A. Lange & Söhne Presents a Salmon 1815 Chronograph for the Concorso d’Eleganza… But it’s a Unique Piece!

Sometimes in life, one has to get lucky… like really lucky! Let me explain. Since 2012, A. Lange & Söhne has been a partner of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. And not content enough to be participating in one of the most prestigious Concours d’Elegance around the world, the winner in the “Best of Show” category is presented with a very special gift, a Lange 1 Time Zone “Como Edition” unique piece. But in 2021, for the first time, the watch will be different… And what a watch it is! In short, the lucky winner will receive a unique salmon-coloured 1815 Chronograph. And after looking at the photos of this unique piece, you’ll really wonder why it isn’t part of the permanent A. Lange & Söhne collection. 

The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este is known to be one of the prestigious classic car venues in the world, gathering some of the rarest, more desirable, most unique vintage cars in the world. Founded in 1929, the event is set on the grounds of the historical, and absolutely gorgeous Villa d’Este estate on the shorelines of Lake Como in Italy. Owners have to apply for a spot during the Concorso, and only around 50 cars are selected and categorised into various groups. A team of expert judges selects the best in the show and the public will choose their favourite car by public referendum. Being the winner in the “Best of Show” category at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este has become one of the most revered awards for any classic car enthusiast. And there’s something special attached to this award.

Indeed, driven by the passion of its CEO Wilhelm Schmid for classic cars, A. Lange & Söhne has been a partner of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este since 2012. And every year, the winner of the show has been presented with a Lange 1 Time Zone “Como Edition” unique piece. Characterised by small updates on the dial and a hand-engraved hinged cuvette with the event’s coat of arms, this watch has been the norm for the winner up until 2019 (the 2020 edition was cancelled). This exceptional watch was not for sale. It was reserved exclusively for the winner in the “Best of Show” category. And for 2021, A. Lange & Söhne is changing its habits and presents a new unique piece, which will be once again reserved for one lucky owner.

This year, the timepiece of choice is a chronograph, a type of watch that makes sense in a car-related environment. As such, the winner of the 2021 edition of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este will receive a unique edition of the 1815 Chronograph, the most classic and focused chronograph watch in the brand’s collection – meaning a watch with a chronograph as a unique complication. Technically speaking, we’re looking at the same 39.5mm case and inside, the same handsome and finely decorated in-house hand-wound chronograph movement with classic horizontal coupling and column-wheel architecture.  If you want to explore the 1815 Chronograph in detail, make sure to consult our extensive review of the elegant Boutique Edition, which explains its movement and decoration.

But back to the watch that will be gifted to the winner of the 2021 Concorso, the unique piece that will certainly make a few Lange collectors jealous… What truly matters here is the unique combination of colours and materials. Indeed, the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph 2021 Concorso Edition is housed in an 18k white gold case (nothing new here) and is equipped with an unprecedented dial made of solid 18k pink gold with brown-coloured chronograph counters. What you see here is a salmon dial/white metal edition of one of the best-looking, high-end chronographs available. And that has never existed before. And yes, it looks stunning. And no, it isn’t available for sale.

Following the tradition of unique pieces presented to the winner in the “Best of Show” category at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, the 1815 Chronograph 2021 Concorso Edition is equipped with a hand-engraved hinged cuvette, covering the sapphire crystal caseback. It still retains the classic decoration with the event’s coat of arms. The hinged caseback adds a mere 1mm to the overall height of the watch.

Looking at this stunning unique 1815 Chronograph 2021 Concorso Edition, it really makes me wonder why A. Lange & Söhne has not created a limited series of this salmon-coloured model, without the hinged cuvette, to be offered to long-time collectors of the brand. Sure, there can be a unique piece for the winner of the Concorso, with this specific caseback, but why not also offer this stunning-looking dial in a limited (or not) series? I’m sure it would sell like hotcakes.

For more details, please visit www.alange-soehne.com.