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Lot Essay
The present watch can be counted amongst the rarest of A. Lange & Söhne watches. It was originally sold to Lange's retailer Dürrstein & Co. of Dresden whose owner Johannes Dürrstein founded the "Uhrenfabrik Union" watch manufacture in 1893.
The watch has remained in the family of the original owner until 2012 and is in extremely well-preserved, unrestored original condition.
All of Lange & Söhne’s complicated watches are very rare and were produced in extremely small numbers. According to literature, only six examples, including the present watch, were made with minute repeating, chronograph and calendar, the earliest, no. 13'412, in 1882 and the last, no. 47'360, in 1905.
The present watch displays many of the features associated with A. Lange & Söhne’s highest grade watches: large and heavy-gauge pink gold “Louis XV” case, 1st Quality "1A2 movement with gold escapement and diamond endstone. An interesting technical feature is the unusual micrometer adjustment developed by Carl Moritz Grossmann which allows very fine and controlled regulation of the balance spring.
Karl Moritz Grossmann, better known as Moritz Grossmann (Dresden 1826 – 1885) was a horological visionary and founder of the German School of Watchmaking in Glashütte near Dresden. His own company, also located in Glashütte, was specialized in the manufacture of highest quality pocket watches, clocks, measuring instruments, lathes, tools and escapement models. Moritz Grossmann was one of the educators of Richard Lange, the son of Adolf Lange.
The present watch is included in: Die Lange Liste, Martin Huber, 2000, p. 212.
For further information on the minute repeating chronograph with date see: A. Lange & Söhne, Eine Uhrmacherdynastie aus Dresden, Vol. II, Reinhard Meis, 2011, p. 274.
The watch has remained in the family of the original owner until 2012 and is in extremely well-preserved, unrestored original condition.
All of Lange & Söhne’s complicated watches are very rare and were produced in extremely small numbers. According to literature, only six examples, including the present watch, were made with minute repeating, chronograph and calendar, the earliest, no. 13'412, in 1882 and the last, no. 47'360, in 1905.
The present watch displays many of the features associated with A. Lange & Söhne’s highest grade watches: large and heavy-gauge pink gold “Louis XV” case, 1st Quality "1A2 movement with gold escapement and diamond endstone. An interesting technical feature is the unusual micrometer adjustment developed by Carl Moritz Grossmann which allows very fine and controlled regulation of the balance spring.
Karl Moritz Grossmann, better known as Moritz Grossmann (Dresden 1826 – 1885) was a horological visionary and founder of the German School of Watchmaking in Glashütte near Dresden. His own company, also located in Glashütte, was specialized in the manufacture of highest quality pocket watches, clocks, measuring instruments, lathes, tools and escapement models. Moritz Grossmann was one of the educators of Richard Lange, the son of Adolf Lange.
The present watch is included in: Die Lange Liste, Martin Huber, 2000, p. 212.
For further information on the minute repeating chronograph with date see: A. Lange & Söhne, Eine Uhrmacherdynastie aus Dresden, Vol. II, Reinhard Meis, 2011, p. 274.