SIHH 2010: A. Lange & Sohne 1815 Moonphase (Ref. 212.050)

Presented in Lange’s exclusive “honey gold” (an especially hard to scratch 18-carat gold alloy that sports a Vickers hardness of 300 to 320HV,) the new A. Lange & Sohne 1815 Moonphase hand-wound wrist watch features a moon-phase complication, which is not only beautiful, but is also so accurate it takes whole 1058 years for the watch to miss a day from the lunar month.

Among the other models that were presented last week by A. Lange & Sohne, there is also a small group of limited edition watches that stand out from the line with their intricately decorated movements, guilloched dials and amber-colored gold cases that are both pleasant to look at and harder to scratch.

These are A. Lange & Sohne Lange 1 Tourbillon with stop seconds, A. Lange & Sohne Tourbograph Pour le Merite and the A. Lange & Sohne 1815 Moonphase model.

Let us start with the most affordable hand-wound watch featuring a moon-phase complication (we’ll get to the more expensive members of the family later.)

The watch comes equipped with the Lange L943.2 hand-wound caliber, which, as usual, is made totally in-house, precision-adjusted in five positions and decorated by hand so thoroughly and tastefully, that it probably makes such established Swiss watchmakers as, say, Breguet wanting to eat its own heart out.

The movement’s three-quarter plate is made of German silver with sunburst pattern and its balance cock is made in the same amber-colored as the case and is also decorated by hand.

The watch features a perfect dial layout where the moon-phase display balances the small second hand counter, while the two are visually united with the engine-turned guilloche pattern. Large Arabic numerals and heat-blued hour and minute hands provide for contrasting, highly-legible dial layout.

The watch will be produced in a limited lot of only 265 pieces.

Photos: A. Lange & Sohne

A. Lange & Sohne 1815 Moonphase (Ref. 212.050) watch specification

Price range: $25,000
Movement: Lange L943.2, hand-wound, 220 parts, 26 jewels, 21,600 vph, in-house, 3.9 mm high, 37.4 mm in diameter
Complications: Moonphase, stop seconds
Power reserve: 45 hours
Case material: Honey-colored gold
Bezel material: Honey-colored gold
Case shape: Round
Transparent case back: Yes, sapphire crystal caseback
Case size: 37.4 mm
Case height: 8.9 mm
Dial: Solid silver
Numerals: Arabic
Hands: Blued steel
Strap: Hand-stitched, red-brown crocodile strap, Lange prong buckle in solid gold
Crystal: Sapphire, anti-reflection coated
Water resistance: N/A