A. Lange & Söhne

The 1815 Chronograph was introduced by A. Lange and Söhne in 2004 as a more or less affordable and less complicated alternative to the already famous Datograph watch. Among the Datographs, the platinum models carry the most weight, both literally and figuratively, while the 1815 Chronograph was and is offered exclusively in gold. It loses the large date that makes the Datograph dial so unique, but it still has the classic look of a chronograph dial, where everything is dedicated to this function and there is nothing additional that has nothing to do with it. Due to the elimination of the large date, the 1815 Chronograph has significantly lost case thickness compared to the Datograph - from 12.8 mm to 10.8 mm, which makes the 39.5 mm 1815 Chronograph feel very comfortable on the wrist. At the same time, the caliber L951.0, the movement of the 1815 Chronograph, which is essentially a stripped-down version of the Datograph's caliber L951.1, has completely retained its advantageous appearance on the back - one of the undisputed advantages of the Datograph, which has thus been inherited by the 1815 Chronograph. For all these reasons, langepedia.com, the definitive independent source for Lange watches of the modern era, considers the 1815 Chronograph to be the ideal watch for chronograph enthusiasts.

Since 2004, the brand has launched three generations of the 1815 Chronograph. The first generation, characterized by the original caliber L951.0 and the pulsometric dial, comprised the two references 401.026 in white gold and 401.031 in rose gold, both with white silver-plated dials. Production of the first generation was discontinued in 2008 and the second generation was introduced in 2010. In addition to the design update, which mainly affected the dial, which lost the pulsometer scale and received a new layout with larger counters, the second generation of the 1815 Chronograph is equipped with an upgraded caliber L951.5. Compared to the previous caliber, the power reserve has been significantly increased, from 36 to 60 hours, and the number of parts has been reduced from 320 to 306. The updated L951.5 also features an in-house free-sprung balance wheel and a hairspring that is also manufactured in-house. However, the most valuable asset again remained almost unchanged - the appearance of the caliber on the back. This model was produced in only two versions: Ref. 402.026 in white gold and Ref. 402.032 in rose gold, both with a white silver-plated dial. The second generation was discontinued in 2014. The third generation was launched in 2015 with the 1815 Chronograph Boutique Edition (Ref. 414.026) in white gold with blue markings on the white dial, which returned to the original scheme with an attractive inclined outer ring with logo and pulsometer scale. The case thickness has increased almost imperceptibly to 11 mm, while retaining the comfortable proportions of the case.

In 2017, A. Lange & Söhne introduced perhaps the coolest wrist chronograph Lange has ever created - the 1815 Chronograph Ref. 414.028 (the present watch), which has a clear military style influence. The white gold watch has a black dial with vertically aligned white Arabic numerals. Please note that Ref. 414.028 is the first version of the 1815 Chronograph with a combination of white metal and black dial.

The 1815 Chronograph Ref. 414.028, representative of the third generation of the 1815 Chronograph, is considered one of A. Lange & Söhne's most charismatic and sought-after chronographs due to its clear military style influence. The unique combination of the classic chronograph complication with flyback function, jumping minute counter and large date cemented A. Lange & Söhne's reputation as a leading master of modern chronograph wristwatches. The caliber L951.1 of this watch can be regarded as one of the most beautiful chronograph movements of modern times, with outstanding quality in the finishing of the parts. The fine finishing of the movement’s parts and its exquisite and obviously very complex design will impress the heart of any connoisseur, and A. Lange & Söhne’s reputation in these areas should be recognized as impeccable.