A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Flyback Chronograph 401.031

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 as a full set, including box and papers.

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

Reference	401.031
Movement	Manual Wound
Caliber	Calibre L951.0
Dial	Black/silver
Size (Case)	39,5 mm
Material (Case)	Pink gold
Bracelet	Black
Glass	Sapphire
Condition	Very good
Year	2007
Papers	Yes
Box	Yes
Warranty	2 years