The A. Lange & Söhne Cabaret Tourbillon Handwerkskunst harks back to the Cabaret Tourbillon presented in 2008. With this watch, the world’s first tourbillon with stop-seconds made its debut. Now the Saxon manufacture is presenting a Handwerkskunst variant of this model. The watch appears in a rectangular case made of platinum and bears traditional decorations both on the dial and on the movement. However, the Cabaret Tourbillon Handwerkskunst is limited to 30 pieces.
The watch is housed in a rectangular platinum case that measures 39.2 mm in length and 29.5 mm in width. With a height of 10.3 mm, however, the Cabaret remains flat. On the side is the crown, which is used to wind the watch and set the time. A recessed corrector above the crown, on the other hand, advances the date display. On the back , the sapphire crystal not only allows a view of the mechanics, but the manufacture also places the limitation number here. Last but not least, the square bezel on the front rests on the middle section of the case and thus appears as a frame for the refined dial.
The dial of the Cabaret Tourbillon Handwerkskunst is made of solid white gold and presents a hand-engraved lozenge pattern in the centre. This is based on the six diamond-shaped hour indices, which are complemented by Roman numerals. Of course, all appliqués and hands are gold. The dial sports a layer of enamel that lends the front some visual depth. There is furthermore the large date at 12 o’clock, the small seconds and the power reserve indicator. Finally, the tourbillon at 6 o’clock is connected to the dial by a bridge with a black polish finish.
Inside this watch is the Lange manufacture calibre L042.1, which was first used in the original Cabaret from 2008. Now the manufacture is using this movement with special decoration in the Cabaret Tourbillon Handwerkskunst. Indeed, the tourbillon and intermediate wheel cocks bear the diamond pattern of the dial, providing a visual link between the dial and the movement. Of course, the manufacture also uses 45 rubies, seven of which sit in screwed gold chatons. The tourbillon, meanwhile, is mounted between two diamonds.
The calibre has manual winding up to a maximum power reserve of 120 hours, which is provided by two barrels. The movement has 370 parts, 84 of which are used for the tourbillon. The latter also houses the screw balance, which operates at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour. The technical sophistication of the Manufacture is also evident in the tourbillon’s hacking seconds. When the wearer pulls out the crown, a V-shaped spring lowers onto the balance rim, causing the cage to stop instantly. Through this, the time can be set precisely. In fact, this practical invention only made its debut in 2008 with the Cabaret – more than 200 years after the invention of the tourbillon.
The Cabaret Tourbillon Handwerkskunst comes on a black leather strap with a platinum buckle. The watch costs 315,000 euros and only 30 pieces will be produced.
