Hands On: A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Tourbillon Black Enamel
Familiar yet magnificent.
The most recent launch from A. Lange & Söhne was surprising, even while being familiar. The 1815 Tourbillon Black Enamel is, well, an 1815 Tourbillon with a black enamel dial. Nothing about the watch is unexpected, since all the elements have been employed elsewhere.
But the watch is outstanding in quality, as is expected for a Lange, and strikingly and usually beautiful. Moreover, it is priced reasonably well, as such things go.
Initial thoughts
Cosmetic variations of an existing model are rarely great, but the new 1815 Tourbillon manages to be that.
The original 1815 Tourbillon was fundamentally a good watch – well made and functionally designed – but a little plain. The latest variation is outstanding.
It’s just as well made, but the black enamel dial adds oomph. No risks were taken with the aesthetics; it is exactly the same in terms of design, but now in glossy black enamel.
The tourbillon also hacks and includes a zero-reset seconds
Perhaps most unexpected is the price. Many recent Lange releases often felt too expensive, this breaks the habit. At just under US$220,000, the 1815 Tourbillon is priced fairly, maybe even competitively, in its segment.
In this respect, the 1815 Tourbillon reminds me of the Tribute to Celestial, an equally surprisingly well priced watch by Lange’s sister company Vacheron Constantin.
And for the lucky, lucky few, Lange bestowed a baguette diamond bezel on a handful of these tourbillons, which raises the price by only about US$70,000, making these gem-set versions equally well priced.
The movement remains identical to the earlier version of the 1815 Tourbillon, and retains the hand engraved lower cock
Keeping it simple
When it was introduced in 2014, the original 1815 Tourbillon was an entry-level model for Lange. No compromises were made in terms of quality, but it was simpler than other Lange tourbillon models to date, making it the most affordable such watch.
The original has a simple silver dial and the L102.1 inside. Though the L102.1 was simpler than other tourbillon-equipped calibres, it was still a Lange movement, so sophistication and quality were a given.
The latest variation changes nothing but the dial, but transforms the watch. The dial is now black fired enamel and also made in house at Lange’s enamel workshop that has been slowly scaling up.
The dial is an 18k white gold disc that is first engraved by machine to create relief markings. Enamel is then applied by hand around the raised areas, followed by a firing in an oven. This is done a few times to build up the fired enamel.
Then the final step is polishing until the dial is flat and glossy. In fact, the dial is so flat the relief elements are now flush with the surface of the enamel. This enamelling technique is, of course, known as champleve.
This is only the third regular production model with a black enamel dial, after the Lange 1 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst and Minute Repeater Perpetual from earlier this year. The 1815 Tourbillon dial, however, is far simpler than the prior two, which arguably gives the black enamel finish greater impact.
At the same time, Lange’s in-house enamel workshop also seems to have honed its skills in the intervening years, and the 1815 Tourbillon dial appears a little better in quality.
A familiar watch
The rest of the watch is identical to the standard model. The platinum case is a good size, not too big and not too small, at 39.5 mm wide and 11.3 mm high.
But like most Lange watches, it feels hefty and looks a little bigger than it measures. Still, in the realm of high-end Lange models, this is one of the smaller cases.
The movement is the L102.1, a manual-wind calibre with a three-day power reserve. Compared to other Lange tourbillon movements, this might seem no-frills, but the tourbillon is no basic regulator.
It incorporates Lange’s patented hacking function – the brand was the first to devise a stop function for the tourbillon – that relies on a slim lever to touch the balance wheel, thus stopping the tourbillon.
Hacking happens instantaneously when the crown is pulled to set the time. This action also drives the zero-reset seconds where a heart cam swings the seconds hand to the 12 o’clock position.
The purpose of both hacking and zero-reset is for more precise setting of the time, a logical feature in a tourbillon movement, which makes the movement conceptually coherent.
Technical details aside, the tourbillon is beautifully implemented. A frosted and black polished bridge holds it on the front, as is convention for Lange, while the carriage adopts a form found in historical pocket watches. As a result, the carriage is a masterpiece of decoration, with finely shaped arms and lots of careful finishing.
From the back, the view is more stark, but the quality of make equally fine. The landscape is dominated by a three-quarter plate, though two extra-large jewels in gold chatons make it a little more interesting.
Another signature Lange element is the hand-engraved cock, this time in the form of the lower cock for the tourbillon.
This also contains yet another historical reference: a decorative diamond endstone for the tourbillon’s pivot, which was also found in 19th century pocket watches.
Key facts and price
A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Tourbillon with black enamel dial
Ref. 730.094F
Diameter: 39.5 mm
Height: 11.3 mm
Material: Platinum
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m
Movement: L102.1
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, and tourbillon
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Winding: Hand wind
Power reserve: 72 hours
Strap: Alligator with matching folding clasp
Limited edition: 50 pieces
Availability: At A. Lange & Söhne boutiques only
Price: US$217,800
For more, visit alange-soehne.com.
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