These Gorgeous Gold Watches May Be This Watchmaker’s Best

German watchmaker A. Lange & Söhne celebrates its 175th anniversary with three limited edition models in a special case material.

a lange  söhne watches A. Lange & Söhne

Relaunched in 1990 after 45 years of dormancy due to the destruction of WWII and communism’s threat to private commercial enterprise, the German brand A. Lange & Söhne is a remarkable modern success story. Tracing its founding to 1845 means the company is 175 years old this year, and it’s marking the occasion in Shanghai at the Watches & Wonders event with three beautiful new models within the 1815 collection (named for the founder’s birth year). Housed in cases made from the brand’s proprietary “honey gold” alloy and featuring varying levels of movement complexity, the new watches offer views of their movements through transparent case backs.

1815 Thin Honeygold

One of the brand’s simplest watches, with a 6.3mm-thick case and hand-wound movement, this version of the 1815 Thin has a white enamel dial and is limited to 175 examples.

Diameter: 38mm
Price: $34,400

1815 Rattrapant Honeygold

Featuring a rattrapante function that makes it even more complicated than a traditional chronograph, the extensively hand-finished, manually wound movement visible through the 1815 Rattrapant Honeygold’s case back is a visual treat. Sporting a black dial, it shows honey gold’s hue in a different light and is limited to 100 examples.

Diameter: 41.2mm
Price: $134,400

1815 Tourbograph Perpetual Honeygold

Immensely complex, the Tourbograph Perpetual is an example of some of the brand’s most impressive work. It features a tourbillon, chronograph (with rattrapante function), a perpetual calendar and a moon phase display and is limited to only 50 examples.

Diameter: 43mm
Price: On Request