Manufacturer: A. Lange & Söhne
Year: 2014
Reference No: 704.048
Movement No: 109’932
Case No: No. 16/20; 200’116
Model Name: Lange 1 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst
Material: Platinum
Calibre: Manual, cal. L961.3, 51 jewels (49 rubies & 2 diamonds)
Bracelet/Strap: Alligator
Clasp/Buckle: Platinum
Dimensions: 38.5mm Diameter
Signed: Case, dial, movement, and buckle signed.
Accessories: Accompanied by A. Lange & Söhne guarantee booklet dated January 23rd 2015, setting pin, instruction manual, leather folio, plastic seal, additional strap, fitted and numbered presentation box, and outer box.
Catalogue Essay
If you have a passing familiarity with the “Handwerkskunst” series by A. Lange & Söhne, you may wonder why this particular Lange 1 Tourbillon bears that rarified title. The Lange Handswerksunst watches, literally meaning “craftsmanship” in German, typically display a level of adornment and worksmanship unseen in their regular production counterparts. They all share a few common characteristics. First and foremost, Handwerkskunst pieces are all assembled by one single master watchmaker, and the assembly time is increased compared to normal Lange timepieces. All lettering on the movement is hand-engraved, and not only is the movement more elaborately engraved, but the caseback ring is wider to allow for more engraving. Examples are easily identifiable due to the delicate tremblage engraving technique, giving a “frosted” finish, sometimes combined with a floral relief engraving.

This spectacular Lange 1 Tourbillon Handwerskunst bears no such elaborate dial decoration. Rather, the exposed tourbillon cock, splendid with its black polishing, swims in an inky enamel darkness, a hand-fired enamel dial made in-house by the artisans at A. Lange & Söhne, rather than outsourcing to a Swiss dial maker. According to Lange themselves, for every one dial that made it to production, twelve had to be rejected. The dials were painted, fired, and then painted again in the traditional enamelling method, on the white gold base where the dial text and basic structure is visible. The three-quarter plate made of German silver is additionally skeletonized to reveal the movement barrels, and exquisitely and lavishly hand decorated.

Released in 2014 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Lange 1, the present example is replete with its original accessories and numbered 16 of 20. Consigned by the original owner and fresh to market in crisp overall condition, it’s an exceptional example of Teutonic watchmaking mastery and hardly ever seen on the secondary market.
Artist Biography
A. Lange & Söhne
German • 1845
Originally founded in 1845 by Ferdinand Adolph Lange in Glashütte, Dresden, Germany, the firm established an entire watchmaking culture and industry in Glashütte. The brand quickly became Germany's finest watchmaker, first creating dependable, easy-to-repair watches before going on to produce some of the world's finest complicated pocket watches, including Grande Sonnerie watches, tourbillon watches and Grande Complications.
On the final day of World War II, their factories were destroyed by Russian bombers, and in 1948 the brand was confiscated by the Soviet Union. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1990, Ferdinand's great grandson Walter Lange re-established the brand with the objective to once again produce top-quality luxury watches. Now part of the Richemont Group, its original vintage and modern creations are highly coveted by collectors. Key models from the modern era include the Lange 1, Pour Le Mérite Tourbillon and the Zeitwerk.
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