A. Lange & Söhne has been a sponsor of the Concorso de Eleganza Villa d’Este for 15 years now, but this year marks the first time a limited edition is debuting at the event: the Cabaret Tourbillon Honeygold.

Staged annually on the shores of Lake Como, the classic car show has historically awarded a unique Lange watch to the “Best of Show” winner. This year’s winner will once again receive a watch with an engraved hunter case back, but for everyone these there is the new Cabaret Tourbillon, a limited edition of 50 pieces that is the most appealing iteration of Lange’s most unusual, and least popular, wristwatch with a tourbillon.

Initial thoughts

The Cabaret Tourbillon is probably the least popular Lange tourbillon due to its shape and size; the original version was also relatively plain in terms of appearance. The new limited edition, however, looks and feels entirely different.

Thought the dimensions are the same, it looks like a whole new watch with the Honeygold dial. The relief elements on the frosted surface give the dial a subtle depth, while the colour contrasts well with the case. Though this is not a Handwerkskunst edition, the dial gives it a special something.

Ordinarily, a modest cosmetic makeover like this would be uninteresting, but here the gentle redesign elevates a watch that previously felt a little flat into something more inspired. I only wish Lange had given the movement a little extra decoration to set it apart from the standard calibre.

As for the price, this costs what a complicated Lange limited edition costs today. But compared to many other six-figure watches on the market, Lange usually offers a higher level of execution at every price level. Overall this Cabaret Tourbillon scores high in every respect, including tactile appeal.

Form and function

When Lange launched the Cabaret Tourbillon in 2008 it was a pretty big deal. Not only did it contain a built-from-the-ground-up form movement, the watch also featured a hacking tourbillon – pull the crown and the tourbillon stops for more precise time setting.

But the launch version had a formal silver dial, with either a rose gold or platinum case that was quite chunky, even for the tastes of that period. And so the Cabaret Tourbillon languished as a little-liked model in the catalogue.

Fast forward to 2021 and Lange revived the model as the Cabaret Tourbillon Handwerkskunst. By then the brand itself was desirable enough that the 30-piece run sold out quickly.

Now Lange is once again dressing up the model as a limited edition, and once again this Honeygold limited edition is much more appealing than the original.

Now one of Lange’s signature offerings, Honeygold is a cross between rose and white gold. It is exclusive to Lange in watchmaking, and is a little harder than conventional 18k alloys. In fact, the warmer colour of the Honeygold might even give it an edge over the Handwerkskunst version, which is much fancier but more severe looking.

This Cabaret Tourbillon is Honeygold not only with the case, but also the dial. Instead of the typical silver, the dial is 18k Honeygold that’s engraved, frosted, and then plated with black rhodium. This results in a dark grey finish with contrasting relief elements.

Aesthetically, this is essentially a follow up to the Tourbograph Perpetual Honeygold “Homage to F.A. Lange” of 2020 that had a similar dial. But that dial was extremely busy due to the complications, while the Cabaret dial is clean, making the relief elements more prominent.

The rest of the watch is identical to earlier models. The case has the same dimensions, but is in 18k Honeygold. This makes it quite large – the case measures 29.5 mm by 39.2 mm – and not suited for smaller wrists. It is, however, slim at 10.3 mm high. The size is not merely vanity, as the movement is correspondingly large.

The L042.1 movement inside is also unchanged. Technically, the L042.1 is impressive in both construction and functions. To start with, it is a form movement – the outline is rectangular and a perfect fit for the case.

And the tourbillon isn’t an ordinary one, but includes the hacking function that was a world-first at launch. The mechanism was patented by Lange and later improved to include a zero-reset seconds as well. Since then other brands have rolled out their own versions of the concept, but as usual Lange’s execution is top class in terms of construction and finishing.

The decoration of the movement is also conventional, which is the only shortcoming of the watch. The decoration is top quality, as is the case for every Lange movement, but it is identical to that in the standard model. A little twist to the décor would have made this more interesting; for instance, the Tourbograph Perpetual Honeygold of 2020 had a frosted finish specific to those anniversary editions.

That said, the movement is still exceptionally good. One of the highlights is the black-polished tourbillon bridge, which features a triangular profile. Rounded bridges are arguably more labour intensive, but also more common. Together with the diamond endstones front and back, the tourbillon architecture rewards close attention.

Key facts and price

A. Lange & Söhne Cabaret Tourbillon Honeygold
Ref. 703.050

Size: 39.2 mm by 29.5 mm
Height: 10.3 mm
Material: 18k Honeygold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: L042.1
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, power reserve indicator, date, and tourbillon
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Winding: Hand-wind
Power reserve: 120 hours

Strap: Alligator with Honeygold pin buckle

Limited edition: 50 pieces
Availability: At boutiques only
Price: On request

For more, visit Alange-soehne.com.