The Saxon manufacturer strikes again! These are some of the biggest creations of classical watchmaking. It is time to call it what it is: Made in Germany, outstanding, unique and above all lasting.
No introductions here, let´s get straight to the point …
The first masterpiece I want to show you is the new Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon
A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon
Nomen eat omen! This is a chronograph with perpetual calendar and tourbillon, limited to 100 watches …
DATOGRAPH
DATOGRAPH designates a column-wheel chronograph with a precisely jumping minute counter, a flyback function and the typical Lange outsize date. It distils three major technical advances in chronograph design into one: the column-wheel mechanism assures that all chronograph functions are reliably controlled. The jumping minute counter crisply displays the stopped times. And the flyback function allows the duration of consecutive events to be measured with extremely short reaction times.
PERPETUAL
PERPETUAL, the middle element of the name, refers to a instantaneously jumping perpetual calendar with a moon-phase display. All indications of the perpetual calendar – including the outsize date as well as the day-of-week, month and leap-year displays in subsidiary dials – switch instantaneously and thus provide unambiguous readings at all times. A first correction of the mechanism by one day can wait until the first day of March in the secular year 2100. And because of its stunning mechanical precision, the moon-phase display will only deviate from the true lunation by a single day after 122.6 years. Three correctors allow the separate adjustment of the moon-phase display, the day of the week and the combined advance of the month and leap-year indications. After a standstill of merely a few days, the rapid-correction pusher at ten o’clock can be used to conveniently update all displays at the same time.
TOURBILLON
The tourbillon mechanism is exposed by the sapphire-crystal caseback and the open tourbillon bridge. There, the escapement rotates about its own axis once a minute inside the filigreed cage. In conjunction with the free-sprung balance spring crafted in-house, it assures excellent rate accuracy across the entire 50-hour power reserve. The power-reserve indicator integrated at the end of the tachymeter scale reminds the owner when it is time to rewind the watch. For the first time in a Lange tourbillon with chronograph, the balance beats at a rate of 18,000 instead of the conventional 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour. This corresponds to a frequency of 2.5 hertz. Consequently, stopped times can be displayed with an accuracy of one-fifth of a second. The patented stop-seconds mechanism instantaneously brings the balance wheel inside the tourbillon cage to a standstill when the crown is pulled. This allows the watch to be set with one-second accuracy.
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DATOGRAPH PERPETUAL TOURBILLON Ref. 740.036F |
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Movement |
Lange manufacture calibre L952.2; manually wound, crafted to the most exacting Lange quality standards, decorated and assembled by hand; precision-adjusted in five positions; plates and bridges made of untreated German silver; intermediate wheel cock and tourbillon bar engraved by hand
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Movement parts |
729 |
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Bearing jewels |
59, including one diamond endstone |
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Screwed gold chatons |
5, including one diamond endstone |
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Escapement |
Lever escapement |
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Oscillator |
Shock-resistant balance wheel with eccentric poising weights; balance spring manufactured in-house with a frequency 18,000 semi-oscillations per hour |
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Power reserve |
50 hours when fully wound |
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Functions |
Time indicated in hours, minutes and seconds, tourbillon with patented stop seconds; flyback chronograph with precisely jumping minute counter; tachymeter scale; perpetual calendar with outsize date, day of week, month, and leap year; day/night indicator; moon- phase display; power-reserve indication |
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Operating elements |
Crown for winding the watch and setting the time, two pushers for operating the chronograph, rapid-correction pusher for collectively advancing all calendar displays, one recessed corrector each for adjusting the day of the week, the month, and the moon phases |
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Case dimensions |
Diameter: 41.5 millimetres; height: 14.6 millimetres |
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Movement dimensions |
Diameter: 32.6 millimetres; height: 9.0 millimetres |
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Crystal and back |
Sapphire crystal (Mohs hardness 9) |
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Case |
Platinum |
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Dial |
Solid silver, black |
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Hands |
Hour and minute hands in rhodiumed gold, luminous; seconds, day, month, and four-year hands as well as minute-counter hand in rhodiumed gold; chronograph sweep seconds hand in rhodiumed steel |
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Strap |
Hand-stitched alligator leather strap, black |
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Buckle |
Platinum deployant buckle |
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Limited edition |
100 watches |
Alex interesting interview but not so much about the watches unfourtenately. The new collection is stunning. And I agree with your comments what Lange & Soehne did in the last few years is unbelievable. They can easily compete with the big boys like PP, AP, JLC etc
I agree. I can’t recall a recent offering from them that hasn’t been superb. From the perfect dial designs to the finishing to the complications to those gorgeous movements! Now, I just have to find some funds to get one….
As always Lange & Söhne hits the target, with the quality of their products and the presentation of them.