1815 Ratrapante Perpetual Calendar Handwerkskunst, a work of art by A. Lange & Söhne 2026

A. Lange & Söhne has launched the1815 Ratrapante Perpetual Calendar Handwerkskunst, a handcrafted masterpiece, which displays a dial and a hinged cover in white gold enamelled in blue and engravings laboriously decorated using special techniques that manage to combine in a fascinating way this chronograph with a split hand and a perpetual calendar with moon phases.

This is a limited edition of the model that caused a sensation in 2013 at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva for its fantastic association of technique and aesthetics. This Handwerkskunst edition is 20 pieces and shows a particularly careful finish of the mechanism, case and dial. In it1815 Ratrapante Perpetual Calendar HandwerkskunstThe enameling and the engraving come together on the dial. Solid gold has been used as the base of the dark blue enamel on which stars appear in relief as an extension of the phases of the moon.

Its artistic design is completed with Arabic numerals with enamel and rhodium-plated gold hands that indicate time, calendar and power reserve. The moon disc is also enamel-colored, and the four silver auxiliary dials are white gold. Finally, the chronograph hand is made of gold steel to make it stand out especially.

The lunar motifs also appear on the hinged lid that protects the sapphire crystal caseback, where the Moon goddess of ancient mythology can be seen in a trembling and relief engraving along with her characteristic attributes: a fluttering veil, a half-moon headband and a torch with which she illuminates the night. It is a medallion surrounded by a blue enamelled relief of clouds and stars.

Regarding its ambitious technical features, it is worth highlighting the nickel silver running bridge with a fine granular texture surface typical of some mechanisms in historical pocket watches. The trembling and relief engravings on the rattrapante bridges, balance wheel, chronograph and coupling lever, as well as on the cover plates, also follow the Leit Motive of the stars on the dial. Finally, the finishing of the manufacture's caliber L101.1, made up of 631 pieces, is also an example of Lange's high level of quality.

The split-window chronograph is controlled by two column wheels; one for the chronograph, and another for the clearly visible rattrapante mechanism, which is activated by means of a push-button located at 10 o'clock.

The perpetual calendar mechanism faithfully reproduces the different durations of each month over the course of a year and includes all leap years until the year 2100. The indication of the phases of the moon, precisely calculated for 122.6 years, works under the small seconds hand located at 6 o'clock. Its manual winding mechanism has a maximum running time of 42 hours and has a power reserve indication that tells you when it is time to wind the watch.

Este 1815 Ratrapante Perpetual Calendar HandwerkskunstIt comes in a 41.9 millimeter white gold case, and features a folding clasp, also in white gold, and a blue-gray alligator strap.

Features of the 1815 Ratrapante Perpetual Calendar Handwerkskunst

Ref. 421.048FE

Mechanism
Caliber L101.1 from the Lange manufacture, manually wound, manufactured according to the highest Lange quality criteria, decorated and assembled by hand; precisely regulated in five positions; plates and bridges of natural nickel silver; taxiway bridge with granular texture surface; hand-made tremblage engravings on rattrapante bridges, balance wheel, chronograph and coupling lever, as well as on cover plates.

Number of mechanism parts 631

stones 43

Screwed gold settings 4

Exhaustanchor escapement

Oscillation system
Steering wheel with anti-shock screws; self-made balance spring, frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour, precise slope adjustment with lateral adjustment screw and gooseneck spring

power reserve42 hours with all the rope given

Features
Time display with hours, minutes and small seconds with stop seconds hand; split-second chronograph with minute totalizer; perpetual calendar with date, day of the week, month, moon phase and leap year; power reserve indication

Control elements
Crown to wind the watch and set the time; two pushbuttons for the chronograph, one pushbutton to use the rattrapante mechanism; correctors to advance the date, day of the week, month and moon phase

Box dimensions
Diameter: 41.9 millimeters; Height: 15.8 millimeters

Mechanism dimensions
Diameter: 32.6 millimeters; Height: 9.1 millimeters

Caja
White gold; blue enamelled white gold hinged lid with tremblage and embossed engraving

Sphere
Six parts, blue enameled white gold with embossed engraving; silver ring with railway minute track

Needles
Rhodium plated gold; Chronograph hand: gold steel; rattrapante needle: rhodium-plated steel; minute totalizer: blued steel

Glass and transparent background
Sapphire crystal (9 Mohs hardness)

Bracelet
Hand-stitched alligator strap, blue-gray with gray stitching

Buckle
White gold Lange folding buckle

Limited series 20 copies

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