A. Lange & Söhne is set to mark the 25th anniversary of its pioneering chronograph caliber with the creation of a unique timepiece — the Datograph Up/Down “Hampton Court Edition.” This one-of-a-kind watch will be auctioned in November by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo in Geneva, with proceeds benefiting the UK-based charity, The Prince’s Trust.

Housed in a 750 white-gold case, the “Hampton Court Edition” features a striking gray dial with black subsidiary dials and an engraved hinged cuvette. Juxtaposed against the gray dial are luminous gold hands and the red chronograph seconds hand; a tachymeter scale encircles the dial. 

Uncover the engraved hinged cuvette and one will find the manually-wound L951.6 caliber, comprising 451 individual components, all meticulously twice-assembled and finished by hand. Here in full display through the exhibition caseback are the minute counter mechanism, column wheel, and bridges crafted from untreated German silver, along with the hand-engraved balance cock with a whiplash precision index adjuster and four screwed gold chatons.

All proceeds (including the buyer’s premium) from the auction is dedicated to supporting young people in their pursuit of essential life skills and employment opportunities. “When our engineers developed the Datograph no less than 25 years ago, they created a chronograph that established technical and aesthetic benchmarks with its one-of-a-kind combination of an ingeniously engineered manufacture caliber and a lucidly configured dial,” explains Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid. “The Datograph Up/Down “Hampton Court Edition” provides a fitting conclusion to the anniversary year. It is simultaneously a pleasure and an honor for us that, with this unique timepiece, we are able to support the important work of The Prince’s Trust.”