Manager Günter Blümlein, who made such a major contribution to the successful reestablishment of A. Lange & Söhne, once summarised the company’s philosophy as follows: ‘An A. Lange watch is a total work of art. It combines the watchmakers’ passion for mechanics and craftsmanship with the unmistakable style of the company and its rich history.’ Even though Blümlein sadly passed away in 2001, ten years before the first Handwerkskunst (German for ‘craftsmanship’ or ‘handicraft’) edition was even presented, this statement describes the watch line particularly aptly. Although watches from A. Lange & Söhne already have an extremely high level of haute horlogerie, the exclusive and limited Handwerkskunst editions, with their particularly elaborate dial and movement decorations, are just that little bit more special. The Glashütte-based manufacture has just launched its latest, eighth handcrafted edition on the occasion of Watches and Wonders Shanghai – and for the first time, it’s a Datograph, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
It’s not as if the watches from A. Lange & Söhne don’t already go to great lengths. Every Lange fan and connoisseur is well aware, and appreciates the brand for precisely these reasons. But with the Handwerkskunst editions, the watchmakers and artisans go one step further. This extra mile is reflected on the one hand in the fact that finishes that are also used in the standard models are extended to other components of the watch, or even more elaborate and sometimes almost forgotten finishing techniques are used. For example, many Handwerkskunst editions feature relief engravings, which – unlike engraving – are carved out of the material. Black polishing is also a typical feature of the line, as it is considered the supreme discipline of polishing that only a few watchmakers have mastered. Technically, the watches are almost always identical to their standard counterparts – the difference lies primarily in the decoration, which is then also reserved for the craftsmanship editions. It is not only an additional manual effort, but the assembly of these models usually takes two to three days longer.
One of the rare decorative techniques in which Lange specialises is called tremblage engraving. In this process, the tip of a thread stylus is carefully moved over the surface with a trembling motion (the French tremblant meaning ‘to tremble’), removing tiny amounts of material and creating a fine-grained surface. The tool for this is produced in-house in the Lange style. Tremblage engraving was already used in the first Richard Lange Tourbillon Pour le Mérite Handwerkskunst from 2011 and in the 1815 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst from 2015. In the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Handwerkskunst from 2013, the tremblage engraving was even combined with a relief engraving on the dial.
Now, nine years and two Handwerkskunst editions later, another special edition with tremblage engraving is being released. And since this year is all about the Datograph, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary since it was launched in 1999 as the brand’s first chronograph, the Datograph is not only celebrating an anniversary this year, but also a premiere. For the first time, it is being released as a Handwerkskunst edition, limited to just 25 pieces. The black rhodium-plated dial and the rhodium-plated light grey subdial counters feature elaborate tremblage engraving that create subtle light reflections. The challenge for the craftsman is on the one hand to create an even texture in a small space, but also to work with extreme caution around the arched logo, scales and inscriptions. This is because these are already on the dial before engraving takes place.
It is a real pleasure to explore the many details that make this Datograph a true craftsmanship edition. For example, the edges of the appliqués and Roman numerals are bevelled, while their surfaces are given a line finish. The hands also have bevelled peripheral chamfers and a line finish. If you look through the open caseback, you can admire the black-polished chronograph lever of the manufacture calibre L951.8. The black polish ensures that incident light is only reflected in one direction. As a result, the surface of the lever appears deep black from this perspective, while it gleams from all other angles. The balance cock, which is always decorated at Lange, has a hand-engraved tendril motif in the special edition, but here it has been worked out in relief: the tendrils are not engraved, but raised. All these small but fine special features are reserved exclusively for the craftsmanship edition.
The Datograph Handwerkskunst has a yellow-gold case with a diameter of 41 mm and a height of 13.1 mm, and is worn on a dark brown, hand-stitched alligator leather strap. The 25 watches are available exclusively in A. Lange boutiques. In addition to the two anniversary models Datograph Auf/Ab and Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold Lumen, the Datograph Handwerkskunst is another highlight for all A. Lange and especially Datograph fans.
