gold and, at 39 mm, is slightly larger than the standard version. The dial is made of solid silver and the hands are blued.

The rose gold version (ref. 234.032) will set you back about 24,900 USD in mint condition. The white gold ref. 234.026 costs considerably more, with an average price of 37,400 USD.

The 1815 Chronograph was inspired by A. Lange & Söhne's pocket chronographs. As with the historical model, the small seconds and minute counters are slightly offset from the center axis and are located at 8 and 4 o'clock, respectively. A. Lange & Söhne has also equipped the watch with a flyback mechanism. The timepiece is powered by the caliber L951.5, which has a power reserve of 60 hours.

The watch is available in rose or white gold with a silver-white or deep black solid silver dial. Expect to pay between 65,800 and 73,600 USD for this model, depending on the case material and dial color.

Homage to Walter Lange With Stoppable Jumping Seconds

The 1815 Homage to Walter Lange launched in late 2017 also has a stop function. The watch is immediately recognizable as something special, and is dedicated to company boss Walter Lange, who died in 2017. The solid silver dial features blued hour and minute hands and a blued center stop-seconds hand. There is also a small seconds dial at 6 o'clock, the hand of which is also temperature-blued. The special feature of this watch is that the small seconds hand moves at six increments per second, while the stop-seconds hand jumps in precise one-second increments. A pusher at 2 o'clock allows you to start and stop the stopwatch hand – to measure your heart rate, for example.

The 40.5-mm watch is available in yellow, rose, and white gold. The watch will set you back about 54,000 USD in like new condition.

The 1815 Annual Calendar specializes in displaying the correct date, day, and month. A sophisticated gear system enables this timepiece to automatically adjust for the different lengths of the months. The mechanism only needs to be corrected manually once a year, on March 1st. This is made possible by the in-house caliber L051.3. Available in white or rose gold, the 40-mm watch displays the date on two subdials. The displays can be adjusted either separately by means of four recessed correctors, or all at once by means of a pusher at 2 o'clock.

Plan on spending approximately 47,400 USD for an unworn 1815 Annual Calendar in white gold (ref. 238.026). The rose gold version (ref. 238.032) is only slightly more expensive at around 47,900 USD.

1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar

The 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar goes one step further. As its name suggests, this timepiece combines several complications in its 41.9-mm case. The watch features a perpetual calendar with moon phase display and leap year indicator, as well as a split-second chronograph function that allows you to stop the time. The model also features a convenient power reserve indicator. The 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar is powered by the caliber L101.1 with a 42-hour power reserve.

Models are available in either rose gold, yellow gold, or platinum, and all are limited editions. The prices reflect the exclusivity and complex technology of these timepieces. Prices range from around 172,000 USD for the platinum variant to over 212,000 for the gold versions.

The tourbillon is one of the most complex complications in existence. A. Lange & Söhne has mastered this technique and even improved it ever since the company was founded. The 1815 Tourbillon is equipped with the patented Zero-Reset system, which stops the seconds and causes them to jump back to zero when the crown is pulled out. This makes it possible to set the watch to the exact second. A cutaway in the solid silver dial reveals the fascinating mechanics of the caliber L102.1 inside, providing a beautiful contrast to the otherwise understated design of this three-hand watch.

The rose gold model (ref. 730.032) represents the entry-level price point. You can expect to pay around 141,000 USD for an unworn example. If you'd prefer the platinum ref. 730.025, the price climbs to around 192,000 USD.

A. Lange & Söhne has combined five major complications in the Tourbograph Perpetual Pour le Mérite. Along with a tourbillon, these include a perpetual calendar, moon-phase display, and a split-second chronograph function. At 43 mm, this platinum watch is slightly larger than other models in the collection. Limited to only 50 pieces, the watch changes hands for roughly 535,000 USD, making it significantly more expensive than other 1815 models.

The 1815 Grand Complication should also not be left unmentioned. With its perpetual calendar, large and small sonnerie, rattrapante chronograph, sweep seconds, and moon phase display, the 1815 Grand Complication is the most complicated timepiece in the Glashütte-based luxury watch manufacturer's catalog. It takes the company's finest watchmakers an entire year to complete production on one of these watches, which is why only a total of six are produced each year.

The 50 mm timepiece is therefore extremely rare, and the price for one quickly exceeds 2.2 million USD.

What does "1815" stand for?

The model name "1815" commemorates the year in which Ferdinand Adolph Lange, the founder of the brand, was born. With the establishment of his workshop in 1845, he laid the foundation for the watch industry in Glashütte, Germany.

What are the case and dial of the 1815 made of?

A. Lange & Söhne uses only the precious metals rose gold, yellow gold, white gold, and platinum for the cases in its 1815 collection. The dials are made of solid silver and are given their different colors through various galvanic processes.

Are there limited editions of the 1815, and what makes them special?

The A. Lange & Söhne 1815 is available in a number of limited editions, each of which is characterized by outstanding craftsmanship and exclusive details. These models often feature elaborate finishes and complications such as a tourbillon or perpetual calendar.