155
A. Lange & Söhne
Ref. 760.026F
Richard Lange Tourbillon Pour le Mérite
A highly sought-after and attractive white gold tourbillon wristwatch with fusée-and-chain transmission and stop seconds mechanism
Full-Cataloguing
- Fusée-and-chain transmission and a one-minute tourbillon
- Featuring a stop-seconds mechanism for precise time-setting and a pivoting hour sub-dial
- Offered with its full set of accessories
The fusée-and-chain transmission is what immediately sets the Richard Lange Tourbillon “Pour le Mérite” apart. Rarely seen in a wristwatch, the system uses a miniature chain and fusée to help compensate for the loss of torque as the mainspring unwinds. It is a traditional solution to a very old problem, executed here on an exceptionally small scale.
The watch also incorporates a one-minute tourbillon, with the rotating cage visible through the opening in the dial. Together, the two mechanisms reflect the technical focus behind the “Pour le Mérite” name, which A. Lange & Söhne reserves for some of its most ambitious movements.
Reference 760.026F is housed in a 41.9mm white gold case and has a particularly clean appearance, with the dial leaving the tourbillon and its surrounding architecture to provide the visual focus. A particularly clever feature is the patented pivoting hour dial, whose hidden segment carrying the Roman numerals VII, IX and X swings instantaneously into the aperture to complete the hour scale between 6 and 12 o’clock, then retracts beneath the main dial when not required, leaving the tourbillon unobstructed.
The hand-wound calibre L072.1 is fitted with 31 jewels and can be stopped through the stop-seconds mechanism, allowing the time to be set with precision. Offered in excellent condition, this present example is a must-have for any serious collection.
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.