A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Up/Down

A. Lange & Söhne returns to the 1815 Up/Down for 2026 with two new limited editions pairing a deep blue dial with either pink or white gold. Created for their debut around the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace, the new Ref. 244.037 and Ref. 244.028 retain the compact proportions and distinctive AB/AUF power-reserve display that have long defined the model, while introducing a handsome combination of blue 925-silver dials and contrasting silver-colored subsidiary displays. Limited to 300 pieces per reference, the two watches offer warm and cool interpretations of the same classically proportioned design.
Both of these A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Up/Down models feature cases measuring a compact 37.5mm in diameter and 8.7mm thick. Ref. 244.037 is crafted from 18k pink gold, giving the traditional 1815 design a warmer character, while Ref. 244.028 uses 18k white gold for a cooler appearance that closely complements the blue and silver dial. The relatively restrained dimensions maintain the classically proportioned character of the 1815 collection while allowing the precious-metal construction to provide a substantial presence on the wrist.

On the flipside a sapphire crystal display caseback reveals the manufacture caliber L051.2 and the traditional movement architecture associated with A. Lange & Söhne. Its bridges are crafted from untreated German silver, complemented by blued screws and screwed gold chatons.

The hand-engraved balance cock provides one of Lange’s signature decorative elements, while the open caseback allows the finishing and construction of the manually wound movement to remain fully visible.

The crown at 3 o’clock is used both to set the time and manually wind the L051.2 movement, with the remaining state of wind displayed directly on the dial through the watch’s signature AB/AUF indication. A sapphire crystal protects the dial, complemented by the sapphire display crystal incorporated into the screw-on caseback. Water-resistance can reach up to 30 meters (98 feet).

The defining visual change for both 2026 editions is a dark blue dial crafted from solid 925 silver and contrasted by two silver-colored subsidiary displays positioned in the lower half of the watch.

Rather than placing the two registers directly across the center of the dial, Lange positions them lower to preserve the prominence of the large Arabic hour numerals and peripheral railway-style scale that characterize the 1815 collection. The resulting slight asymmetry maintains the highly legible and traditional appearance of the model despite the additional information.

The subsidiary seconds are displayed on one side, balanced by the eponymous power-reserve indication on the other. Rather than conventional full and empty markings, the display uses the German terms AB and AUF: AB indicates that the movement is approaching an unwound state, while AUF corresponds to a fully wound movement.

The arrangement allows the wearer to immediately determine when the manually wound caliber requires additional energy without disrupting the otherwise straightforward hours, minutes and seconds display.

The combination of the deep blue background, contrasting silver subsidiary dials and traditional Arabic numerals gives both watches a more pronounced two-tone appearance than many previous versions of the 1815 Up/Down.

The white gold Ref. 244.028 emphasizes the cooler blue and silver palette, while the pink gold Ref. 244.037 introduces a warmer contrast around the same dial architecture.

The “A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Up/Down” (References below) is powered by the in-house manually wound mechanical movement, caliber L051.2 operating at 21,600 vph. It comes equipped with hours, minutes, subsidiary seconds and the characteristic AB/AUF power-reserve indication, while its traditional construction incorporates untreated German silver and extensive hand finishing visible through the sapphire caseback. Power reserve can last up to 72 hours, when fully wound.
Mounted on these watches are alligator leather straps selected to complement their respective case metals and the shared blue dial. The pink gold Ref. 244.037 is paired with a reddish-brown alligator leather strap and matching 18k pink gold pin buckle, while the white gold Ref. 244.028 receives a blue alligator leather strap secured by an 18k white gold pin buckle.