By Adam Keith, Associate Timepiece Editor for ViaLuxe-
At the request of Parisian jeweler Dubail, luxury watchmaker A. Lange & Sohne has introduced an extraordinary diamond-set example of its complex Tourbograph Pour le Merite, a wristwatch notable for its brilliant combination of a split-seconds chronograph, a tourbillon, a power reserve indicator, and a fusee-and-chain transmission for constant torque delivery. A. Lange & Sohne will produce this extraordinary horological masterwork in an exclusive 1/1 edition for Dubail, with pricing being set at an equally breathtaking 1.2 million Euros.
Case and bracelet of this haute joaillerie A. Lange & Sohne Tourbograph Pour le Merite watch, both rendered in platinum, are a veritable showpiece for the art of diamond setting. Numbering some 40 carats of baguette diamonds in total weight, the bracelet is set with 175 stones, while the case features 201. The case, in particular, offers an extremely elaborate degree of setting; in addition to such "expected" areas as the tops of the case lugs and bezel, the case flanks are set with baguette diamonds, as are the chronograph pushpieces and the A. Lange & Sohne-signed winding crown. Measurements and dimensions are the same as the original Tourbograph timepiece, at 41.2mm diameter, and 14.3mm in height; the latter is a necessity to accommodate the extremely complex A. Lange & Sohne Calibre L903.0 movement.
Conceived by A. Lange & Sohne in conjunction with Swiss complications specialist Renaud & Papi, Calibre L903.0 is manually-wound and comprises 45 jewels and more than 1,000 individual parts. Each is finished by hand to reflect the highest echelon of traditional Saxon watchmaking. Among these characteristics, which are revealed fully through the sapphire crystal caseback window, include German silver bridges with Glashutte ribbing, jewels set in gold chatons, and steel chronograph levers with chamfered edges and meticulous polish. A large cutaway section in the solid silver dial exposes the precise per-minute revolution of the tourbillon, which displays such beautiful details as a bridge in black polished steel, a screw-adjusted balance with an overcoil hairspring, and diamond mounting stones. Balance frequency is 21,600 vibrations per hour, and power reserve of the barrel is 36 hours.
The demanding split-seconds chronograph function of the Tourbograph Pour le Merite, which allows the timing of two separate intervals of elapsed time, is controlled by two column wheels. It shows off a brilliant world of micro-mechanical craftsmanship to the discerning eye. The same can also be said of the remarkable chain and fusee, which alone comprises just over 600 individual parts: this intricate component, having the appearance of a miniature bicycle chain, can be admired through the exhibition caseback as it completes its slow and steady unwinding processes on its stepped cone--the exacting process by which energy from the mainspring barrel is moderated and transmitted in uniform fashion to the going train.
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