Away from the madding crowd at Geneva Watch Days, A. Lange & Söhne chose the Hampton Court Concours of Elegance to unveil the 1815 Tourbillon with a black grand feu enamel dial. Limited to just 50 pieces, it is sublime representation of the German manufacture’s acknowledged commitment to precision, craftsmanship, and aesthetic refinement.
The 1815 contains an ingenious one-minute tourbillon with a stop-second mechanism and zero-reset function, allowing for exact time-setting down to the second. The new black enamel edition retains the same calibre L102.1 movement and is housed in a 39.5mm diameter platinum case, making the dimensions just about perfect.
Detail of the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Tourbillon showing the depth of the movement and the intricate escapement with its stop second capability.
What separates this watch from others is the stunning in-house black Grand Feu enamel dial. Generally, black enamel dials in horology are a rarity because of the difficulty in getting the pitch-black surface to be flawless. The problems associated with their manufacture, where the failure rate is in excess of 90 percent, make it a painstaking and costly dial to produce. Lange crafts each dial through a painstaking process involving up to 30 layers of enamel pigments, each fired multiple times to achieve a depth and the polishing to a mirror-like finish that captures light in ways few dials can.
The watch displays all the other traditional Lange hallmarks that collectors love. The three-quarter plate in untreated German silver, screwed gold chatons, and a diamond endstone for the tourbillon underscore the brand’s historic watchmaking roots. The black-polished tourbillon bridge creates a striking contrast that accentuates the tourbillon while paying homage to Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s original pocket watches.
This limited edition 1815 Tourbillon does not just celebrate technical innovation, it balances readability, mechanical sophistication, and visual aesthetics, offering collectors a rare opportunity to experience both horological precision and aesthetic storytelling.
By unveiling the 1815 Tourbillon with a black enamel dial at the Hampton Court Concours, A. Lange & Söhne showcased horological excellence alongside the beautifully restored automotive art of yesteryear. As a renowned sponsor of concours events worldwide, Lange has demonstrated how high-end watchmaking and curated classic automobiles are natural partners.
Best in show at the Concours of Elegance Hampton Court 2025 was the Rolls-Royce Phantom 1 “Phantom of Love” (left) with its bespoke palatial Rococo interior (right).
This year’s best in show was a close fought battle between three cars from the 1920s, where the Rolls-Royce Phantom 1 “Phantom of Love” owned by Michael Dacre took home the prize. The Rolls-Royce was a unique demonstration of automotive craftsmanship, with its palatial Rococo interior, inspired by Marie Antoinette’s sedan chair at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Commissioned originally by Clarence Gasque for his beloved wife, heiress to the Woolworths fortune, its win is a demonstration of how mechanical excellence and artisan crafts endure.
The 1815 tourbillon and the winning cars are compelling reminders that true luxury resides not only in exclusivity and craftsmanship but in the meticulous pursuit of perfection, where every detail, from movement to dial, depicts dedication, skill, and timeless elegance.
Author: Andrew Hildreth
Other luxury watches recently reviewed by I-M Inquisitive Minds that showcase outstanding levels of precision and craftmanship include Ferdinand Berthoud Naissance d’une Montre 3, Greubel Forsey Quantième Perpétuel Balancier and those that caught our attention at GWD 2025.
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