The Chronograph That Rules Them All Is Back: Bow To The A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split In Platinum
There are 567 reasons to fall in love with the A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split in platinum. The only watch in the world capable of measuring intermediate and comparative times with an aggregate duration of up to 12 hours houses the 567-part hand-winding triple-rattrapante caliber L132.1, which has a hypnotizing effect on watch connoisseurs. The hand-decorated, manually assembled movement is a complex choreography of wheels, levers, springs, clutches, and jumpers, showing onlookers that the watchmakers behind this construction operate at the very highest level of horology. The movement might be the same as when it debuted in 2018, but the 2026 version of the Triple Split is new, as it debuts in a platinum case.
Since returning to the market in 1994, A. Lange & Söhne from Glashütte in southeast Germany has taken a swift route to the top of the haute horlogerie pyramid. You can’t take shortcuts to reach it; only top-quality watches and movements get you there. One of the absolute highlights of the journey to the top was the 2018 release of the Triple Split (ref. 424.038F), the world’s first mechanical rattrapante chronograph capable of measuring comparative and lap times up to 12 hours. The white gold watch with a slate-gray dial blew everybody away. And when the 2021 version in pink gold and a blue dial (ref. 424.037F) debuted, the triple rattrapante stunned everybody again. It still had no equal. And now the chronograph that rules all chronographs is back, heavier than ever, in the shape of a platinum version with a rhodium-plated dial.
The 2018 Triple Split in white gold (ref. 424.038F) on the left and the 2021 version in pink gold (ref. 424.037F) on the right
Bow to the A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split in platinum
The number of movement parts is dazzling, and so are the heavy 43.2 × 15.6mm platinum case and the expected €210,000 retail price. But maybe we can stop your head from spinning by explaining how the Triple Split works. After all, understanding what you’re looking at often helps normalize things, so we can at least give it a try, right?
The easiest way to understand the Triple Split is to look at its three pushers. The one at 2 o’clock starts and stops the chronograph. Once activated, all three sets of hands for seconds, minutes, and hours begin to move together. The pusher at 4 o’clock takes care of the flyback function. Press it, and the chronograph hands return to zero and immediately start another timing operation. That’s handy, especially when you have something worth timing more than once.
Then, there is the pusher at 10 o’clock, which controls the rattrapante mechanism. Pressing it while the chronograph is running stops the three blue rattrapante hands, recording an intermediate time while the chronograph hands underneath keep turning. Press the pusher again, and the stopped hands instantly catch up with their continuously running counterparts. They then continue in perfect synchronization.
That ability to split, record, catch up, and continue timing is what makes the Triple Split so fascinating. It is not merely a chronograph with an extra hand or two; it’s a watch designed to keep multiple elapsed hours, minutes, and seconds in play at once.
Are you okay?
It’s still a lot to take in, right? It might also take some time to get used to reading the watch. As you can see, there are four central hands. It’s easy to tell which ones display the regular hours and minutes, but the other two may not be as straightforward. The blue and rhodium-coated center-mounted chronograph-seconds hands complement the matching hands for elapsed hours (sub-dial at 12 o’clock) and elapsed minutes (sub-dial at 4 o’clock). At 4 o’clock, the jumping 30-minute counter advances one increment at the end of each minute. It is slightly smaller than the 12-hour counter positioned at 12 o’clock. At 6 o’clock, Lange’s familiar “AB/AUF” indicator shows how much of the movement’s 55-hour maximum power reserve remains. The small-seconds sub-dial at 8 o’clock completes the busy but remarkably balanced layout.
A movement like a landscape
It’s a complicated watch to operate and read, and at its heart lies a complicated movement. The caliber is just like a masterpiece in a museum; you can stare at it over and over again without getting bored. And every time you do, you will notice another detail that touches your horology-loving heart. The 30.6 × 9.4mm L132.1 hand-winding movement is visible through the display case back. It looks like a mechanical landscape, with canyons and valleys connected via miniature plateaus. Colorful, shiny, and almost impenetrable, the movement is like a microscopic horological ecosystem, adding to the mystery of ultra-complicated watchmaking.
The levers, springs, and rockers feature straight graining on their upper surfaces, while their edges are finished with polished circumferential chamfers. Please also note the sharp internal angles, which are particularly demanding. Each one is chamfered and polished by hand without softening the geometry.
The five gold, screwed chatons add another traditional Glashütte touch. The bridges themselves are made of untreated German silver and decorated with Glashütte ribbing, while the balance cock receives the expected manual engraving.
Final words on the regal Triple Split
It’s hard to stop talking about a watch like the A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split. There’s just so much interesting movement tech to mention. For instance, because stopping the rattrapante hands and advancing the minute counters adds extra friction into the movement, Lange devised a special, patented disengagement mechanism. This temporarily disconnects friction-intensive operations from the seconds and minute-counter arbors, allowing sufficient power to reach the regulating organ and helping maintain stable timekeeping. This is complex but interesting stuff if you want to understand whether you’re into watchmaking rather than watches, if you know what I mean.
The third iteration of the Lange Triple Split (ref. 424.025F) again comes in a limited series of 100 pieces, this time with a rather understated rhodium-plated dial with two gray sub-dials. But that doesn’t fool anyone after a closer inspection. The Triple Split is a watch lover’s dream and probably a watchmaker’s nightmare. Please tell me which Triple Split iteration is your favorite/grail in the comments section below.
