A. Lange & Söhne twin Grande Complication

Roma, 05/08/2013

The Grande Complication A. Lange & Söhne with serial number n.42500, produced in 1902, is a pocket watch with hours-and -minute movement, a perpetual calendar with moon display, a chronograph with a flyback function and a jumping one-fifth of a second display, minute repeater and a striking mechanism with a large gong and a small one. Only a single model of this “most complicated watch” was ever manufactured, and was thought to have been lost for a long time. It was rediscovered in 2011 – rusty, incomplete and partially destroyed. Its restore took 9 years and 5.000 working hours, and is now exhibited at Dresda Museum.

The wristwatch Grand Complication presented this year at Geneva SIHH is clearly inspired by this pocket watch. Very similar dial, and same functions.

A curiosity picked up inside A. Lange & Söhne manufacture? The proud watchmaker responsible for the restore work of the n. 42550, Jan Sliva, signed his work…virtually! The position of the watch hands for the sole photo shooting made before the watch was placed in the museum are set on his birthday.

A. Lange & Söhne Grande Complication n. 42500, come appare oggi dopo il restauro

L'orologio n. 42500 prima dell'intervento di restauro

Un dettaglio del movimento prima del restauro. Gli orologiai l'hanno trovato arrugginito, incompleto e parzialmente danneggiato.

L'esterno, decorato a mano, della cassa "savonnette" in oro della Grande Complicazione n. 42500, interamente decorata a mano.

L'orologio dopo l'intervento di restauro. In questa fotografia è possibile leggere la data di nascita dell'orologiaio responsabile del gruppo di lavoro che ha eseguito il restauro.