A. Lange & Söhne Moon Phase Complications
Complications

A. Lange & Söhne Moon Phase Complications

By Kong · Jun 4, 2013 · 8 replies
Kong
WPS member · A. Lange & Söhne forum
8 replies1878 views1 photos
f 𝕏 in 💬 🔗

Kong's post from June 2013 explores the enduring fascination with the moon, particularly its influence on A. Lange & Söhne's watchmaking. The article highlights the brand's commitment to highly accurate moon-phase displays and their historical connection to celestial observation in Dresden. It serves as a compelling look into the intersection of astronomy and precision horology.

8 collectors discussing this on the WatchProSite forumJoin the Conversation →
Glashütte, June 2013 - The moon has always been irresistibly fascinating for people all over the world. So much so that it became the reference for the passage of time and a focus of scientific analysis. In the 18th century, Dresden was not only a centre of precision watchmaking but also a hub of celestial observation and lunar research – of selenography, to be precise, the systematic mapping of the moon's surface. At the Mathematics and Physics Salon in Dresden’s Zwinger, astronomers used telescopes to create detailed maps of its visible topographic features. Today, milestones of lunar research in Saxony are on display in the scientific history collection of the museum that belongs to the Dresden State Art Collections. It reopened not long ago after renovation and is co-sponsored by A. Lange & Söhne.




Ever since the first astronomical clocks were built in the 14th century, it has been a declared objective in horology to emulate the progression of the moon as accurately as  possible. The technical challenge involved in this complication is to ever more accurately approximate the lunar month of 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 3 seconds. With a moon-phase display that needs to be corrected by merely one day every 122.6 years, A. Lange & Söhne has attained a highly realistic degree of accuracy.

Since the brand's legendary comeback in 1994, the manufacture has presented no fewer than twelve calibres with moon-phase displays. Among them are the LANGE 1 MOONPHASE based on Lange's design icon, and the 1815 RATTRAPANTE PERPETUAL CALENDAR, which had its debut this year. The coating of the lunar discs is another noteworthy aspect. Their exceptional brilliance is based on optical interference effects that reflect only the blue portions of the visible light spectrum.

The encounters between timekeeping instruments and the selenographic exhibits in the collection of the Mathematics and Physics Salon emphasise the strong attraction of the moon in two related disciplines: astronomy and precision watchmaking.

1815 RATTRAPANTE PERPETUAL CALENDAR and a lunar globe, Ernst Fischer, Dresden, 1875





It took Ernst Fischer of Dresden eleven years to sculpt the front side of the moon according to photographs and his own observations. The globe is stunning as regards its size and the plasticity with which it renders the plains, craters, and mountains. Because the rotation of the moon is synchronised with that of the earth, it was impossible to map the "dark" side until it was orbited by the Soviet Union's Lunik 3 satellite in 1959. With a splitseconds chronograph, a perpetual calendar, a moonphase display, and a power-reserve indicator, the 1815 RATTRAPANTE PERPETUAL CALENDAR unites more horological complications than the clearly organised dial suggests at first sight.

LANGE 1 MOONPHASE and moon medallion, Eduard Lehr, Archenhold Observatory, Treptow, 1900




The world's longest refractive telescope – 35 metres long – is located in the observatory in Berlin-Treptow. It was established by Friedrich Simon Archenhold and is named after him today. The so-called moon medallions were inspired by his idea. With a ten-fold exaggeration of altitudes, the reliefs present a plastic rendition of themoon's topography. The horological charm of the LANGE 1 MOONPHASE lies in its remarkably accurate and fetchingly realistic display of the waxing and waning moon.

1815 RATTRAPANTE PERPETUAL CALENDARon lunar map, Wilhelm Gotthelf Lohrmann, Leipzig, 1824




Working in Dresden, the astronomer and land measurer Wilhelm Gotthelf Lohrmann systematically observed the surface of the moon and in 1824 published his findings under the title "Topography of the Moon". In 1827, he was appointed chief inspector of the Mathematics and Physics Salon and later, as the director of the newly founded Technical Academy, one of Ferdinand A. Lange's teachers. The recently launched Lange model 1815 RATTRAPANTE PERPETUAL CALENDAR unites the technical fascination of a split-seconds chronograph with the precision of a perpetual calendar.


Press Release





About the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Ref. 1815Rattrapante

The A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar represents a pinnacle of the brand's complicated watchmaking, combining two of horology's most esteemed complications within the classic 1815 collection. This reference integrates a split-seconds chronograph with a perpetual calendar, offering both precision timing and comprehensive calendrical indications in a single, highly refined timepiece. It stands as a testament to Lange's commitment to traditional Saxon watchmaking, emphasizing technical complexity and artisanal finishing.

This particular iteration features a white gold case paired with a solid pink gold dial, often referred to by collectors as 'salmon.' The movement, a manually wound caliber, is characterized by its intricate architecture, including a column-wheel chronograph mechanism and a perpetual calendar module displaying day, date, month, leap year, and moon phase. The case typically measures around 41.9mm in diameter, providing a substantial yet balanced presence on the wrist. The movement is visible through a sapphire case back, showcasing the hand-engraved balance cock and Glashütte ribbing.

For collectors, the 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar is highly sought after due to its technical sophistication, limited production numbers, and the aesthetic appeal of its dial and case material combination. Its blend of a rare complication set with Lange's distinctive design language and meticulous finishing positions it as a significant piece within contemporary high horology, appealing to those who value both mechanical ingenuity and understated elegance.

Specifications

Caliber
L101.1
Case
White gold
Diameter
41.9 mm
Dial
Pink gold (salmon)
Water Resist.
30 meters
Crystal
Sapphire

Key Points from the Discussion

Advertisement
The Discussion
AM
amanico
Jun 4, 2013

Fan of the Rattrapante QP... Strangely as, at the Lange both, I quite loved this watch, but less and less nowadays... Maybe because of its dial? Difficult to say, but the magic has gone, for me. Best, Nicolas

BL
BluNotte
Jun 4, 2013

Thanks KOng for this press release! I'v always been really fascinated with the moon, and this entire dedication to moon phases, romantic and makes me swoon! More than when i see a pretty lady actually! Tschuss Stephen

KO
Kong
Jun 5, 2013

Back to basic, after too much goodies, Vlad? Or, you like me, could not read the dial & subdial? :-p Take a break and go back to it later ... as the song says "Even lovers need a holiday song " kong

KO
Kong
Jun 5, 2013

Wow! Stephen ... got to snap out of it, sometimes :-) Kong

HO
Hororgasm
Jun 9, 2013

It's because it's almost Patek and Vacheron looking!!!! Best, Horo

AK
AK797
Oct 6, 2013

the Lange 1 Moonphase is def on my list.

Advertisement

Continue the conversation

This thread is active on the A. Lange & Söhne forum with 8 replies. Share your knowledge with fellow collectors.

Join the Discussion →