Cover The new A Lange & Söhne Triple Split in 950 platinum
The new A Lange & Söhne Triple Split in 950 platinum
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The latest A Lange & Söhne Triple Split pairs one of the manufacture’s most technically ambitious chronograph movements with a new platinum case and rhodié-coloured dial, in an edition of 100 pieces
Eight years after introducing the Triple Split, A Lange & Söhne has returned to its most advanced rattrapante chronograph with a third iteration. The new reference pairs a 43.2mm platinum case with a rhodié-coloured dial and contrasting grey counters, and is limited to 100 pieces.
The changes are aesthetic rather than mechanical, which is understandable given what sits inside. The Triple Split remains the only mechanical split-seconds chronograph capable of measuring intermediate and comparative times for up to 12 hours, using three pairs of chronograph and rattrapante hands to track seconds, minutes and hours.
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Above The new A Lange & Söhne Triple Split in 950 platinum
The new A Lange & Söhne Triple Split in 950 platinum
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Its origins can be traced back to the Double Split of 2004, which took the conventional rattrapante beyond its usual 60-second range by adding a second pair of hands for the minutes. That extended comparative timing to 30 minutes. With the Triple Split in 2018, Lange added another pair for the hours, increasing that range by a factor of 24 to 12 hours.
That makes the complication useful for considerably longer intervals than the name “split-seconds” might suggest. It could, for example, record intermediate times during a marathon while continuing to measure the overall race, compare two competitors over an extended event, or time the outbound and return legs of a long-haul flight. Any number of intermediate times can be recorded during an additive measurement.
In practice, the three blued rattrapante hands sit directly above their corresponding chronograph hands when not in use. Start the chronograph using the pusher at 2 o’clock and all six begin running together. Press the rattrapante pusher at 10 o’clock and the three blue hands stop to display an intermediate time across seconds, minutes and hours, while the chronograph hands beneath them continue. Press it again and they catch up and resume running in unison.
Above A pusher at 4 o’clock resets the chronograph and activates the flyback function
A pusher at 4 o’clock resets the chronograph and activates the flyback function
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There is also a flyback function. Pressing the pusher at 4 o’clock while timing is in progress stops the current measurement and resets the active hands to zero; releasing it immediately starts the next measurement.
For all that is happening mechanically, the dial remains relatively easy to decipher. The central hands measure seconds, while the counter at 4 o’clock records the minutes with a precisely jumping display that advances instantaneously once every 60 seconds. The smaller counter at 12 o’clock tracks the hours, subsidiary seconds sit at 8 o’clock and the UP/DOWN indicator at 6 o’clock shows the remaining portion of the 55-hour power reserve. Around the perimeter, a tachymeter can calculate average speeds over 1,000 metres.
The new colourway also helps separate the various indications. Blued steel identifies the rattrapante hands against their rhodiumed chronograph counterparts, while red accents appear within the hour and minute counters and on the power-reserve display. The cool-toned combination of platinum, rhodié and grey is paired with a dark-brown alligator leather strap and platinum deployant buckle. At 43.2mm across and 15.6mm thick, the dimensions remain substantial, although perhaps unsurprisingly so given the mechanics involved.
Above The new Triple Split is powered by the manufacture calibre L132.1
The new Triple Split is powered by the manufacture calibre L132.1
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The watch is powered by the manually wound L132.1 manufacture calibre, comprising 567 components, coordinating the starting, stopping, catching up and resetting of all six chronograph and rattrapante hands. Lange’s patented disengagement mechanism addresses another problem inherent to the complication: the friction generated while the rattrapante hands remain stationary and the chronograph continues running. By disengaging the relevant mechanisms on the seconds and minute-counter arbors, it helps maintain rate stability.
All of this is visible through the sapphire crystal caseback. Levers, springs and rockers are straight-grained and bevelled, the untreated German-silver bridges are decorated with Glashütte ribbing, and five screwed gold chatons and a hand-engraved balance cock provide the familiar Lange finishing touches.
Credits
Images: A Lange & Söhne
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Annabel Tan is the Editor of Watches and Jewellery at Tatler Singapore, where she covers all things luxury timepieces and fine jewellery across both print and digital platforms. She is also the Editor of Tatler GMT Singapore, a role that deepens her fascination with the ever-evolving world of watchmaking. Outside of work, she’s usually on the hunt for her next favourite watch that she can’t afford, planning her next beach getaway, or catching up on the latest Formula 1 race.
