A. Lange & Sohne, the Germany-based maker of highly complicated German timepieces, gathered the world’s leading watch retailers and international press here in Berlin, Germany this week to reveal its spectacular innovation: the Lange Zeitwerk.
When the company was reborn 15 years ago as a leader in haute horology, its Lange 1 model attained instant recognition as a timeless design icon. Now, with the new Lange Zeitwerk, a remarkable dial design signifies another milestone timepiece.
Most significantly, the new mechanical watch features a precisely jumping hour and minute indication of singular clarity. A German-silver time bridge unfolds across the entire width of the dial to prominently frame the large numerals of the laterally aligned windows that present the hours and minutes. It extends down to encircle the subsidiary seconds dial as well, uniting all three levels of time measurement in a harmonious setting. With its easy-to-grip beveled flutes, the knurled crown points up and away, predicting an upswing movement. And in the upper third of the dial, the continuous power-reserve indicator reliably tells the owner when it is time to re-energize the movement (36 hours). Thanks to the unparalleled size of its numerals, its time display is remarkably easy to read. With a whispered click and within fractions of a second, the minute display advances step by step until the watch initiates the big jump at the top of the hour. At this point, all three numeral discs switch forward simultaneously and instantaneously by exactly one unit. The perfect moment for the showdown is at 11:59 – “high noon” in a widescreen format.
The 42-mm round Lange Zeitwerk’s manually-wound movement must generate a significant amount of energy to simultaneously advance all three numeral discs once every hour. It is delivered by a newly developed and patented barrel with an extra-strong mainspring. A constant-force escapement, also patented, between the barrel wheel and the balance, acts as a pacemaker for the jumping advance of the hours and minutes. A glance through the sapphire-crystal caseback reveals the lavishly decorated L043.1 manufacture caliber.
The Lange Zeitwerk is available with a case of yellow gold, white gold, pink gold or platinum, and dial options include solid silver, champagne solid silver, black solid silver,
Argenté solid silver, or rhodium. Completing the elegant look is a hand-stitched crocodile strap and a signature Lange prong buckle in solid gold or platinum.
For more information, call +49 (0)35053 440 or visit www.lange-soehne.com.
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