Representing one of the most sophisticated high complications in the horological world, the rattrapante is a chronograph movement that has an additional seconds hand for the chronograph function. When the pusher at 2 o’clock is depressed, both hands are activated, however, the additional seconds hand has the ability to be stopped independently and then reactivated to catch up to the hand that hasn’t stopped moving. The function enables wearers to record multiple time intervals that commence simultaneously but don’t end together, such as lap times.
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First launched in 2020, the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Rattrapante was released in a limited run of 100 pieces, with a black dial and Honeygold — the brand’s proprietary pale yellow gold — case. Now, the German luxury watch manufacturer has reissued the 1815 Rattrapante, clad in a 41.2mm platinum case in a limited edition run of 200 pieces.
A white dial allows the blued hands to stand out, ensuring legibility. A railway track around the periphery and Arabic numerals speak to the old-school watchmaking A. Lange & Söhne is known for. Eschewing tradition, the 30-minute counter and sub-seconds dial are placed at 12 and 6 o’clock, respectively, rather than the conventional positions of 3 and 9 o’clock.
At the heart of the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Rattrapante is the in-house manufacture movement calibre L101.2. A movement so beautiful you could very well flip the case over and sport it movement-side up, the calibre L101.2 is — thankfully — visible through the sapphire crystal caseback. When fully wound, the movement delivers a power reserve of 58 hours.
Like all movements by the German watch manufacturer, the 365-part manually-wound calibre is well decorated, with hand-engraved Glashütte stripes on the bridges, which are crafted from untreated German silver, as well as the signature hand-engraved scrolling on the balance cock. Screwed gold chatons secure both the jewels and balance cock, while a combination of polished and straight-grained metal adds a striking finish.
The A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Rattrapante is available on request in a limited run of 200 pieces.
Words by John Deckard
