A new beginning of a historical celebration in November of 1989 after the fall of the Berlin wall, a gentlemen named Walter Lange, great grandson of Ferdinand Adolph Lange, joined forces together with Günter Blümlein, managing director of LMH in 1990, and begun the revival story of the century-old Glashütte brand A. Lange & Söhne. With an extraordinary vision inspired by its founding father, every timepiece is developed with commitment, skill and imagination, aimmed to guide the brand to the pinnacle of German precision watchmaking.
On October 24th 1994 at Dresden Castle, Walter Lange, Günter Blümlein and Hartmut Knothe debuted their first collection comprised no less than four watches, and four new calibres: the Lange 1, the Arkade, the Saxonia, and the Tourbillon Pour le Mérite. While the Lange 1 was arguably the most distinctive timepiece by A. Lange & Söhne due to its disruptive design, the Tourbillon Pour le Mérite named after one of Germany’s highest orders of merit, is unquestionably the star of the show and dominates the domain of horological complication. Notably, it was also the very timepiece that were famously worn by its founders during the launch, Walter Lange chose the yellow gold variant numbered 1, and Günter Blümlein with the platinum numbered 1 from the production.
Taking the tourbillon to new heights, the Pour le Mérite was the first wristwatch to feature the most precious fusée-and-chain transmission, a refined constant-force mechanism that was developed together with Renaud & Papi at the time. Used to equalize the mainspring’s power, a fusée and chain was used on all 12 historic Lange tourbillon pocket watches produced by Walter’s ancestors. This complication optimizes the rate accuracy of the watch. The most famous of these twelve tourbillons, the reference 41000 “Jahrhundertourbillon” was exhibited at the Paris World Exhibition in 1900. The Pour Le Mérite Tourbillon is a direct descendent of the 41000, both technically and aesthetically, with the same finely constructed tourbillon carriage. Made in a production of only 200 pieces, the Tourbillon Pour le Mérite was available as follow:
18K yellow gold – 106 examples (Ref. 701.001/ Ref. 751.001)
18K white gold - 20 examples (Ref. 701.007)
18K pink gold – 24 examples (701.011)
Platinum - 50 examples (Ref. 701.005)
Steel - 1 examples
Exceedingly rare and important, the present ref. 701.001 is numbered 49 of the 150 timepieces made in gold. A complete work of art, the Tourbillon Pour le Mérite from circa 1995 of the earliest batch has aged with an attractive patina from oxidation throughout the whole case. Featuring a gorgeous symmetrical two registered dial surrounded by elegant Arabic numerals and railway track, the arched signature draws your eye to the beautiful large tourbillon aperture at 6 o’clock. The diamond capped steel tourbillon bridge contrasts harmoniously with the gold tourbillon carriage. Proudly marked “Made in Germany” to represent fine Saxon watchmaking, the inscription is in a sans serif typeface that are only found on early models from the brand, latter designs were later changed to the serif font Engravers MT that is similar to the brand’s logo.
Powered by the L902.0 caliber, the movement offers a view that is simply jaw dropping. Its architecture with openings showcasing the 636 parts fusée-and-chain transmission, the signature engraved balance cock and the refined and small perlages that can only be found on early models is all reasons why collectors fell in love with this historically significant model. Phillips is proud to present this early A. Lange & Söhne Toubilllon Pour le Mérite for the first time in our auction. Aged uniquely with charming patina and presented in an attractive condition that is accompanied with its guarantee and accessories, the timepiece is with no doubt an innovative design with mechanical inventions that claimed Glashütte as a provenance that represents quality and precision among collectors and enthusiasts of fine watchmaking. Furthermore, the present timepiece was formerly owned by renowned American jazz pianist and composer which was sold at auction in 2006. Throughout his career, Keith Jarrett collaborated with Jazz greats such as Art Blakey, Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. His ‘Köln Concert’ album (1975) has sold around four million copies and became one of the most successful solo recording in jazz history. With great provenance and rarity, the present Tourbillon Pour Le Mérite is definitely a highly collectible timepiece from A. Lange & Söhne.
