1815 Rattrapante

1815 Rattrapante — 425.025

A. Lange & Söhne's first take at rattrapante goes back to 2004. Then again, as you would expect from Lange, it was something else entirely. The Double Split brought a new dimension to split-seconds chronographs. The first stand-alone rattrapante arrived with Tourbograph Pour le Mérite in 2005 — along with tourbillon and fusée-and-chain mechanism, of course. Then it took A. Lange & Söhne 15 years to deliver a classic rattrapante piece, and in my opinion, they have done it in extreme style.

1815 Rattrapante was introduced in 2020 within the 175th Anniversary celebrations. In honeygold case, with gilt dial, it was just magnificent. To this day, I think it is one of the most beautiful pieces Lange has ever made. With a 100-piece limitation, it was gone immediately, as deserved. Then about two years later, the platinum 1815 Rattrapante with the classic silver dial and blued hands took its place. The dial was borrowed from early 20th-century split-seconds A. Lange & Söhne pocket watches, with vertical registers, beautiful Arabic numerals, and a railway minute track. One hand in blued steel, the rattrapante hand in white gold — the austerity of the dial is a stark contrast to what is at the back.

The caliber L101.2 borrows itself from the base of the Tourbograph from 2005. It is a classic two-column-wheel split-seconds movement with a magnificent dance of German silver and stainless steel and a variety of finishing techniques. The pushers are, as you would expect from Lange, smooth but responsive. The 1815 Rattrapante measures 41.2 × 12.6 mm, and sits lovely on the wrist. This example is like new, with original box, papers, and deployant buckle.