Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, known as the most prestigious and beautiful competition in Europe, annually attracts the most valuable and historic collector cars from around the world to the picturesque shores of Italy's Lake Como. The German brand A. Lange & Söhne has been an official partner of the event since 2012 and annually awards the Best of Show winner with a unique commemorative watch. At the 2021 event (currently scheduled from October 1, 2021, to October 3, 2021), for the first time since the beginning of this partnership, the brand is shifting from the Lange 1 Time Zone series to the 1815 Chronograph line, creating a new sophisticated concept with a warm classic color scheme. The new unique A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph Concorso Edition is an elegantly luxurious take on the brand's classic chronograph formula and a worthy prize for one of the most prestigious automotive events in the world.
The case of the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph Concorso Edition is made of 18-karat white gold, measuring 39.5 mm in diameter, crafted in accordance with the brand's beautiful classic design language, featuring clean vertical case sides, narrow straight lugs, rounded rectangular pushers, and a brightly polished rounded smooth bezel. However, the true centerpiece of this design is the richly decorated hunter case back. The outer hinged layer is adorned with fine hand engraving of the Villa d’Este crest and a commemorative inscription referring to the first year of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in 1929. This solid layer can be flipped open to reveal a sapphire window, showcasing the intricate inner workings of the flyback chronograph mechanism, allowing the owner to have both a decorated case back and a view of the movement. A. Lange & Söhne does not specify the water resistance of the 1815 Chronograph Concorso Edition, but given its formal nature and unique status, it is unlikely that this watch will ever be submerged in water.
As with the standard 1815 Chronograph model, the dial of the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph Concorso Edition is dominated by the brand's signature off-center chronograph subdials at the “4 o’clock” and “8 o’clock” positions. While these distinctive elements immediately draw attention in images, the rest of the design offers a multi-layered and satisfyingly complex classic layout with a wide outer tachymeter ring, a railroad seconds track, and light ornate printed numerals with black serifs. The multi-layered dial surface immediately sets this model apart from serial counterparts: a grainy matte finish in muted pink gold. Brightly polished gold alpha hands with rhodium plating create a strong yet classic contrast with this soft warm tone, and the brand complements it with vivid tropical brown subdials.
The A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph Concorso Edition is equipped with the in-house manually wound L951.5 chronograph movement with a flyback function. The L951.5 movement has been part of the A. Lange & Söhne chronograph lineup since 2010 and features elaborate baroque hand-finishing on the plates and bridges made of German silver, as well as a fully hand-engraved balance cock. Technically, the L.951.5 is distinguished by its chronograph column wheel, balance wheel with cam-poised balance spring, and a freely oscillating proprietary balance spring. In terms of performance, the movement offers a 60-hour power reserve at a slow frequency of 18,000 bph. A. Lange & Söhne pairs the watch with a deep tobacco brown alligator leather strap, hand-stitched.
Debuting in a new, warmer chronograph guise for the Best in Show award, the unique A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph Concorso Edition strengthens the German brand's ties with the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este and showcases a new stylish twist in the design of the brand's cornerstone chronograph.
The unique A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph Concorso Edition will be awarded to the winner of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, which will take place on October 3, 2021, at Lake Como in Italy. Since this model is a one-off and not planned for sale or further production, an MSRP for this watch is not set.