A. Lange & Söhne Ref 702.025F “Tourbograph Pour le Mérite” (Auction)

A. Lange & Söhne Ref 702.025F “Tourbograph Pour le Mérite” – A brief bit of history. A. Lange & Söhne was first established in 1845 by Adolph Lange in Glasshütte. The firm established itself as makers of distinctive and fine timepieces – its pocket watches were prized by European gentry. Following the Second World War, the Lange factory was seized by what was then East Germany. Walter Lange, the company’s heir fled. It was only after the German reunification in 1990, that the founder’s great-grandson, Walter Lange, began reviving the company. With funding from LMH, the newly reformed company set out to restore its fine watchmaking tradition. The company was sold to the luxury conglomerate Richemont in July 2000. Although its watch parts may be cut with exceptional precision by the most advanced computer-aided machine tools, they are still finished, decorated and engraved by the skilled hands of some of the world’s finest watchmakers.

Now, this A. Lange & Söhne Ref 702.025F No 35/51 “Tourbograph Pour le Mérite” split-seconds chronograph with one-minute tourbillon regulator in platinum is quite rare. Why you may ask? Well, this Tourbograph “Pour le Merite” features the world’s first combination of sought after complications. It has a one minute tourbillon, a fusée and chain escapement and a rattrapante chronograph. All encased in a very simple looking but mechanically complicated package.  This particular ALS was made in platinum with a visible tourbillon regulator, a 36-hour power reserve and a platinum A. Lange & Söhne deployant clasp. This gorgeous timepiece was made in a limited run of 51 in 2007 and this is No. 35 (hence the rare part).

This beautiful A. Lange & Söhne “Tourbograph Pour le Mérite” is now up for auction, at an estimated HKD 1,800,000-2,800,000 on Antiquorum (Lot 150). It will be very interesting to see how much it actually fetches, as this will in all honesty be a bargain considering the original RRP, however, I’m sure it will collect more than the estimated. Check out Antiquorum site to see the listing and auction date.