Celebrating 15 years of shared passion for classics
This year marks the 15th anniversary of A. Lange & Söhne’s partnership with the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. Since 2012, the German watch manufacture has supported the commitment to preserving automotive masterpieces, showcased on the shores of Lake Como. This year’s automotive competition culminated in an awards ceremony, during which Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid presented the “Best of Show” winner with a one-of-a-kind 1815 CHRONOGRAPH.
The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este is one of the most prestigious and exclusive events for rare classic cars. Sponsored by A. Lange & Söhne for the past 15 years and held in the picturesque gardens of the historic Grand Hotel Villa d’Este on Lake Como in Cernobbio, northern Italy, this year's edition ran from 15th to 17th May and came to a grand conclusion with the presentation of the “Trofeo BMW Group – Best of Show” award. Some 50 spectacular works of art on wheels competed in eight categories in front of an international jury and an enthusiastic fan base. This year, the winner was a BMW 328 “Bügelfalte” from 1937.
A celebration of automotive culture
During the gala dinner on Sunday evening, Wilhelm Schmid presented Stefano Martinoli with a one-of-a-kind 1815 CHRONOGRAPH in white gold, featuring a solid pink-gold dial and a hinged cuvette manually engraved with the coat of arms of the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. With this “Como Edition”, the German manufacture expresses its appreciation for the historical masterpieces and pays tribute to their owners, who passionately restore and care for them.
A chronograph was purposely chosen as the winner's watch, since short-time measurement and motorsports share a close historical connection. The 1815 CHRONOGRAPH's movement exhibits all the typical quality features characteristic of every Lange watch, with nearly every one of the 306 individual parts carefully finished by hand in Glashütte, and assembled twice to ensure that all parts interact seamlessly.
“Thanks to A. Lange & Söhne, we have been able to offer our competition entrants a special highlight every year since 2012: the presentation of the winner's watch. We are proud of our long-standing partnership, which is characterised by a shared commitment to tradition, craftsmanship, and innovation,” says Helmut Käs, Head of BMW Group Classic and President of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.
“We have been partners of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este for 15 years. A partnership based on shared values,” emphasises Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid. “We are united by our appreciation of technical masterpieces and craftsmanship, and our respect for the people who preserve them with passion. Just like the finest classic cars, our timepieces also tell a story of passion and a quest for perfection that transcends time and connects generations.“
Debut in honey gold
The unique atmosphere at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este provided a fitting setting for the presentation of a selection of timepieces that invited visitors on a journey of discovery into the world of A. Lange & Söhne. The main attraction was the CABARET TOURBILLON HONEYGOLD, a new version of the distinctive rectangular timepiece, limited to 50 pieces. Both its case and dial are crafted from 750 honey gold (HONEYGOLD®), a Lange-exclusive gold alloy, whose warm lustre contrasts strikingly with the black-rhodiumed surfaces. Boasting a relief dial, crafted in-house, which captivates with its unique sense of depth effect, and equipped with a tourbillon stop seconds mechanism, the model is powered by the manually wound calibre L042.1 – a dedicated movement with a maximum power reserve of 120 hours.
