Messages: 2354 Location: New England
Registered: November 2003
Right, sorry, I should've clarified...
Thu, 20 March 2014 04:24
At that time (1990s), I believe Lange used 3 "standard" box types:
(1) First there was the small, flat, rectangular box used (only?) for the 1815 models, including the 1815 Moonphase. This was the "cheapest" box, since the 1815 was the "entry-level" watch at the time. That box had no brass latches, and the papers were stored in a pocket inside the lid. [Note: This was my favorite box -- it got the job done efficiently and effectively!]
(2) Next there was the square-ish box described in my previous post. That was the most common Lange box. It was used for most models (Lange 1, Langematik, etc.). It had 1 brass latch.
(3) Finally there was the "deluxe" big box that had 2 brass latches. That was typically used for watches such as the Datograph and the Tourbillon PLM. Sometimes the watch was centered in the box and the papers stored underneath (as in the Lange 1 box). Other times, the watch holder was on the right side of the box, and the papers were stored separately on the left under the "pillow." This was a really nice box.
Two things struck me about these early boxes. First, many of them were ALMOST, but not quite, the same size. The inner and outer boxes appeared interchangeable, but they weren't. It was very often the case that you would try to move a gray cardboard sleeve from 1 box to another and it would be a few mm too loose or tight. Second, those common square-ish Lange 1-type boxes (with 1 brass latch) often varied considerably in how much they weighed. Some were quite heavy even thought they were the same size.
At that time, boxes were sometimes mixed up among the various models. For example, here's an 1815 Moonphase that came in the Dato-style box (papers on the left, watch on the right):
- CR