A. Lange & Söhne's Iconic 1815 'Homage to Walter Lange' To Be Auctioned For Charity
The unique 1815 “Homage to Walter Lange” stainless steel edition is finally set to be auctioned in May.
In January, we had reported that German luxury watchmaker, A. Lange & Söhne was adding the new 1815 “Homage to Walter Lange” to their pre-existing 1815 model family—a tribute to their late founder, Walter Lange, whose unfortunate death in January 2017, on the second day of SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerié) Genève, came as a shock to watch fanatics around the world.
The watch formally debuted at SIHH this year. With a complex ticking seconds hand that could be stopped (which is considered to be a precursor of the modern-day chronograph!), the timepiece commemorated the company’s 150-year-old patented innovation by Ferdinand Adolf Lange. Along with the other three variants, we had informed that there was going to be a single fourth variant—a 1815 “Homage to Walter Lange” with a black enamel dial and a steel case, that was slated for auction in 2018, and whose proceeds would go for charity.
A. Lange & Söhne 1815 'Homage to Walter Lange' stainless steel edition.
Well, they have finally divulged the details for this much-awaited auction. The one-of-its-kind black enamel dial 1815 “Homage to Walter Lange” will go under the hammer on May 13th, 2018, in Geneva, conducted by Geneva-based auction house Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo. And going by A. Lange’s auction history of stainless steel pieces, this one too, is sure to rake up an insane amount of money.
The proceeds would go to Children Action Foundation for the welfare of children around the world. But prior to the eventful day, the watch will be presented at six locations internationally for a mini preview tour, where aficionados and collectors can take a closer look at this masterpiece.
Commenting on this exciting occasion, A. Lange’s CEO Wilhelm Schmid engaged in an interview hosted by the respected television and radio presenter Piers Gibbon. Excerpts from their conversation…
A year later (after Walter Lange’s death), you have decided it is time to draw the mourning phase to a close and commemorate his life’s achievements. How did you decide to do that?
After the funeral, we got together and wondered: “How can we make a watch that reflects the intentions and personality of our founder? “It occurred to us that Walter Lange’s biggest wish was for A. Lange & Söhne to design a watch featuring jumping seconds based on a historic patent from 1877. We had always postponed it, and, to be honest, we did not really want to do it. We had already launched the Richard Lange Jumping Seconds, which is technically much more advanced with its constant-force escapement. But as a limited edition and a tribute to Walter Lange, it was the right thing to do.
The stainless-steel model is the pinnacle of this series. Why did you choose stainless steel for this unique piece?
Because at A. Lange & Söhne, stainless steel is the most exotic material. This watch is one-of-a-kind and features a combination of the rarest materials. The number of Lange watches with a stainless-steel case can be counted on one hand. And a three-part enamel dial in black is the highest level of difficulty. On top of that, the watch will be equipped with a proto type movement, which makes it even more exclusive.
There are a lot of very precise numbers. How did you determine how many of each model to release?
The idea was to define figures that are linked to Walter Lange. We are doing 145 watches in white gold, 90 in pink gold and 27 in yellow gold, which was, by the way, Walter Lange’s favourite case material. These unusual numbers are derived from important milestones in the Lange family’s history. Ferdinand Adolph Lange originally established the company on 7 December 1845. It was 145 years later, on 7 December 1990, when Walter Lange registered Lange Uhren GmbH. There were exactly 27 years between this date and 7 December 2017, the day on which the tribute to Walter Lange was unveiled. This is unique in watch-making history. As such, we additionally made one unique piece in stainless steel with a black enamel dial.
What is the idea behind auctioning this watch for charity?
This watch embodies what Walter Lange stood for. The other thing he stood for was humanitarian work. He was always thinking of other people beyond his own company.
Where exactly will the money from the auction go?
The name of the charity organisation we have chosen is Children Action. They will use the money to provide aid to children in need. They have projects in fields such as medical care or psychological support, which are set up and implemented by experts. And there is one more thing: The founder of Children Action, Bernard Sabrier, bears the administrative overhead expenses. So, one hundred percent of the money will go to the aid projects.
Why did you decide to put the watch up for auction as opposed to simply selling it?
An auction is the most efficient and equitable way of establishing the true value of this unique piece.
All images: Courtesy.
Assisted by Dishari Basu.