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Phillips Sells the Unique Steel Lange 1815 ‘Homage To Walter Lange’ for CHF 852,500 – A New Record for a Lange Wristwatch at Auction

The most expensive A. Lange & Söhne ever auctioned, and it's for a charity.

calendar | ic_dehaze_black_24px By Brice Goulard | ic_query_builder_black_24px 2 min read |
A. Lange Sohne 1815 Homage to Walter Lange Unique Piece Steel Auction Phillips Watches

While the Daytona Ultimatum auction and the rest of the GWA7 – Geneva Watch Auction 7 by Phillips Watches – brought several impressive results (including a CHF 5M hammer price for the ‘Unicorn’ white gold Daytona), another properly interesting result should be credited to A. Lange & Söhne, with the unique 1815 ‘Homage To Walter Lange’ in steel with black enamel dial hammered for CHF 852,500 (incl. buyer’s premium). And yes, it’s a new record for a Lange wristwatch at auction, and yes proceeds will be given to a charity.

A. Lange Sohne 1815 Homage to Walter Lange Unique Piece Steel Auction Phillips Watches

The CHF 852,500 obtained by Phillips Watches / Aurel Bacs and A. Lange & Söhne Is impressive indeed and sets a new world record for a Lange wristwatch at an auction – even if there were previous watches in Lange’s collection priced above that (the Grande Complication and its 2 million price tag for instance).

Yet, knowing that the regular models of this 1815 ‘Homage To Walter Lange’ retail for EUR 47,000 (approx. CHF 56,000), this makes quite a premium for this unique edition – and in fact, thankfully, as proceeds are given to a charity (to Children Action, a Swiss charitable foundation that protects children’s rights).

A. Lange Sohne 1815 Homage to Walter Lange Unique Piece Steel Auction Phillips Watches

At the SIHH 2018, A. Lange & Söhne, which founder Walter Lange passed away in January 2017, decided to create a tribute watch to this humble and visionary man. The watch itself uses a complication created by Ferdinand Adolph Lange, Walter Lange’s great-grandfather, in 1867: the jumping sweep seconds hand with the start/stop function. This invention was especially significant for Walter Lange, as it was first implemented in a watch by his grandfather, Emil Lange, in 1877. A true family affair.

In addition to three gold models, Lange created a unique piece in stainless steel with a black enamel dial. Knowing how rare steel watches by Lange are (only a few dozens around, all being special orders), knowing the link to the brand’s founder and knowing that the proceeds were to be given for a good cause, this certainly helped the watch to sell for such an impressive price.

A. Lange Sohne 1815 Homage to Walter Lange Unique Piece Steel Auction Phillips Watches
The movement of the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 ‘Homage to Walter Lange’ as seen on the white gold version

More details on the watch auction’s page and www.alange-soehne.com. Photos courtesy of Phillips Watches.

https://mowa.dev/phillips-sells-the-unique-steel-lange-1815-homage-to-walter-lange-for-chf-852500-a-new-record-for-a-lange-watch-at-auction/

3 responses

  1. Brice de Nice.
    Keep it if you’re fair play.
    Delete it if you’re not.

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