In all the paeans to German exactitude, one facet is often ignored. Handicraft, particularly in horology, can be just as awe-inspiring as precision engineering, something A. Lange & Söhne calls to attention with its Handwerkskunst series. These are impressive watches that pay tribute to exceptional craftsmanship and to its role in economic rejuvenation, but the newest model in the series elevates and refines that purpose.

Even by the standards of this top-tier series, the new 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar Handwerkskunst commands attention immediately. The 41.9mm white gold case, enamelled in breathtaking blue with intricate relief engravings, pulls the eye straight to the gold split-seconds chronograph hand, standing out from among the three argenté-coloured hour, minute and second hands on the six-part dial.

Four recessed sub-dials sit on the bed of enamel just underneath, at the centre of the watch face. Above six o’clock sits a moonphase and running seconds function, and above that, a 30-minute totaliser that also serves as a power reserve indicator. Across the champlevé face, on left and right, a full perpetual calendar tells the date and day of the week at three o’clock, with the month and leap year cycle display on the opposite side. Arabic hour numerals in rhodium-plated white gold sit flush with the enamel and the entire face is encircled with traditional railway-track minute lines.

Silvered stars across the enamel visually extend the moon-phase display, a theme that continues on the obverse, where Luna, an ancient Roman goddess of the night, is meticulously depicted with crescent coronet, characteristic flowing veil and torch on a half-hunter case with a mix of relief and tremblage engraving. A ring of enamelled blue clouds and stars encompass the icon.

The hinged cuvette cover swings open at the top onto a sapphire crystal caseback that showcases the complicated movement at the heart of the 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar Handwerkskunst. A manually wound calibre L101.1 with a power reserve of 42 hours drives this gentle giant.

There are a total of 43 jewels and four screwed gold chatons — a nod to the house’s history.

Handwork shines through here, too, with a tribute to watchmaking tradition: the German-silver train bridge is finished with a granular texture inspired by the movements of historic pocket watches, while relief and tremblage engravings on the operating-lever, cover and chronograph bridges, as well as on the rattrapante and balance cocks, while a with a collection of stars and blued screws continue the thematic motif.

Two column wheels control the split-seconds chronograph, allowing it to measure lap times and consecutive times — one for the chronograph, the other for the readily visible rattrapante mechanism, which is activated by a pusher at 10 o’clock.

The case stands 15.8mm high and is mounted onto a strap of blue-grey hand-stitched alligator leather with a white-gold deployant buckle.

The 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar Handwerkskunst is the first Lange watch to unite enamel art and engraving on its dial; as an engineering marvel, it achieves the rare feat of combining a split-seconds chronograph and a perpetual calendar with a moon-phase display. As such, it’s fitting that only 20 pieces will ever be made.

alange-soehne.com