A. Lange & Söhne Unveils New Triple Split and 1815 Up/Down Editions

A. Lange & Söhne continues to push the boundaries of traditional German watchmaking with new additions to its collection: a limited-edition Triple Split in 950 platinum and two new versions of the 1815 Up/Down in pink and white gold.

Since its debut in 2018, the Triple Split chronograph has occupied a distinctive position in modern mechanical watchmaking. Limited to just 100 pieces, the latest iteration pairs a cool-toned platinum case with a rhodié-coloured dial and darker grey auxiliary counters, bringing a restrained aesthetic to one of the manufacture’s most technically ambitious complications. GMT India explores the details of the new releases.

The Triple Split

The Triple Split was conceived to measure intermediate, comparative and overall times across a period of up to 12 hours. Its defining feature is a triple rattrapante mechanism, extending the split-seconds function beyond the conventional seconds display to the minute and hour counters. In practical terms, this allows the wearer to record intermediate times without interrupting an ongoing measurement. A marathon, for instance, could be used to track runners at different stages of the race while simultaneously recording the overall finishing times. The same principle could be applied to a classic car journey, where intermediate times at different points of a route can be measured alongside the total driving time.

The Triple Split also incorporates a flyback function. A single press of the pusher at 4 o’clock stops the ongoing measurement, resets the active chronograph and rattrapante hands to zero, and immediately begins a new measurement once the pusher is released. At the heart of the system is the L132.1 manufacture calibre, developed entirely in-house. Its triple rattrapante architecture coordinates three chronograph hands with three corresponding rattrapante hands, allowing each pair to start, stop, catch up and reset in synchronised fashion.

The movement comprises 567 individual components, with a complex network of wheels, levers, springs, clutches and jumpers working together to execute the mechanism. To counter the friction generated when the rattrapante hands are stopped and when the minute counters advance, A. Lange & Söhne employs a patented disengagement mechanism. First developed in 2005, the system temporarily disengages the friction-intensive processes on the seconds and minute-counter arbors, helping maintain stable power delivery and rate performance.

A Study in Contrast

The latest Triple Split brings a new visual expression to the technically dense chronograph. The 43.2mm platinum case measures 15.6mm in height and frames a rhodié-coloured dial with contrasting grey auxiliary dials. The dial follows a carefully considered hierarchy. The central display is dominated by the chronograph and rattrapante seconds hands, while the minute counter sits at 4 o’clock and the hour counter at 12 o’clock. At 6 o’clock, the characteristic Up/Down power reserve indicator displays the remaining portion of the movement’s 55-hour power reserve. The subsidiary seconds display occupies the 8 o’clock position. Blued rattrapante hands, luminous hour and minute hands, and subtle red accents introduce further contrast, while a peripheral tachymeter scale allows average speeds over a distance of 1,000 metres to be calculated.

The platinum case is paired with a dark brown alligator leather strap and a platinum deployant buckle, completing the monochromatic palette. Through the sapphire crystal caseback, the architectural depth of the L132.1 becomes part of the visual experience. Its bridges are crafted from untreated German silver and decorated with Glashütte ribbing, while the levers, springs and rockers feature straight graining and carefully bevelled edges. 

“Until today, the Triple Split plays in a league of its own,” says Anthony de Haas, Director, Product Development at A. Lange & Söhne. He describes the L132.1 as one of the manufacture’s most elaborate movements, noting that integrating its triple rattrapante mechanism while maintaining wearable proportions presented a particular challenge for the development team. 

The 1815 Up/Down 

Alongside the Triple Split, A. Lange & Söhne introduces two new versions of the 1815 Up/Down, each limited to 300 pieces and offered in 750 pink or white gold. Where the Triple Split represents the manufacture’s technical ambitions, the 1815 Up/Down takes a more restrained approach, placing its power reserve display at the centre of the design.

The watch draws directly from the aesthetic vocabulary of historic Lange pocket watches. A railway-track minute scale, Arabic numerals and a recessed central dial recall the brand’s Saxon watchmaking heritage, while the blue dial introduces a more contemporary character. The Up/Down indication is positioned at 8 o’clock opposite the subsidiary seconds display. Rather than being added as an external module, the power reserve mechanism is integrated directly into the movement through a specially developed, space-saving planetary gear system.

The watch measures a compact 37.5mm in diameter and just 8.7mm in height, giving it a distinctly restrained profile. The white gold version is paired with a blue alligator leather strap, while the pink-gold edition comes with a reddish brown strap. Behind the sapphire crystal caseback is the manually wound L051.2 manufacture calibre. Its traditional three-quarter plate is crafted from untreated German silver, complemented by solarised winding wheels and seven gold chatons secured by blued screws. 

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