Pre-Owned A.Lange & Sohne 1816 40990413/AS05992

WHY WE LOVE IT

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Born in 1815, Ferdinand Adolph Lange received a rigorous education at the hands of nurses and governesses. At 15 he became a student at the Saxon Technical school in Dresden. Following that, he would pursue training under Johann Christian Friedrich Gutkaes, Sr, royal clockmaker to the King of Saxony.

In 1846 he and his brother-in-law would form A. Lange & Söhne on a loan of 7,820 thalers from the Saxon court. Lange took what he learned at the polytechnic school in Dresden and adapted it to his company. His use of precision tools and instruments like his own invention, the zehntelmaß rudimentary calipers, allowed Lange’s manufacture to attain a level of precision that was heretofore unknown in mass-produced watches. After his death in 1878, his sons Richard and Emil would carry on his legacy.

However, the Soviet occupation of East Germany at the end of the Second World War saw an end to A. Lange & Söhne. But after Reunification in the 1990s, the manufacture would make its triumphant return. At the helm of the company would be another Lange, Ferdinand’s great-grandson Walter.

The model 1815 honors this watchmaking legacy. Simple and elegant, it’s a careful distillation of Saxon watchmaking and design — adorned with just enough decoration to be beautiful, its otherwise minimalist look mixes Bauhaus principles with classical aesthetics. This particular 1815 from roughly 2009 features a 40mm, 18K yellow gold case, a sapphire crystal, a sapphire display back, an 18K signed yellow gold crown and 18K polished bezel, and a signed, black alligator leather strap with a signed 18K yellow gold pin buckle. Its gorgeous satin silver dial features printed black Arabic indices and a subsidiary seconds counter at 6 o’clock, plus a set of matching blued steel lance hands.

But this 1815 wouldn’t be a Lange without an equally stunning, in-house movement — in this case, the manually-wound Caliber L051.1. Visible via the sapphire case back, it’s utterly captivating to behold, and serves as a quick explanation as to Lange’s elevated status in the watch world. In outstanding condition and showing only light wear throughout, this 1815 comes with its inner and outer boxes, books, polishing cloth, and papers dated to 2009.

If you can spend your hard-earned money on art or watches, why not spend it on both?

OVERALL CONDITION

Case is in outstanding condition overall showing only light signs of wear from gentle use. Satin silver dial with applied yellow gold indices is in equally outstanding, as-new condition with matching ‘lance’ handset. Sapphire display caseback. 18K signed crown.