THE ESSENTIALS
MAKE: A. LANGE & SÖHNE
MODEL: 414.026
YEAR: 2015
BOX/PAPERS: YES/YES
CASE DIAMETER: 39.5MM
CASE MATERIAL: 18K WHITE GOLD
BRACELET MATERIAL: LEATHER
MOVEMENT: MANUAL WIND
In 1990, Walter Lange quietly founded Lange Uhren GmbH and registered A. Lange & Söhne as a trademark, relaunching the brand founded by his great-grandfather in 1845, which had ceased to exist after the war. Four years later, ALS returned with a bang: the Arkade, Saxonia, Tourbillon Pour le Mérite, and Lange 1 were released, showcasing watchmaking, finishing, and innovation that rivalled any Swiss brand, including Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin.
Fast-forward to 1999: only 9 years after the rebirth of the brand, Lange gave us the Datograph, arguably one of the best watches from the era. It features the calibre L951.1: one of the first in-house chronographs developed after the quartz crisis and simply a work of art - "the best chronograph movement ever made" as noted by Philippe Dufour. However, the Datograph was not cheap, and the market was crying for a simpler, hopefully cheaper "pure" chronograph from ALS.
In 2004, Lange delivered with the 1815 chronograph, with the ref. 401.026 and 401.031, measuring 39.5mm in diameter and only 10.8mm in thickness and powered by the L951.0 movement; a direct descendant of the L951.1. In 2010, two years after the discontinuation of the first-generation models and shortly after their CEO, Fabian Kröne, left, Lange completely redesigned the 1815 chronograph line, with the ref. 402.026 and 402.032. These new interpretations feature a much simpler dial layout and the new calibre L951.5, now incorporating free-sprung in-house balance wheel and in-house balance spring.
In 2015, only four years after the second generation, the brand introduced the ref. 414.026: the third generation 1815 chronograph, sold exclusively in Lange boutiques. The pulsometer scale and the beautifully sloped minute track found their way back to the watch: reminiscent of the first-generation models. The "boutique edition" features an 18K white gold case and a beautiful argenté-coloured dial made in solid silver. It proved to be one of the most popular offerings from Lange: for obvious reasons. The watch is simply gorgeous on the wrist, and arguably even prettier from the back.
The current example dates back to the very first year of its production and has benefited from a Lange service. It is in pristine condition, as the previous owner had rarely worn the watch. The 414.026 is easily one of the best chronographs from any brands in the last 20 years, glorious.