Ask the average watch guy what the ultimate combination of complications is, without crossing into the realm of obscene, and odds are he’ll say “the perpetual calendar with split-seconds chronograph.” More accurately, ask ME what the ultimate combination of complications is (for a mega daily wearer), and I would say “the perpetual calendar with split-seconds chronograph.” Sure, there are more complicated, technically impressive watches out there – the repeaters, the tourbillons, and such, but at a certain point, it just becomes A LOT. For me, I’m not sure I would even want to wear a watch more complicated than a rattrapante QP – but that’s another story for another day.
Up until last week, there was really only one reasonable choice when it came to split-seconds perpetuals – the Patek Philippe reference 5004, or more recently, the reference 5204 introduced this past Basel World (yes, others have done it, but few famously or elegantly). At SIHH this year, A. Lange & Söhne introduced the watch you see here, the 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar, and hit Patek right where it hurts. Here’s why: