A. Lange & Söhne

Alex25
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1815 Chronograph or the Grail

Hello dear friends!

Several days ago I got a message from the AD. It contained a picture of A.Lange und Söhne 1815 Chronograph in RG. Should I mention I forgot about other watches the moment I got it and wired a prepayment within two hours?

I suppose it is one of the best watches ever made. For me it is a Grail.



Why do I love it so much?

1. Great movement finishing and a sapphire case back for admiration.
2. The movement is robust (no known flaws plus produced for a long time) and it is not modular.
3. No unnecessary complications: date, tourbillon, etc.
4. Price is fair.
5. Quite thin considering complex movement structure.
6. The watch retains a significant part of its value on the market.
7. A watch could be worn on a everyday basis and is comfortable.
8. Waterproof and robust case structure.
9. Official ALS service centers are located throughout the world. The company is likely to exist in 20+ years.
10. It feels that every aspect of this watch is thought out and executed with passion.

The are no major downsides. The dial might be quite simple but it works fine for me. Case metal is RG that is not my favorite type of metal however I shall admit it looks refined. Maybe WG version could be better.

As far as I've read on this forum cal l951.1 is praised by Philippe Dufour who has a Datograph. If I understand it right chronograph and datograph share the same movement except for the date module.

Cal l951.1 is so well finished that its competition looks far-far behind. It features: cotes de Geneve all over the bridge, multiple gold chatons for rubies, blued screws, inward and outward angles, anglage, straight polishing, black polishing and much more.

The part under the balance is the only part left unfinished (or prove me wrong).

As for me 1815 chronograph has the best looking and finished movement that can be found in manual chronographs regardless of price. What is more - I seriously consider this watch to be among the best if not the best in this price range.

1815 chronograph presents unique emotions and is a beautiful example of understatement: looks simple on the dial side and magnificent inside.

In the end I ask myself what watch would I like to have next? And I do not know as timepieces with better moment finishes and no unnecessary complications are only made by selected few independents.

Best,
Alexey