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March 30, 2015
A. Lange & Söhne | 2011 S.I.H.H. Report!
A. Lange & Söhne | A. Lange & Söhne
The fourth installment of the "Pour le Mérite" pinnacle model, plus...
The brand's first musical watch and its first ultra-thin, simple model are unveiled!
Announced at this year's S.I.H.H.,A. Lange & Söhnethe most noteworthy of the new releases are two new complications featuring sophisticated mechanisms. We also introduce the completely revamped "Saxonia" collection here.
By Yasuhito Shibuya
A. Lange & Söhne, which carries on the tradition of the manufacture founded by Adolf Lange, the great-grandfather, in 1845, was revived by Walter Lange in 1990 after a half-century hiatus caused by the division of East and West Germany and the nationalization of the company. The brand pursues the ultimate in mechanical watchmaking, embodying the traditional style of Glashütte, Germany, and the highest level of craftsmanship. A. Lange & Söhne's commitment to high goals, uncompromising approach, and unique pace of product development, unswayed by trends, remains unchanged in 2011.
This year's collection features a total of six new models. These include two complex timepieces and four models from the "Saxonia" standard watch collection, which was first introduced in 1994 as the inaugural revival model and has now undergone a complete overhaul.
For watch enthusiasts who appreciate sophisticated mechanisms, the two new complications are undoubtedly the most captivating.
In particular, the "Richard Lange "Pour le Mérite" Tourbillon" is noteworthy, combining a tourbillon escapement that reduces the effects of Earth's gravity for enhanced timekeeping accuracy with a chain-and-fusée mechanism designed to stabilize the watch's power delivery for further precision improvements.TourbillonThe regulator dial, which displays hours, minutes, and seconds on independent hands, features a delightful detail: a portion of the hour subdial appears and disappears every six hours, cleverly designed to provide a better view of the tourbillon escapement.
The other complex watch, the "Lange Zeitwerk Striking Time," appears almost identical to the digital display "Zeitwerk" introduced in 2009 at first glance. However, beneath the digital displays on the left and right of the dial lies a hammer mechanism that chimes to indicate the passage of time, making it the brand's first musical watch. This is an absolute must-see for aficionados of chiming timepieces.
The completely redesigned "Saxonia" is also packed with meticulous attention to detail, such as the movement itself being re-engineered to fit the slightly larger and thinner case, resulting in a perfect finish as a pinnacle standard watch. The "Saxonia "Flach"," in particular, Lange's first two-hand, ultra-thin, simple model, is highly recommended for adults who appreciate simple watches.
Richard Lange "Pour le Mérite" Tourbillon
A portion of the lower right subdial indicating the hour switches every six hours!
This is the fourth iteration of the "Pour le Mérite" series, which pursues the highest precision for a mechanical wristwatch by incorporating Lange's signature miniature chain-and-fusée mechanism, designed to stabilize the watch's power delivery along with the tourbillon escapement, into the wristwatch movement. The regulator dial design, displaying hours, minutes, and seconds on separate hands and subdials, is inspired by an 1807 pocket watch made by the renowned watchmaker Johann Heinrich Seyffert, who also crafted chronometers favored by Alexander von Humboldt, the father of modern geography. Among the three off-center subdials, the lower right hour dial has a sophisticated rotating disk mechanism: a portion of it overlaps with the skeletonized small seconds subdial revealing the tourbillon escapement, and when the hour hand is between 12 and 6 o'clock on the right half, this part of the dial is hidden to provide a clear view of the entire tourbillon escapement.
Manual wind, 41.9mm pink gold case, crocodile strap, ¥16,474,500. Scheduled for release in August.
Lange Zeitwerk Striking Time
Chimes the hour! Lange's first musical watch
This is the first musical (time-telling chime) watch from the reborn A. Lange & Söhne, based on the "Lange Zeitwerk" mechanism, which clearly displays the current hour and minute digitally, switching instantly as the time arrives. It is equipped with a "Quarter Striking mechanism" that chimes the beautiful sound of metal hammers striking gongs on the hour and every fifteen minutes. Driving such a mechanism requires significantly more energy than a conventional watch movement, but the Zeitwerk's mechanical movement, which powers the large hour and minute display discs, had sufficient energy reserves, leading to the creation of this timepiece. The triangular hammers visible beneath the dial are for striking the hours (left) and quarters (right). The gongs that emit the sound are set between the dial and the bezel. Furthermore, a silent mechanism can be activated by pressing the push-button at 4 o'clock to stop the striking function if desired.
Manual wind, 44.2mm white gold case, crocodile strap, ¥8,526,000. Scheduled for release in September.
Saxonia "Flach"
Lange's first two-hand, thinnest, simple watch
The "Saxonia," introduced in 1994 as one of the first collections of the revived Lange, has been cherished by watch connoisseurs as a timepiece that carries on the virtues of pre-WWII German mechanical watches. It features a simple dial with elements pared down to the extreme for legibility, and a robust design with a 3/4 plate base that firmly supports the gears, cams, and springs. It was also relatively affordable within the lineup. This year, the series has been completely renewed, with the winding mechanism, previously a micro-rotor, now a center rotor for improved winding efficiency and a longer power reserve, marking a new generation from the movement level up. Accompanying this innovation is the "Saxonia "Flach"," Lange's first two-hand model and the thinnest at just 5.9mm, making it the slimmest in any Lange collection to date. This model features an in-house balance spring, newly developed for this watch and measuring a mere 2.9mm thick, similar to the other two complex models featured here. The case has a see-through back, allowing enjoyment of its beautiful mechanics. Due to its two-hand design, the stop-seconds mechanism, unique among Lange movements, has been omitted. This is truly a timepiece for the discerning collector, offering a profound appreciation for the subtle charm of a simple wristwatch.
Manual wind, 40mm pink gold case, crocodile strap. ¥1,848,000. Scheduled for release in January 2012.
A. Lange & Söhne
Tel. 03-3288-6639