The Richard Lange "Pour le Mérite" 260.028 is a limited edition of 218 pieces, sold only through A. Lange & Söhne boutiques, and its production figure was chosen to match the number of Lange points of sale around the world at the time of its release in 2016. The model itself had first appeared in 2009, when the manufacture offered it in Platinum and Rose Gold with enamel dials, and this edition revived the design in White Gold with a Black dial of solid silver. Like every watch that carries the "Pour le Mérite" name, it is built around a fusée-and-chain transmission, a mechanism with centuries of history in marine chronometers and fine pocket watches that Lange reintroduced to the wristwatch in 1994. The combination of a strong, graphic dial and one of the most demanding transmissions in traditional watchmaking makes this reference one of the most compelling expressions of the Richard Lange family, and one of its rarest. It also represents one of the few occasions on which Lange has tied the size of an edition to its own retail network, an idea that gives the number a story rather than an arbitrary value.
The White Gold case measures 40.5 mm in diameter and 10.7 mm in height, polished and brushed in the manner typical of Lange casework, with sapphire crystals over the dial and the movement. The Black dial is made of solid silver, blackened to a deep and even finish that sets off the white printed Roman numerals and the minute track with its red accents at the quarter hours. The layout is classical, with central hours and minutes, and a recessed small seconds at 6 o'clock finished with a fine circular pattern that catches the light and gives the dial additional depth. The hands are made of rhodium-finished gold, slender and elegant, and they read cleanly against the dark ground. The contrast of black, white and a touch of red recalls the dials of historical scientific instruments, while the White Gold case keeps the overall impression cool and restrained. A black alligator strap with a White Gold buckle completes the watch, carrying its monochrome palette through to the wrist without distraction. Because the dial is solid silver rather than lacquered brass, the black finish has a depth that painted dials rarely achieve, and the white printing sits crisply on its surface.
The fusée-and-chain transmission is the reason the watch exists. In a conventional movement, the force delivered by the mainspring falls gradually as it unwinds, which can affect the consistency of the balance. The fusée solves this with a cone-shaped pulley connected to the mainspring barrel by a miniature chain: when the spring is fully wound, the chain pulls on the narrow end of the cone, and as the spring relaxes, it pulls on progressively wider sections, so the torque reaching the gear train stays nearly constant. The result is steadier energy and a more even swing of the balance throughout the running period, the same goal that motivated marine chronometer makers centuries earlier. Building this mechanism in wristwatch scale requires a chain of hundreds of tiny parts assembled by hand, and the delicate chain is clearly visible through the sapphire caseback. The hand-wound movement runs for 36 hours when fully wound, and its three-quarter plate of untreated German silver and hand-engraved balance cock display the finishing expected from Glashütte. As with every Lange movement, it is assembled twice before leaving the manufacture.
The "Pour le Mérite" series began in 1994 with the Tourbillon "Pour le Mérite", one of the four watches that relaunched A. Lange & Söhne, and the first wristwatch to combine a tourbillon with a fusée-and-chain transmission. The name refers to the Prussian order of merit awarded for outstanding achievement in the sciences and arts, and Lange has reserved it for watches that use the fusée and chain. The Richard Lange "Pour le Mérite" of 2009 brought the mechanism to the Richard Lange family without a tourbillon, placing the emphasis entirely on the transmission itself. The 2016 edition built on that foundation, and its link between production and points of sale gives it a unique place in the manufacture's history, connecting the watch to the network of boutiques and retailers that represent Lange around the world. In the years since, the fusée and chain has appeared in several of Lange's most complicated watches, but the Richard Lange version remains the purest demonstration of the principle.
For collectors, the 260.028 offers a rare combination of technical depth, historical resonance and visual clarity. Its limitation to 218 pieces and its boutique-only distribution make it far less common than the regular Richard Lange models, and its fusée-and-chain transmission places it among the most technically significant watches in the family. The Black dial gives it a modern graphic strength that sets it apart from the earlier enamel-dial versions, while the classical layout keeps it firmly within Lange's tradition. It will appeal to collectors who admire historical watchmaking techniques and want to own one in a wearable, everyday format, as well as to those building a collection around the "Pour le Mérite" series. Above all, it offers the satisfaction of a watch whose most important feature is hidden in plain sight, visible through the caseback to anyone who takes the time to look.
