RECENTLY SOLD
704.048F
Lange 1 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst
Year
—
Reference
704.048F
Case Material
Platinum
Case Size
38.5 × 10.2
Movement
L961.3
Dial
Black Champlevé Enamel
Condition
Excellent
Scope
Original box & papers
Notes
Limited to 20 pieces. 3 examples sold at Langepedia.
Price
—
Lange 1 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst — 704.048F
In 1900, A. Lange & Söhne introduced a tourbillon pocket watch featuring a carriage crafted by Fridolin Stübner. Named the Jahrhunderttourbillon (Tourbillon of the Century), pocket watch No. 41000 bore a stunning enamel depiction of Minerva before Paris and earned the special jury prize for the manufacture. Exactly 100 years later, A. Lange & Söhne introduced another tourbillon to mark the millennium—this time in their boldest and best-known canvas: the Lange 1 Tourbillon.
Lange 1 Tourbillon was crafted in numerous combinations. The first editions were introduced in platinum and pink gold, with matching silver dials in 150 and 250 pieces respectively. A Honey Gold version followed in 2010 with another 150 pieces. It was in 2014 that A. Lange & Söhne decided to launch not only the ultimate Lange 1 Tourbillon, but in my humble opinion the ultimate Lange. With its black enamel dial and an incredibly skillfully adorned movement, the Lange 1 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst was born on the 20th Anniversary celebrations of the Lange 1.
The Lange 1 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst is the third piece in the ever-elusive Handwerkskunst Collection, limited to 20 pieces. Its black enamel dial is the first-ever in-house dial made by A. Lange & Söhne. Done in the champlevé technique, it delivers an extraordinary three-dimensionality. The exposed white-gold appliques create a dimple-like surface over the enamel, further enhancing the depth of the dial. The full-black date discs deliver the strong “Darth” look, accompanied by the masterfully black-polished tourbillon bridge at 6 o’clock.
On the back, the Lange 1 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst brings arguably the finest-finished A. Lange & Söhne movement ever made. As with the whole concept where Lange crossed its own boundaries, the caliber L961.3 stands as a testament to that courage. The three-quarter plate is skeletonized to expose the going train. The cuts are adorned with a myriad of inward angles, as if to showcase exactly what the manufacture can do. The off-centre seconds wheel is hand-engraved, as is the tourbillon bridge.
The Lange 1 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst 704.048F is the masterpiece of modern A. Lange & Söhne. It just does not get much better than this.
