A. Lange & Söhne Revive Cabaret Tourbillon

This watch was the first model in a rectangular case — well, the first since the brand's revival, but not in the overall history of the manufacture founded by Ferdinand Adolph Lange in 1845. Watches in rectangular cases and typical of the Art Deco style  appeared in the German watchmaker's selection in the 1920s.

It was the same era when another rectangular case was released, probably the most famous one: the Reverso by Jaeger‑LeCoultre, which marks its 90th anniversary this year. The A. Lange & Söhne Cabaret from 1997 combined small seconds and the recognizable big date aperture.

These watches enclosed in pink-gold, yellow-gold and white-gold cases were made right up until 2010, and there were also platinum cases with dials that came in various different shades. The collection's first complicated model appeared in 2004, when the Cabaret replaced the small second counter with a moon-phase display.

Four years on, collectors were given the opportunity to marvel at a tourbillon in the rectangular case. The A. Lange & Söhne Cabaret Tourbillon was equipped with a unique tourbillon with a carriage which could be stopped when setting the time. Even when halted, the balance wheel's energy wouldn't be lost.

It looked like the last Caberet Tourbillon model had left the manufacture in 2013. But then A. Lange & Söhne presented a new version of the model out of the blue in 2021. The Ref. 703.048 was added to the Handwerkskunst series which debuted in 2011.

According to the creators of the series, high quality hand-finishing is what brings the watches in this line together and sets them apart from the rest. The seventh watch in this series is limited to 30 pieces housed in white-gold cases measuring 29.5 mm × 39.3 mm.

This noble metal is paired with a gray dial. Its center had been manually engraved with a lozenge pattern by the masters at the German manufacture. This complex geometrical pattern requires extra care, as the tiniest of mistakes would be spotted straight away. Luckily, A. Lange & Söhne don't make these kinds of mistakes.

The pattern is mirrored on lozenge-shaped hour markers accompanying the Roman numerals. The edge of the dial is finished with tremblage engraving which gives the surface an exquisite texture. This type of finishing was used on the dials of other Handwerkskunst watches, such as the Zeitwerk Handwerkskunst and A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst.

It's powered by the new manually-wound L042.1 caliber. This movement is comprised of 370 components, 84 of which belong to the tourbillon. It ensures a 120-hour power reserve. The movement has inherited many of its features from the 2008 movement, but its special finishing makes it stand out. The Saxon watchmakers have also decorated L042.1 with the very same lozenge pattern.