A. Lange & Söhne crowns the 25th anniversary year of its first chronograph calibre with a unique DATOGRAPH UP/DOWN timepiece that will be auctioned in November by the renowned auctioneer Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo in Geneva. The proceeds of A. Lange & Söhne DATOGRAPH UP/DOWN “Hampton Court Edition”, in 750 white gold with a grey dial and engraved hinged cuvette, will go to the British charity The Prince’s Trust and can be admired during the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace 2024.
An exclusive combination
In this year that commemorates the 25th anniversary of the DATOGRAPH, a unique timepiece crafted especially for this occasion merits considerable attention. For the first time, the DATOGRAPH UP/DOWN “Hampton Court Edition” unites a 750 white-gold case, a grey dial with black subsidiary dials and an engraved hinged cuvette. The exceptional combination of colours emphasises the harmonious dial configuration, whilst the luminous gold hands for hours and minutes perfectly match the case material and contrast crisply against the grey background ‒ as does the red chrono seconds hand in the centre, adding a distinctive colour accent.
A. Lange & Söhne DATOGRAPH UP/DOWN “Hampton Court Edition”
Located on the peripheral ring, the tachymeter scale determines average speeds and underscores the historical connection between motorsports and timekeeping, and a white-gold bracelet finishes off the subtle colour concept.
Beneath the engraved hinged cuvette, the manually wound 451-part L951.6 calibre can be admired, elaborately finished and assembled twice. The sapphire-crystal caseback affords a view of precisely orchestrated switching sequences, for example the minute counter mechanism and the column wheel. It also reveals the beauty of the superior degree of finissage and the ingenious composition of aesthetic details, combined with the technical intricacy of the movement. Further elements of this micromechanical work of art include bridges made of untreated German silver, the hand-engraved balance cock with a whiplash precision index adjuster and four screwed gold chatons.
A milestone in short-time measurement
Since its launch in 1999, the A. Lange & Söhne DATOGRAPH has occupied an eminent position in the field of mechanical chronographs. The first Lange chronograph calibre of the new era, that made its debut just five years after the successful launch of the first collection in October 1994, combines a classic column-wheel transmission with a precisely jumping minute counter and a flyback function. In 2012, the technical finesse was further enhanced with the presentation of the DATOGRAPH UP/DOWN, which impresses with an increased power reserve of 60 hours and a power-reserve indicator.
The complexity of the movement contrasts with the lucid configuration of the dial. The subsidiary dials for the small seconds and the precisely jumping minute counter were moved downwards slightly to form an equilateral triangle with the typical Lange outsize date. The axial symmetry assures a superbly balanced dial design and optimum legibility of all functions.
Watchmaking artistry benefiting The Prince’s Trust
In November of this year, the A. Lange & Söhne DATOGRAPH UP/DOWN “Hampton Court Edition” will be auctioned by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo in Geneva, where the entire proceeds will go to The Prince’s Trust, including the auction house’s buyer’s premium. Under the patronage of His Majesty King Charles III, the mission of the UK-based youth charity is to help young people to develop essential life skills, prepare for work and access employment opportunities.
A. Lange & Söhne DATOGRAPH UP/DOWN “Hampton Court Edition”
“When our engineers developed the DATOGRAPH no less than 25 years ago, they created a chronograph that established technical and aesthetic benchmarks with its one-of-a-kind combination of an ingeniously engineered manufacture calibre and a lucidly configured dial,” explains Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid. “The DATOGRAPH UP/DOWN “Hampton Court Edition” provides a fitting conclusion to the anniversary year. It is simultaneously a pleasure and an honour for us that, with this unique timepiece, we are able to support the important work of The Prince’s Trust.”
A. Lange & Söhne DATOGRAPH UP/DOWN “Hampton Court Edition”
Lange manufacture calibre L951.6, 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
Movement dimensions: Diameter: 30.6 millimetres; height: 7.9 millimetres
No. of movement parts: 451
No. of jewels: 46
No. of screwed gold chatons: 4
Escapement: Lever escapement
Oscillation system: Shock-resistant balance with eccentric poising weights; superior-quality balance spring manufactured in-house, frequency of 18,000 semi-oscillations per hour, precision beat adjustment system with lateral setscrew and whiplash spring
Power reserve: 60 hours when fully wound
Functions: Time indicated in hours, minutes, and subsidiary seconds dial with stop seconds; flyback chronograph with precisely jumping minute counter; tachymeter scale; UP/DOWN power-reserve indicator; outsize date
Case
750 white gold, engraved hinged cuvette, exterior with Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace logo, interior with edition engraving “Unique piece”
Case dimensions: Diameter: 41.0 millimetres; height: 14.04 millimetres
Crystal and transparent caseback: Sapphire crystal (Mohs hardness 9)
Operating elements: Crown for winding the watch and setting the time; two chronograph buttons, one button for rapid correction of the outsize date
Dial
925 silver, grey, subsidiary dials black
Hands: Hour and minute hands: 750 white gold, rhodiumed, luminous; subsidiary seconds and minute counter hands: steel, rhodiumed; red chrono seconds hand: aluminium; power-reserve hand: 750 white gold, rhodiumed
Bracelet
750 gold
Buckle: Deployant buckle in 750 gold
About A. Lange & Söhne Dresden watchmaker Ferdinand Adolph Lange laid the foundations for Saxony’s precision watchmaking industry when he established his manufacture in 1845. His precious pocket watches remain highly coveted among collectors all over the world. The company was expropriated after World War II, and the name A. Lange & Söhne nearly vanished. In 1990, Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s great-grandson, Walter Lange, had the courage to relaunch the brand. Today, Lange crafts only a few thousand wristwatches per year, predominantly in gold or platinum. They are equipped exclusively with movements made in-house that are elaborately finished and assembled by hand. With 73 manufacture calibres developed since 1990, A. Lange & Söhne has secured a top-tier position in the world of watchmaking. Its greatest achievements include the LANGE 1, the first regularly produced wristwatch with an outsize date, and the ZEITWERK, with its precisely jumping numerals. Extraordinary complications such as the ZEITWERK MINUTE REPEATER, the DATOGRAPH PERPETUAL TOURBILLON and the TRIPLE SPLIT represent what the manufacture always strives for: to drive the traditional art of watchmaking to ever-new heights. Launched in 2019, the sporty-elegant ODYSSEUS in stainless steel marked the beginning of a new chapter for the manufacture.
