A. Lange & Söhne crowns the 25th anniversary year of its trailblazing chronograph with a unique DATOGRAPH UP/DOWN timepiece. It can be admired during the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace 2024 and will be auctioned on 9 November in Geneva by the renowned auctioneer Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo. The proceeds will go to the British charity The Prince’s Trust.
An exclusive combination
For the first time, the DATOGRAPH UP/DOWN “Hampton Court Edition” unites a 750 white-gold case, a grey dial with black subsidiary dials and an engraved hinged cuvette.
The exceptional combination of colours emphasises the harmonious dial configuration. The luminous gold hands for hours and minutes perfectly match the case material and contrast crisply against the grey background ‒ as does the red chrono seconds hand in the centre, adding a distinctive colour accent.
Located on the peripheral ring, the tachymeter scale determines average speeds and underscores the historical connection between motorsports and timekeeping. A white-gold bracelet finishes off the subtle colour concept.
Beneath the engraved hinged cuvette, the manually wound 451-part L951.6 calibre can be admired, elaborately finished and assembled twice. The sapphire-crystal caseback affords a view of precisely orchestrated switching sequences. It also reveals the beauty of the superior degree of finissage and the ingenious composition of aesthetic details, combined with the technical intricacy of the movement.
Further elements of this micromechanical work of art include bridges made of untreated German silver, the hand-engraved balance cock with a whiplash precision index adjuster and four screwed gold chatons.
Watchmaking artistry for a charitable cause
The entire proceeds of the auction, including the buyer’s premium charged by the auctioneer, will go to The Prince’s Trust. The mission of the UK-based youth charity under the patronage of His Majesty King Charles III is to help young people develop essential life skills, prepare for work and access employment opportunities.
“When our engineers developed the DATOGRAPH no less than 25 years ago, they created a chronograph that established technical and aesthetic benchmarks with its one-of-a-kind combination of an ingeniously engineered manufacture calibre and a lucidly configured dial,” explains Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid. “The DATOGRAPH UP/DOWN “Hampton Court Edition” provides a fitting conclusion to the anniversary year. It is simultaneously a pleasure and an honour for us that, with this unique timepiece, we are able to support the important work of The Prince’s Trust.”
Joining hands for charity
Further information on the auction and The Prince’s Trust can be found on:
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