A date that marks a rare occurrence in our calendars, adding an extra day to the year. This leap year phenomenon has been ingeniously embraced by A. Lange & Söhne since 2001 through the launch of nine exceptional timepieces, each designed to accurately account for this quadrennial adjustment. The Saxon manufacturer is now taking a giant leap with a novel approach to the perpetual calendar mechanism, a testament to their relentless pursuit of horological perfection.
The 1815 RATTRAPANTE PERPETUAL CALENDAR showcases this classic complication with the calibre L101.1, preparing to exhibit its precision when transitioning from 28 to 29 February 2024. This intricate mechanism, which traditionally relies on a programme wheel with 48 notches to indicate the months’ varying lengths, exemplifies the technical prowess required to keep pace with our Gregorian calendar. This conventional method ensures the calendar’s accuracy for a century, only necessitating adjustment during the secular years that do not observe the leap year.
The core of this revolutionary design is a patented peripheral month ring, a first of its kind for displaying the month, offering a fresh perspective on tracking the passage of time. This novel system posed its own set of challenges, particularly in advancing the month ring by 30 degrees instantaneously—a task requiring a robust alternative drive solution.
In a blend of tradition and innovation, the month ring’s internal gearing is meticulously designed to complete a full rotation annually, with a contour on its inner gear rim dictating the length of each month through wavy recesses. A leap year disc beneath the ring interacts with the mechanism to differentiate between common and leap years, ensuring an accurate display of February’s duration.
The anticipation builds for the 1815 RATTRAPANTE PERPETUAL CALENDAR and other A. Lange & Söhne masterpieces to demonstrate their unparalleled ability to merge the artistry of watchmaking with the scientific rigour of timekeeping.
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