A. Lange & Sohne Datograph Handwerkskunst

Quick specs A. Lange & Sohne Datograph Handwerkskunst
Price: on request
Size: 41 mm
Reference: 405.048F – limited to 25 pieces

The art of hand-finished creations is shown with this A. Lange & Sohne Datograph Handwerkskunst, 25 years after their first Datograph. The artisanal skills of the German brand can be seen on the dial and the movement, as the details are astonishing.

25 years of the Datograph already leaded to two special 2024 models: the A. Lange & Sohne Datograph Up-Down White Gold and the luminous A. Lange & Sohne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold Lumen. With a new Handwerkskunst, German for “hand-made art”, another chapter is added, now with even more exclusive and elaborate decorations. It’s presented in a 41-millimeter yellow gold case.

Tremblage dial

Tremblage is an engraving technique where small burins are used in a trembling motion, by hand, to apply a balanced or even structure to a surface. Here it is the black-rhodiumed main dial plus the light-grey totalizers of the chronograph with a fine grained surface. The result is a sort of very small 3D structure that can play with different light angles.

With this trembling it is also possible to leave certain areas “untouched”, and that is how the arch brand logo, the minutes and seconds graduations and the tachymeter scale are made. They are carved out. The appliques and Roman numerals are chamfered, and the surfaces are decorated with straight graining, and then placed on the dial by hand.

The A. Lange & Sohne caliber L951.8 is another piece of art

Not only the outside is art, but the inside is also extremely detailed and decorated. The A. Lange & Sohne caliber L951.8 consists of 426 parts, so the decoration options are almost endless. We’ll highlight a few. The surfaces of the chronograph levers are black polished, for a shiny or black appearance, depending on the light.

The bridges on the three-quarter plate from German silver have a granular surface, matching the tremblage of the dial. It’s a decoration inspired by historic pocket watches. Then there is a hand-engraved balance cock with a special filigreed vine pattern, which is relief-engraved. These floral motifs are also a nod to old pocket watches.

The A. Lange & Sohne Datograph Handwerkskunst has a power reserve of 60 hours

As mentioned, the movement of the A. Lange & Sohne Datograph Handwerkskunst is the caliber L951.8, hand-wound with a power reserve of 60 hours. It’s feeding the flyback chronograph as well as the big date, plus small seconds and a 30-minute counter. A top tier movement that, when serviced properly, will last for centuries.

This new Datograph comes on a dark brown hand-stitched alligator leather strap with grey seam. The deployant buckle is yellow gold, and the watch is limited to 25 pieces. The price is on request.