Launched in 1999, and widely regarded by collectors as one of the finest timepieces of modern times, the A. Lange & Söhne Datograph dubbed the Dufourgraph takes its moniker from Mr Philippe Dufour who stated the design is one of the best chronograph ever made. Since its re-establishment of the manufacture, A. Lange & Söhne has been creating some of the most impressive timepieces executed to the highest quality. Featuring the newly conceived calibre L951.1 raised the bar for every watchmaker out there, independent, or not, and marked the begging of a new era.

Originally launched in platinum and followed by pink gold a few years later, the present Datograph in yellow gold is as elusive as it is mysterious. It is believed that around 2007 at the SIHH in Geneva, A. Lange and Söhne representatives were wrist testing the Yellowjacket (dubbed as such due to the colour resemblance to a wasp found in Europe and North America) to understand how the market would react. The watch was offered to the public but never took presence in the brand’s catalogue. It is believed that only a small production was ever made in yellow gold until it was discontinued in 2009.

Making its debut in the auction market in PHILLIPS Retrospective Auction, the reference achieved 176,400 CHF in 2020, the Yellow Jacket is surely a rare gem that will garner the attention from collectors of the finest metropolis-like movement ever made. Preserved in excellent overall condition, the present Datograph from circa 2008 belongs not only to the first generation of the model but part of the elusively produced collection.