1-on-1: Comparing the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph and the Vacheron Constantin Historiques Cornes de Vache 1955
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1815 Chronograph vs Historiques Cornes de Vache 1955
Chronograph watches are quintessential in the modern gentleman’s collection and, therefore, are a must-have in every manufacturer’s catalogue While originally intended to be a tool (to measure heart rate, to time a race etc), the chronograph watch today serves mainly as an accessory, and an object of curiosity and fancy.
The dress chronograph is an important sub-category of the chronograph watch Designed to be dressy and elegant, it lacks the ruggedness or sportiness typically associated with the chronograph watch And yes, it looks great with a suit.
A Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph
For this 1-on-1, we look to two of the world’s finest makers of dress watches: A Lange & Söhne and Vacheron Constantin.
The former is a young brand from Saxony; the latter, one of the oldest watchmakers in the world, based in Geneva While the styles of their watches are different, their quality is consistently top notch and industry-leading The most iconic dress chronograph from Lange is undoubtedly the Datograph.
However, it is not exactly the dressiest That honor belongs to its little brother, the 1815 Chronograph The 1815 Chronograph is one of the finest chronographs ever made and it deserves a rival that is similarly magnificent.
With that in mind, we chose to pit it against the Vacheron Constantin Historiques Cornes de Vache 1955, a connoisseur favourite
Vacheron Constantin Historiques Cornes de Vache 1955
The Case
The 1815 Chronograph is encased in a Lange stock standard case, one that is shared across nearly all Lange watches Don’t be fooled by the fact that it is a ‘standard’ case, though, because at Lange, the only standard is perfection.
Its overall design is typically German: overbuilt and austere Where finesse is introduced is in the finishing The case is polished and satin-brushed alternatingly for a stunning visual contrast.
Our favourite bits are the bevels on the edges of the lugs and pushers; they really add nuance to an otherwise modestly designed case.
The overall design of the case may look simple, but it is in fact inundated with plenty of nuances, like the alternating polished/satin finish on the pushers and the tapering bevels on the lugs.
On the other hand, the case of the Historiques Cornes de Vache 1955 has a more ‘flamboyant’ character Inspired by the vintage Ref 6087 made, of course, in 1955, it features lugs that resemble the horns of a cow (hence “cornes de vache”).
It is these sensuous, gorgeous lugs that have mostly given the Historiques Cornes de Vache 1955 its unmistakable character, and its cult status today Even though both the 1815 Chronograph and the Historiques Cornes de Vache 1955 share similar case sizes (39.5 mm x 11.0 mm vs 385 mm x 109 mm, respectively), the Vacheron Constantin all-star has a more refined appearance.
This is thanks in part to its thinner bezel, fully polished surface, and vintage pump pushers
The highly evocative cow horn lugs are what gives the Cornes de Vache 1955 its character and []
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