A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split: The Ultimate Chronograph

A new platinum edition brings a distinctive rhodié-coloured aesthetic to one of modern watchmaking’s most complex chronographs.

Since its introduction in 2018, the A. Lange & Söhne TRIPLE SPLIT has occupied a category of its own in mechanical chronograph construction. It is the only split-seconds chronograph capable of measuring intermediate, comparative and overall times for up to twelve hours, extending the traditional rattrapante concept beyond the seconds counter. Now, the manufacture presents a third interpretation of the complication, combining a 950 platinum case with a rhodié-coloured dial and darker grey auxiliary dials in an edition limited to 100 pieces.

The new TRIPLE SPLIT follows the original 750 white-gold model with a grey dial and the 750 pink-gold version introduced in 2021 with a blue dial. While the architecture remains unmistakably familiar, the latest edition introduces a cooler and more technical colour combination that brings additional contrast to the intricate dial layout and the blued rattrapante hands.

A Rattrapante That Measures Up To Twelve Hours

The defining feature of the TRIPLE SPLIT is its ability to extend the rattrapante function to the minute and hour counters. A conventional split-seconds chronograph can record intermediate and comparative times within a maximum range of 60 seconds, but the TRIPLE SPLIT adds two additional pairs of rattrapante hands, allowing measurements from one minute all the way to twelve hours.

This makes the complication considerably more versatile than a traditional rattrapante. During a marathon, for example, intermediate times can be recorded for multiple runners at different distances while the overall winning time continues to be measured. The same principle can be applied to a journey in a classic automobile, where intermediate times can be taken at specific points along a route while the additive function calculates the total driving time independently of stops or breaks.

The chronograph also incorporates a flyback function. With a single actuation of the pusher at 4 o’clock, an ongoing measurement can be stopped, the active chronograph and rattrapante hands returned to zero and a new timing cycle started immediately when the pusher is released.

Three Pairs Of Hands, One Mechanical Choreography

The operation of the TRIPLE SPLIT is based on a sophisticated mechanical relationship between its three chronograph hands and three corresponding rattrapante hands. In the passive position, the blued rattrapante hands sit directly above their rhodiumed chronograph counterparts, appearing as a single set of hands.

Behind this apparently simple sequence lies a complex system of wheels, levers, springs, clutches and jumpers. The L132.1 calibre has to coordinate the starting, stopping, catching-up and resetting of six separate chronograph-related hands while maintaining precise rate stability and sufficient power delivery to the regulating system.

A Dial Designed Around The Mechanics

The visual structure of the TRIPLE SPLIT reflects its mechanical complexity without becoming unnecessarily difficult to read. The main dial is dominated by the chronograph and rattrapante seconds hands, while the auxiliary dial at 4 o’clock houses the precisely jumping minute counters. These advance by one increment immediately after each full minute has elapsed.

At 12 o’clock, the slightly smaller subdial displays the hour counters, while the UP/DOWN power-reserve indicator occupies the position at 6 o’clock. The subsidiary seconds are integrated into the auxiliary dial at 8 o’clock, and a peripheral tachymeter scale provides the ability to calculate average speeds over a distance of 1,000 metres.

The new platinum edition introduces a particularly restrained palette. The rhodié-coloured main dial is contrasted by darker grey auxiliary dials, luminous hour and minute hands and blued rattrapante hands. Red accents appear around the hour and minute counters and on the UP/DOWN indication, adding a small but deliberate touch of colour to the otherwise cool-toned composition.

Platinum And Rhodié

The new TRIPLE SPLIT is housed in a 43.2mm case crafted from 950 platinum, measuring 15.6mm in height. Its substantial proportions are a direct consequence of the sophisticated mechanism inside, but the architecture has been developed with wearing comfort in mind.

The cool appearance of the platinum case is complemented by a dark-brown hand-stitched alligator leather strap with grey stitching and a quick-release deployant buckle in matching 950 platinum. The combination gives the watch a more understated presence than the technical complexity of its movement might initially suggest.

The L132.1 Manufacture Calibre

At the centre of the TRIPLE SPLIT is the manually wound L132.1 manufacture calibre, entirely developed within A. Lange & Söhne. Measuring 30.6mm in diameter and 9.4mm in height, the movement contains 567 components and 46 jewels, with five screwed gold chatons incorporated into its untreated German-silver bridges and plates.

The movement operates at 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour and provides a 55-hour power reserve when fully wound. Its oscillation system features a shock-resistant balance with eccentric poising weights and an in-house crafted balance spring, while precision adjustment is carried out through a lateral setscrew and whiplash spring system.

The triple rattrapante mechanism is particularly demanding because the stopped rattrapante hands and the instantaneous advancement of the minute counters generate friction losses. To compensate for this, A. Lange & Söhne developed a dedicated disengagement mechanism that separates these friction-intensive processes from the seconds and minute-counter arbors. The result is intended to ensure that sufficient energy continues to reach the oscillation system and maintain stable timekeeping.

Mechanical Architecture As Decoration

The sapphire-crystal caseback reveals the extraordinary density of the L132.1, where technical architecture and traditional hand finishing are treated as equally important parts of the movement. The upper surfaces of the levers, springs and rockers feature straight graining, while the circumferential chamfers are carefully bevelled and polished.

Particular attention is given to the internal angles, whose acute geometry makes hand polishing especially demanding. Five gold screwed chatons stand out against the untreated German-silver bridges, which are decorated with Glashütte ribbing, while the balance cock receives the hand engraving associated with A. Lange & Söhne.

The result is a movement whose visual complexity is directly connected to its mechanical purpose. Rather than hiding the enormous number of components required for the triple rattrapante system, the sapphire caseback turns that complexity into one of the watch’s defining aesthetic qualities.

A Third Interpretation Of The TRIPLE SPLIT

The new platinum TRIPLE SPLIT demonstrates how A. Lange & Söhne can evolve an established complication without altering the mechanical identity that made it distinctive. The combination of 950 platinum, rhodié-coloured silver dial, grey auxiliary counters and blued rattrapante hands gives the watch a different character, while the L132.1 continues to deliver the same extraordinary ability to measure intermediate and comparative times across a twelve-hour range.

Limited to 100 pieces, the new TRIPLE SPLIT will be presented during the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace during the first weekend of September. More than a new colourway, it remains a showcase of the manufacture’s particular approach to chronograph construction, where extreme mechanical complexity is matched by an equally meticulous level of finishing.

Technical Specifications

For more information, please visit the official A. Lange & Söhne website.

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