Record price for unique A. Lange & Söhne timepiece
1815 CHRONOGRAPH “Hampton Court Edition” reaches over a million Euro for a good cause
At the highly anticipated charity auction on 6 November 2022 in Geneva, the 1815 CHRONOGRAPH “Hampton Court Edition” was auctioned off for 1,058,500 CHF (1,064,851 EUR; incl. buyer’s premium) by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo. This is the highest result at auction that a Lange wristwatch has ever achieved. The proceeds will go to the British charity The Prince’s Trust, which supports young people in realising their potential and building a future for themselves.
The 1815 CHRONOGRAPH “Hampton Court Edition” was not only created to meet the highest watchmaking standards, but also to make a difference in society. The unique timepiece was presented for the first time at the Concours of Elegance near London in early September and auctioned by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo in Geneva on 6 November. The proceeds of the one-of-a-kind 18-carat white-gold piece with a solid-silver dial and hand-engraved hinged cuvette will go to The Prince’s Trust. Founded by King Charles III in 1976, the charity’s mission is to help young people aged 11 to 30 to develop essential life skills, prepare for work and access employment opportunities.
Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid was very pleased with the auction’s outcome: “When the watch was presented for the first time at the Concours of Elegance in early September, it was clear right away that there would be a great response. Even so, the auction result far exceeded our expectations. I’m glad that we can support the important work of the Prince’s Trust with this impressive sum. The huge proceeds from the auction not only show a steadily growing appreciation for A. Lange & Söhne watches, but also that our global collectors’ community is keen to do its bit for society.”
“A. Lange & Söhne boasts an ever-growing community of collectors who appreciate the incredible quality, and timeless design, coupled with the right amount of innovation and imagination,” says auctioneer Aurel Bacs, explaining the success of the auction. “A. Lange & Söhne has often surprised the community with a function or design that nobody expected. The unique quality of this one-of-a-kind auctioned piece places it in the top flight of watches produced by A. Lange & Söhne since its comeback in 1994. It is of no surprise that it has achieved such an exceptional price, and we are thrilled to see it sell for such a worthy cause.”
For more information on our 1815 CHRONOGRAPH models visit: www.alange-soehne.com/gb-en/timepieces/1815/1815-chronograph
About The Prince’s Trust
100% of the proceeds from the sale of this watch will be donated to The Prince’s Trust to support young people transform their lives. The Prince’s Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales (1079675) and Scotland (SC041198).
The Prince’s Trust helps young people all over the UK to build their confidence and skills and supports them into jobs, education and training. Founded by HM The King in 1976, the charity supports 11- to 30-year-olds who are unemployed, struggling at school and at risk of exclusion.
Many of the young people helped by The Trust’s youth support workers and mentors are in or leaving care, facing issues such as homelessness, mental health problems, or have been in trouble with the law. The courses offered by The Trust give young people the practical and financial support needed to stabilise their lives, helping develop self-esteem and skills for work. Three in four young people supported by The Prince’s Trust move into work, education or training.
The Trust has helped over a million young people to date. Further information about The Prince’s Trust is available at princes-trust.org.uk or on 0800 842 842.
About Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo
The team of specialists at Phillips Watches is dedicated to an uncompromised approach to quality, transparency, and client service, achieving a global auction sale total of $209.3 million in 2021, the most successful year for any auction house in watch auction history.
About Phillips
Phillips is a leading global platform for buying and selling 20th and 21st century art and design. With dedicated expertise in the areas of 20th Century and Contemporary Art, Design, Photographs, Editions, Watches, and Jewelry, Phillips offers professional services and advice on all aspects of collecting. Auctions and exhibitions are held at salerooms in New York, London, Geneva, and Hong Kong, while clients are further served through representative offices based throughout Europe, the United States and Asia. Phillips also offers an online auction platform accessible anywhere in the world. In addition to providing selling and buying opportunities through auction, Phillips brokers private sales and offers assistance with appraisals, valuations, and other financial services.
About A. Lange & Söhne
Dresden watchmaker Ferdinand Adolph Lange laid the cornerstone of Saxony’s precision watchmaking industry when he established his manufactory in 1845. His precious pocket watches remain highly coveted among collectors all over the world. The company was expropriated after the Second World War, and the name A. Lange & Söhne nearly vanished. But in 1990, Walter Lange, Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s great-grandson, ventured to start over again. Today, Lange crafts only a few thousand wristwatches, mainly in gold or platinum, per year. They are endowed exclusively with proprietary movements that are lavishly decorated and twice assembled by hand. With 70 manufacture calibres developed since 1990, A. Lange & Söhne has secured a top-tier position among the world’s finest watch brands. Its greatest successes include brand icons such as the LANGE 1, the first regularly produced wristwatch with an outsize date, and the ZEITWERK, with its precisely jumping numerals. Extraordinary complications such as the ZEITWERK MINUTE REPEATER, the TRIPLE SPLIT and the so far most complicated model, the GRAND COMPLICATION, introduced in 2013 in a limited edition of six, represent what the manufactory always strives for: to drive the traditional art of watchmaking to ever-new heights. The sporty yet elegant ODYSSEUS, introduced in 2019, marked the start of a new chapter for A. Lange & Söhne.
Press enquiries
Arnd Einhorn, Head of Corporate Communications & Product PR
Tel.: +49 (0) 35053 440 | E-mail: presse@lange-soehne.com
Online information
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