A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Flyback Chronograph 401.031

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A. LANGE & SOHNE 1815 CHRONOGRAPH 401.031
Pink Gold | Black silver dial

Origin

Ferdinand Adolph Lange founded A. Lange & Söhne in 1845 in Glashütte, establishing a fine watchmaking culture in the small German village and challenging the status of its Swiss contenders ever since. Although the history of the brand has not been without endeavour: the company’s main manufacture was destroyed during a bombing on the last night of war in 1945.

A few years later, in 1948, the brand disappeared during the occupation by the Soviet Union. But the legendary watchmaker’s spirit did not pass on: a mere 40 years later – when Germany celebrated the fall of the Berlin wall – great-grandson Walter Lange re-established the brand as one of the greatest haute horlogerie names, known for the world’s finest complicated pocket watches (including Grande Sonnerie watches, tourbillons and Grande Complications).

Lange & Söhne timepieces are celebrated for their mechanical movements with outstanding functionality and avant-garde precision – all developed, produced and assembled in-house. Most Glashütte-crafted watches feature a gold or platinum case. The brand furthermore stands out in elegant time-only dress watches and complications such as chronographs and perpetual calendars.

In 1996, great-grandson Walter Lange released the A. Lange & Söhne 1815-collection in honour of the founder’s birthday 181 year earlier. We are proud to have one of these watches at hand.

The Watch

This first-generation A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1815 Chronograph 401.031 was introduced in 2004 (and in production until 2008), as part of the tribute-series to the man who established precision watchmaking in Germany, Ferdinand Adolph Lange. It is infused with artisanal perfection hinting to its heritage, a beautiful mix of technical complications and a clean modern aesthetic.

Its design and mechanical functioning further hint to the classic Datograph, with flyback function, a pulsation scale and alpha-style hands, yet without a date window, making the 1815 Chronograph at hand a distinguished dress complication, being also somewhat slimmer. With its 39,5mm diameter, the roughly 11mm thick, 18-carat pink gold polished case with rounded bezel, this chronograph offers a bold masculine appearance – with 20mm lug width, measuring 48,1mm lug to lug – without compromising on elegance.

This is only further enhanced by the black oxidized silver dial with sterling silvered sub-dials (each offering a unique railway-track scale), creating a contrasting design and offering perfect legibility. The dial features 18-carat rose gold luminescent alpha-style hour and minute hands, a counter weighted needle style second hand, small, blued hands for the chronograph 30-minute totalizer (4 o’clock) and seconds register (at 8 o’clock) and is painted white Arabic numeral hour markers – a hallmark for the 1815-series. 

But the most distinctive design element of this delightful timepiece is the peripheral, railway-track minute scale with an outboard pulsation scale for taking pulses in conjunction with the chronograph. The dial furthermore offers a remarkable perception of depth, created by showcasing different levels: the flange, the hour-track and separate sub-dials that are sunk into the dial. Despite having a robust feel, the watch wears comfortably due to its polished curved lugs.

The refined hand-finishing of the German watchmaker is reflected in the vintage inspired pushers, branded crown, signed case, dial and 18-carat pink gold A. Lange & Söhne pin buckle and signed movement.

The Movement

The A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1815 Chronograph 401.031 houses the mechanical L951.0 caliber (the renowned in-house chronograph movement first used in 1999 in the Datograph), beating at a frequency of 18,000 semi-oscillations per hour (3Hz), providing a 36-hour power reserve.

This 34-jewel hand-wound movement (30,6mm) has a straight-line lever escapement, a monometallic balance adjusted to 5 positions, a self-compensating Breguet balance spring, a swan-neck micrometer regulator and an exquisitely hand-engraved balance bridge, beautifully seen through the sapphire open case-back – as are the Glashütte stripes. The flyback mechanism of the movement allows the hands to zero reset for instant new measurements.

Condition

This discontinued and rare A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1815 Chronograph 401.031 timepiece is in mint condition with only light hints of use and has perfect mechanical functioning. It comes with an extract from archive and its original box. 

If you desire to take a closer look at this precious timepiece, don't hesitate to contact us and make an appointment. 

We are based in Ghent, Belgium

VIEWINGS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

Free parking available on site. 
No stock kept on site

Reference 401.031
Movement Manual Wound
Caliber
Calibre L951.0
Dial Black/silver
Size (Case) 39,5 mm
Material (Case) Pink gold
Bracelet Grained grey
Glass Sapphire
Condition Very good
Year Approx 2006
Papers Extract from archive
Box Yes
Warranty 2 years

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