1042Σ︎
A. Lange & Söhne
Ref. 401.032
1815 Chronograph, First Generation
A well-preserved, rare and attractive pink gold flyback chronograph wristwatch with silvered dial and pulsations scale
Full-Cataloguing
- First generation pink gold example with silvered dial
- Flyback chronograph allowing instant reset
- Hardly ever surfaced in auction
In 1996 Walter Lange revived A. Lange & Söhne’s pocket‑watch heritage with the 1815 collection, named for Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s birth year. Across its range — from time‑only pieces to complicated models — the family shares defining features drawn from historic observatory and pocket watches: generous case proportions, a railway‑track minute scale and bold Arabic numerals, all hallmarks of traditional Saxon watchmaking.
The present first generation 1815 Chronograph in 18K pink gold is an exemplary expression of Walter Lange’s aims. It pairs classical design language with modern engineering via calibre L951, the maison’s celebrated chronograph movement first introduced in the Datograph (1999). The movement’s flyback function permits an immediate reset and restart for consecutive timing, while the movement finishing and architecture remain exemplary of Lange’s haute horlogerie standards.
While many known examples are ref. 401.031 with black dials, this silvered dial variant harmonises beautifully with the warmth of the pink gold case, yielding a particularly elegant presentation. For collectors, this is a rare chance to acquire a first‑generation 1815 Chronograph from A. Lange & Söhne, a watch that succinctly expresses the brand’s marriage of historic inspiration and modern technical excellence.
A. Lange & Söhne
German | 1845Originally 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.