As was the case with last year’s Rolex Daytona update, small tweaks can make a huge difference in breathing life into old watch models. And given A. Lange & Söhne’s almost mythical status among modern watch enthusiasts, it’s no surprise the German watchmaker’s latest release, a new 1815 Chronograph, is an instant hit. The 1815 chronograph has been around for well over a decade, with a few updates — but this new iteration brings a black dial and a pulsometer scale (ideal for doctors or fans of semi-obscure scales on watch dials and bezels) and a white gold case into the mix.
The rest of the watch remains the same, which is a good thing. At 39.5mm in diameter and 10.8mm thick, the watch is perfectly proportioned, and with an exhibition case back you can get a look at the beautifully finished, hand-wound flyback chronograph movement. It’s the simplest chronograph in Lange’s lineup, and one of the most affordable, too — though since this is A. Lange & Söhne we’re talking about, it still cost’s a (very) sizeable $50,300.
