SIHH 2013..

German-watchmaker A. Lange & Sohne has a superb and sophisticated collection this year.  There are some line extensions, but also some incredible — and I mean incredible — high complications.  Believe it or not, the 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar is NOT the most complicated piece from Lange this year.  But it as good a place as any to start.  This piece which so elegantly unites two classic complications (split-seconds and perpetual calendar), is offered in both platinum case and pink gold case. The “1815″ is a reference to the birth year of Ferdinand A. Lange. I’ve got super high-res images and specs, on the jump — including a close look at the Lange Caliber L101.1

A. Lange 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar

(Ref. 421.025 platinum, Ref 421.032 pink gold)

41.9 mm case (14.7 mm thick) in platinum or pink gold

Functions:
Hours and minutes. Subsidiary seconds dial with stop seconds. Rattrapante chronograph with minute counter. Perpetual calendar with date, day-of-week, month, and leap-year display. Moon-phase display. UP/DOWN power-reserve indicator, 42 hours power reserve.

The design of the watch showcases several traditional details, such as the classic Arabic numerals, the railway-track minute scale, and the symmetrical arrangement of the subsidiary dials.

Lange Caliber L101.1

32.6mm x 9.1mm, 631 parts, lever escapement, 42 hr power reserve, Shock-resistant screw balance, superior-quality balance spring manufactured in-house, frequency 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour, precision beat adjustment system with lateral setscrew and whiplash spring

In implementing the chronograph and rattrapante functions, the perpetual calendar and the power-reserve indicator, Lange’s master watchmakers made a point of using traditional elements as once integrated in A. Lange & Söhne’s historic pocket watches.

The surface of the tiny rattrapante split-seconds clamp alone is adorned with three different techniques: straight graining, circumferential polish as well as chamfer polish.