A. Lange & Söhne presents a new generation of the 1815, now with a much smaller case and a new movement.
A. Lange & Söhne 1815
The new 1815 in white gold and pink gold will be available only at official Lange boutiques. The watches are part of the permanent collection with price available upon request.
Press release details to follow with commentary in italics.
Commentary
When I first saw press photos of the new 1815, I thought, “Oh, that’s a little boring, it’s just a new dial colour”. But the new 1815 is much more than just it’s blue dial, as I came to find out after actually reading the technical specifications. This is why one should not judge a watch by its press photos. But I digress.
For the past decade or so, the 1815 have come in cases measuring an agreeable 38.5 mm. At 38.5 mm, everyone’s sort of happy as it sits close enough to – though not quite at – the ideal sizes of a modern and classical dress watch. This new generation of 1815 leverages the recent trend of downsizing and comes in at a truly classical 34 mm case. Shaving 4.5 mm off of an already small-ish case is a bold move that risks alienating those who prefer contemporary sizes. But this brings the 1815 ever closer to old-school dress watch proportions, something the purists among us will surely appreciate. Personally, I am all for this shift towards tradition, discretion and elegance. But perhaps next time, the brand could introduce a variation with a dial colour that is more congruent with the conservative sizing.
The icing on the cake for this new iteration of the 1815 is that it features a brand new movement with a new going train and increased power reserve. The old Calibre L051.1 that powered the third generation of 1815s up until this year was threatening to become outdated. The introduction of a new calibre was, therefore, a long time coming. The Calibre L152.1 helps keep the 1815 model relevant and is a welcome sight.
Release Details
Perfection of form
It was Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s vision to craft pocket watches that are a harmonious fusion of precision, functionality and elegance. The new 1815 follows this tradition; it comes in a 750 pink- or white-gold version whose case proportions exhibit graceful unpretentiousness. Its diameter of 34 millimetres and a height of only 6.4 millimetres comply with the wish of many watch aficionados for an even more discreet version of this classic three-hand watch. Its elegant appearance as well its remarkable wearing comfort make the 1815 the ideal companion for a business day.
The slender, slightly tiered bezel frames the dial that was designed with attention to detail. The railway-track minute scale, Arabic numerals and the subsidiary seconds dial positioned at 6 o’clock are reminiscent of earlier Lange pocket watches. The lancet-shaped hands that rotate above a blue background match the case and emphasize the classic character of the 1815.
The white-gold model features a blue leather strap, and the pink-gold version comes with a reddish-brown strap. The high artisanal quality can also be admired in the polished prong buckle in white or pink gold.
The 75th manufacture calibre
The aesthetics of the newly developed manufacture calibre L152.1 are typified by characteristic design forms and traditional movement decorations that can be admired through the sapphire crystal caseback. They include, in particular, the hand-engraved balance cock and the threequarter plate which was introduced in 1864 by Ferdinand Adolph Lange in Glashütte. The prominent movement part is decorated with Glashütte ribbing. The four screwed gold chatons, the bearing jewels and the securing thermally blued screws provide colourful accents.
The manually wound movement of the new 1815 is the 75th calibre since the re-establishment of the manufacture. In addition, a new oscillation system with a freely oscillating balance spring and a large screw balance crafted in-house assure supreme precision across the entire power reserve of 72 hours.
“The challenge with the new 1815 was to make the proportions of the timepiece even more elegant, yet at the same time, maintain its simplicity and functionality,” explains Anthony de Haas, Director of Product Development. “And despite the discreet case diameter, our watchmakers additionally succeeded in increasing the power reserve to 72 hours and incorporating a new going train.”
Technical Specifications
Movement: Lange manufacture calibre L152.1, manually wound, crafted to the most exacting Lange quality standards, 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: 171
No. of jewels: 21
No. of screwed gold chatons: 4
Escapement: Lever escapement
Oscillation system: Shock-resistant screw balance; superior-quality balance spring manufactured in-house, frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour, precision beat adjustment system with lateral
setscrew and whiplash spring
Power reserve: 72 hours when fully wound
Functions: Time indicated in hours and minutes, subsidiary seconds dial with stop seconds
Operating elements: Crown for winding the watch and setting the time
Movement dimensions: Diameter: 28.1 millimetres; height: 2.9 millimetres
Crystal and transparent caseback: Sapphire crystal (Mohs hardness 9)
References: 220.028 220.037
Case: 750 white gold 750 pink gold
Case dimensions: Diameter: 34.0 millimetres; height: 6.4 millimetres
Dial: 925 silver, blue
Hands: 750 gold
Strap: Hand-stitched alligator leather, blue Hand-stitched alligator leather, reddish-brown
Buckle: Prong buckle in 750 white gold Prong buckle in 750 pink gold
