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Lot Essay
When the legendary German brand A. Lange & Sӧhne returned in 1994 to an incredibly warm reception from the collectors community after an extended hiatus, four models were offered, of which the pinnacle of the collection was the “Pour le Mérite” tourbillon. Produced in an extremely limited run of 200 watches, 150 were produced in gold, of which 116 were in yellow gold, 15 in pink gold and 18 in white gold. In addition 50 were produced in platinum and a single example in stainless steel.
What set the PLM apart as it is referred to by collectors, was not only the exceptional hand finishing of a watch housing a complication which was still extremely rare at the time, the watch also features a tourbillon which is suspended between two diamond end stones, as well as being was the first wristwatch to feature a chain fusée. This is a device which was historically used in verge movement pocket watches to moderate the torque entering the escapement so it did not wear excessively, but is now used to aid the accuracy of the movement.
The “Pour le Mérite” remained in production until 1998 allowing the required time to ensure the watches were produced to the highest standards, from the hand engraved balance cock to the handsome blued hands and beautifully finished tourbillon bridge. This particular example is numbered 37 of the 150 examples produced in 18k gold, and is accompanied by its matching numbered edition of A. Lange & Söhne: The “Pour le Mérite”, the seminal work by Peter Chong. Presented in excellent overall condition, this watch represents a rare opportunity for an appreciative collector to add this historically important Lange model to their collection.
What set the PLM apart as it is referred to by collectors, was not only the exceptional hand finishing of a watch housing a complication which was still extremely rare at the time, the watch also features a tourbillon which is suspended between two diamond end stones, as well as being was the first wristwatch to feature a chain fusée. This is a device which was historically used in verge movement pocket watches to moderate the torque entering the escapement so it did not wear excessively, but is now used to aid the accuracy of the movement.
The “Pour le Mérite” remained in production until 1998 allowing the required time to ensure the watches were produced to the highest standards, from the hand engraved balance cock to the handsome blued hands and beautifully finished tourbillon bridge. This particular example is numbered 37 of the 150 examples produced in 18k gold, and is accompanied by its matching numbered edition of A. Lange & Söhne: The “Pour le Mérite”, the seminal work by Peter Chong. Presented in excellent overall condition, this watch represents a rare opportunity for an appreciative collector to add this historically important Lange model to their collection.