When A. Lange & Söhne introduced the 1815 Rattrapante in honeygold in 2020, we missed it online (bar a line about its introduction), in favour of the 1815 Thin, also in honeygold, and the still-developing story of the Odysseus. The Glashütte manufacturer is bringing the split-seconds chronograph back this year in another limited edition of 200 pieces, this time in platinum. To the best of our knowledge, this new version is not limited to existing customers of A. Lange & Söhne also makes it a little more relevant to wider audiences. It is a boutique exclusive though and you will have to pop in and ask about the price, which is only disclosed upon request.
In any event, we will use this opportunity to correct our original omission on the 1815 Rattrapante. This is an important note because we do not typically feature new iterations of older models. In the case of the 1815 Rattrapante in honeygold, this watch happened to be the first time the manufacturer sent out its split-seconds chronograph by itself. Yes, this really was the first time A. Lange & Söhne introduced the split-seconds chronograph, or doppel chrono, without any other complication, and it must have been a great success because it is back for seconds. To be fair though, what else could we expect when the honeygold watch was limited in the way that it was — do not hold your breath for a steel version.
To begin with, the split-seconds chronograph is a big deal at A. Lange & Söhne, being something of a speciality of the watchmakers. We will not get into the specifics of a split-second chronograph, but you can think of it this way. A standard chronograph measures elapsed time for one timing event; the split-seconds allow one to extend that to two timing events, including measuring two sprinters against each other or, more traditionally, seamlessly measuring lap times in motor racing or distance running. There are two chronograph hands here, and as shown in the video but not quite in the standard images, both start together (precisely synchronised so it looks like there is just one hand). When the rattrapante function is engaged (via the pusher at 10 o’clock), the split-seconds hand (here in rhodiumised steel while all other hands are in blued steel) stops while the chronograph hand continues on its merry way. The same pusher also restarts the split-seconds hand, immediately jumping it back into place and pace with the chronograph hand.
It all makes for a nice bit of visual poetry, if you have ever seen it — or if like us you have tried to get those hands into the classic configuration you might have seen in pictures. As you might imagine, there is a lot of complexity here, which on the manual-winding calibre L101.2, you can see via the exhibition caseback, totally unobstructed by an automatic winding rotor. There are 365 individual parts here, all arranged like a mechanical funhouse; yes, there are two column wheels here, which is a signature of split-seconds chronographs. Now, the finish here is a bit different to the honeygold version because the signature Glashütte stripes and standard hand-engraving on the balance cock are both back.
Returning to the action dial-side, the 1815 Rattrapante is still the only watch from A. Lange & Söhne to feature this configuration of subdials, with an elapsed 30-minute counter at 12 o’clock and running seconds at 6 o’clock. The words Glashütte in Sachsen are also unique to the 1815 Rattrapante, at least in this full form. It might seem a little excessive in something like a chronograph, but it did not bother us when we handled the watch in person. Check out the video below, if you want all the key characteristics of the watch in 30 seconds flat.
You were shocked when you saw it in steel, and then promptly handed over your credit card. Next, you were perplexed when it appeared in white gold with a rubber strap, but you said take my money anyway. You know it; you love it; and so does everyone else with good sense… and more than a few cents to spare. Ladies and gentlemen, rise up and give your best impression of a Saxon roar as the A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus returns to the Palexpo, this time in titanium! Okay, that opening took a lot out of me, and it was actually meant to open a video about the watch (which we are very much working on). Check it out (when it’s out) and see if my professional sports narrator persona hits.
To be fair here, A. Lange & Söhne never debuted the steel Odysseus at the Geneva show, so this titanium chap is the first to grace these hallowed halls. As Ruckdee Chotjinda and I get into it elsewhere this issue, this watch is so clearly a winner that I even contemplated excluding it from my lineup this issue. I mean, we are making a video and everything so it seems a bit much to spring this on you in this section too, especially since the watch is limited to 250 pieces, and is probably all gone by the time you read this. In case you are on the fence about this (who are you? Please contact us), there are a few important points about the Odysseus in titanium that make it stand out. I will spare us all the recap on what makes the watch tick and get right to the main points.
In titanium, the watch is much lighter, as you would expect versus either steel or white gold. This makes the watch head sit a little better on the wrist — it could be argued that the steel version worked on most wrists, but this one goes the extra mile and makes the experience more comfortable. Next, the combination of matte and polished finishing for the case and the bracelet is simply spectacular, considering how difficult it is to gussy up titanium. The watchmakers at A. Lange & Söhne opted for micro-blasting to achieve the matte look, but the shiny bits — including the links in the bracelet — are hand-polished. Take a moment to let that sink in. Look at the watch again, and count the links. You know you want to. We will wait. If you are not duly impressed, then you know this watch is not for you.
Finally, there is the new Ice Blue dial, which has thoroughly won Ruckdee over (and also Logan Baker at Hodinkee). It is also decorated in a way subtly different to the steel version (I cannot remember the dial of the white gold version in the metal), which is a nice detail. In a way, this is the icing on the horological cake that team A. Lange & Söhne have so carefully prepared. Now, if only someone would serve you up a slice of that.
Movement: Automatic calibre L 155.1 with big day and date; 50-hour power reserve Case: 40.5mm in grade 5 titanium; water-resistant to 120m Strap: Grade 5 titanium bracelet Price: €55,000
Disruptions to supply caused by the pandemic have exacerbated an existing production issue, which was previously dominated by spurious complaints about brands artificially limiting production. We say spurious here because brands do intentionally limit supply, oftentimes based on their ability to do the kind of watchmaking they want, and to manage quality. Rolex, to use the example of the largest maker of watches above CHF3,000, takes about a year to make one watch, start to finish. This is according to independent estimates from a variety of trade publications, forums, Quora and Watchfinder.com. In any case, this illustration can be scaled down to work with brands that make significantly fewer watches. Keep it in mind when you consider the production information from the brands.
Image: A. Lange & Söhne
Take the example of A. Lange & Söhne, whose Odysseus model is one of the most sought-after in the luxury sports watch category; it sold for almost three times its retail price at a Phillips auction in New York in 2020. The brand continues to emphasise that it produces approximately 5,000 watches annually, and does not intend to go far beyond that. This is despite the fact that the Odysseus model only debuted at the tail-end of 2019.
Image: Piaget
The Glashutte firm has been saying something like this for more than five years, and possibly as long as 10 years. Fellow Richemont brand Piaget has likewise been saying its production levels for watches remain at 20,000 pieces annually since 2008. These kinds of numbers might seem like smokescreens, but we should always remember that contemporary watchmakers prefer to keep their production at optimal levels, rather than going for maximum results. This combines with the fact all brands — including Rolex — sometimes release clunkers or just models that will eventually be retired. When entire collections such as the Audemars Piguet Millenary are retired (at least in a typical gent’s style), the resulting capacity is simply assigned to other collections.
Speaking of retired collections or models, these are the truly rare watches out there. These will hardly ever be present in large numbers on social media, reselling platforms or brick and mortar stores. After all, whatever is discontinued cannot be found in stores brand new, except for whatever stock remains unsold, and brands will probably act to buy those back to protect their brand value. We have mentioned this earlier and will illustrate the point further with some official statements and quotes. In advance of that, we will take a stand here and suggest that if scarcity is the marker you trust best to establish value, then whatever models you do not see for sale are truly scarce. That makes sense from the perspective of Rolex stores without anything to buy… Or is this just a sign that some watches are so popular that watchmakers are having a tough time meeting demand? Indeed, we think that excited watch buyers are confusing popularity for scarcity.
All this is well and good, and represents a cursory examination with some random evidence that might appear to be tailored to fit our argument. For the avoidance of doubt, this segment includes all public information and statements from the brands on current market conditions. We begin with the most famous of all official words, from the unlikeliest sources: Rolex.
“The scarcity of our products is not a strategy on our part. Our current production cannot meet the existing demand in an exhaustive way, at least not without reducing the quality of our watches — something we refuse to do as the quality of our products must never be compromised. This level of excellence requires time, and as we have always done, we will continue to take the necessary time to ensure that all our watches not only comply with our standards of excellence, but also meet the expectations of our customers in terms of quality, reliability and robustness. Rolex does not compromise on what it takes to produce exceptional watches.”
“All Rolex watches are developed and produced in-house at our four sites in Switzerland. They are assembled by hand, with extreme care, to meet the brand’s unique and high-quality standards of quality, performance and aesthetics. Understandably, this naturally restricts our production capacities — which we continue to increase as much as possible and always according to our quality criteria.”
“Finally, it should be noted that Rolex watches are available exclusively from official retailers, who independently manage the allocation of watches to customers.”
That was the official Rolex line to Yahoo Finance, and it was picked up by every watch specialist, from Hodinkee to WatchPro, with some additional silliness that seemed to be just for the fun of getting the Geneva firm to open up. The above statement though does a bang-up of telling us all what we already know, albeit in words that we can rely on as canon. Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet and Swatch Group brands can all say different versions of the same thing (minus the bit about the retailers, because Rolex is the only one to rely exclusives on authorised dealers, without brand-run boutiques).
On the new manufacture building and production: “Today, the building is too big for us but tomorrow, we will need it. My children, if they want to develop the company, they will need it… If we talk about quantity, maybe we will increase by 1-2 per cent (over the course of years) so we need the space for that too. Even with our current production, we have to expect all these watches to return to us for servicing, so that’s another reason I decided on this type of expansion.”
The above is a quote from an interview we published in issue #59. Patek Philippe makes roughly 60,000 watches annually, and the firm will not be running at full capacity in the new building in the immediate future. Even without the pandemic in the mix, the idea is to scale production up gradually. Sustainably even.
On discontinuing Ref. 5711/1A-010 (as told to the New York Times in February last year): “We are doing this for our clients who already own a Patek Philippe and to protect our brand from becoming too commercial. I can continue to make this fantastic product, or sell 10 times more of them. But I am not working for numbers. I am protecting the company for the future, for my children.”
“This is an opportunity to teach a lesson to my kids, who are the first ones to say, ‘Dad, are you crazy?’ They have to learn, just as my father taught me: When you have a fantastic brand like Patek, you have to protect the brand and not just one product.”
And finally, the statement Patek Philippe itself released confirming the end for Ref. 5711/1A-010, edited here for relevance: “We seize this opportunity to reiterate that the priority for Patek Philippe is not to generate short-term profit, but to focus on creating a variety of new models that provide exceptional quality while preserving the value of our customers’ existing timepieces…we will maintain a balance in our collections without focusing on one specific product.” We published this statement in full in issue #60.
As that New York Times article mentioned, besides Rolex and Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet also has one model in particular (non-vintage) that remains a “wrist-power,” object. This is of course the Royal Oak reference 15202ST, which was also recently discontinued and replaced with reference 16202ST, itself a limited proposition for the 50th anniversary of the watch this year. There will only be 1,000 models of reference 16202ST with the 50th anniversary rotor on the brand new calibre 7121, just like the Series A run of the Royal Oak in 1972. Of course, a production run of 1,000 models in 1972 is quite different to that same number today, but Audemars Piguet has to protect the value of all existing watches in its stable, as well as all vintage propositions as well. CEO Francois Henry Benahmias said as much when introducing the entire new range of Audemars Piguet watches this year.
In response to our challenge to the idea of protecting desirability when it feeds the rapacious flipper mentality, the jocular CEO said the following: “We live in a free world…it is a free market. Who are we to determine what people do with our watches? If someone buys a watch from us and wants to sell it, who are we to stop him? Having said that, if someone buys a Royal Oak from us, sells it on, and comes back to try and buy the same watch from us again the week after, maybe we have a different point of view…”
We take Benahmias’ words to mean that collectors cannot be prevented from buying and selling whatever they want, which is only logical and reasonable. The secondary market (pre-owned and grey market) is estimated to be at least an order of magnitude larger than the primary market (EuropaStar, circa 2020) so shutting it down is certainly impractical. On the other hand, opportunists who see quick profits in iconic wristwatches should be resisted, if for no other reason than self-preservation.
Benahmias and Friedman went on to explain that if Audemars Piguet wanted to make more Royal Oak watches, the firm would have to make less of something else. Other manufactures have made the same point, as we have referenced earlier, and combined with long term growth strategies, all this means that we cannot just have more supply of one or two kinds of watches. Patek Philippe would have to allocate more than 30 per cent of its resources to make more steel watches, and Stern has repeatedly said he does not favour this. It seems logical that Rolex, to use a much larger production business as a counterpoint, would likewise not be interested in growing the volume of its business in steel watches, if it had to do so at the expense of its precious metal watchmaking.
Image: Audemars Piquet
Perhaps if the business in precious metals grows at the same pace, we may yet see more steel watches too, however unlikely it may be that two very different segments would experience the same scale of growth. For the moment, the desire for more of today’s popular models will have to come from the secondary market. This is of course the reason certain older models gain in value over time, when they might have lost a good chunk of the retail value to begin with.
To properly conclude here, there are plenty of brands creating similar watches today, chasing the insatiable desire for symbolic statement watches, such as the Royal Oak and the Nautilus, and dive watches. We have already seen the Parmigiani Tonda PF on one end, and the Tissot PRX on the other. This year so far, the Zenith Defy Skyline is making a play for the same wrist-space. No doubt Watches & Wonders will show us even more dive watches at a variety of price points, and plenty of luxury steel sports watches.
And we have not even discussed the heavily-marketed Bvlgari Octo Finissimo and its part here. Head over to the most popular reselling platforms and see how many of the existing watches we have mentioned in this article (minus the most obvious ones) are available, and at what price. If numbers are really your thing, you will see that scarcity does not always equal eye-watering price tags.
It’s the weekend so we’ll take a different tack to our continuing Watches & Wonders Geneva stories. In fact, Watches & Wonders Geneva is not the only game in town and we dropped in on Time to Watches to check out Corum, among other brands. The temperature outside plummeted but Corum warmed us up with a great conversation about time, and their new Admiral 42 watches, and a wildly luminescent Admiral 45 model.
The Admiral 42 watches sport the 2019-introduced dial decoration called grenadier fendu, which has a historical military inspiration. This decoration is shared across all the Admiral variants this year and speaks well to current appetites and tastes. We applaud the updates and look forward to more of such options. Not that Corum will be making more watches or anything, because the brand tells us that they will actually be making fewer watches, and cutting references even more than they already have. If you love the Bubble watch, as we do, you need not worry there because it is very much in the picture.
Corum
Back in the hallowed halls of the Palexpo, I want to take you through a true aural pleasure, the new minute repeater from A. Lange & Sohne. We spoke with our old friend, Product Development Director Anthony de Haas about it, off camera, and we’ll bring you that story in May. The short story on the Richard Lange Minute Repeater is that you have to hear it for yourself. It has a classical appeal, from its three-part enamel dial to the chiming mechanism that avoids awkward pauses in the absence of quarters, that contrasts strongly with the new Odysseus watch in titanium. More on that last watch later…
For now the new minute repeater serves to connect our day, between A. Lange & Sohne and the Patek Philippe Museum. This is because Richard Lange worked on thermocompensation in the balance spring and the Museum has an excellent showcase of early thermocompensation experiments, in pocket watches, just as Richard Lange would have made. The science and culture of watchmaking cuts across time and space, and it’s nice to have a visceral experience of that here in Geneva.
A. Lange & Söhne
Ok that’s a lot of verbiage and not a lot of watches, but we do have to save some of our coverage for the months to come. A lot of the watches at Watches & Wonders Geneva and Time to Watches for that matter, will be released throughout the year so we have to keep the excitement going for a little while. Of course, the Patek Philippe Museum can be experienced year round, but only in Geneva.
Speaking of strange connections, we managed to surprise our friends at Blancpain with a detail about the Air Command watch, which was not in their press release, and that you can read about in the latest issue of WOW, also online at LUXUO. In a bunker underneath the Blancpain boutique, we also saw a new bracelet for the Bathyscaphe and got a little handsy with the Fifty Fathoms 8 Days Tourbillon. The conversation was a little too animated and exciting so details on that bracelet and the Fifty Fathoms will have to wait. But honestly, these are the kinds of meetings and experiences that watch fairs are about. To us, they are worth a price above any watch. Okay maybe not a Van Cleef & Arpels Automaton but I digress.
Blancpain
Bringing the curtain down on this day of WWG was a private concert called the Sound of Colour by Hans Zimmer, courtesy of IWC. We skipped dinner to make this, and it was well worth it. Experiences like this one are also what watch fairs need, and deliver a visceral edge to the debut of the IWC and Pantone Top Gun watches.
For more highlights on Watches and Wonders 2022, click here.
Glashütte watchmaker A. Lange & Söhne unveiled a new trio of 1815 watches, a series of special editions called the Homage to F.A. Lange, to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the brand. All three Homage to F.A. Lange 1815 limited editions are in the A. Lange & Sohne-exclusive honey gold and bear specially finished movements and dials. The watches are the 1815 Thin Honeygold, 1815 Rattrapante Honeygold, and 1815 Turbograph Perpetual Honeygold.
The 1815 Thin Honeygold in particular is a new edition to the 1815 collection and we will be looking into it in depth here. It is also a particularly apt homage to F.A. Lange, and is reportedly available now. The other two will debut later this year, and they are available in a set (though they are not packaged nor properly sold that way).
The F.A. in “Homage to F.A. Lange” is a reference to brand founder Ferdinand Adolph Lange, of course, who got the story going 175 years ago. The brand has become an intrepid world traveller since then, with this latest reveal happening in China. Watches and Wonders is underway in Shanghai, and we can only look on while keeping our envy in check. Like A. Lange & Söhne CEO Wilhelm Schmid, we are only present digitally, given our own specific realities and the general difficulties with international travel. No matter though, we shall press on.
If you scan the A. Lange & Söhne catalogue, you will find references for the Rattrapante and the Turbograph, but not the 1815 Thin, honeygold or otherwise. Powered by the manual calibre L093.1, here given a new granulated finish and a different and more delicate style of hand-engraving on the balance cock, this provides the vital clue to this model’s most direct relative in the current collection — the Saxonia Thin.
There are a few key differences in the watch itself, beyond the movement finishing, between the 1815 Thin Honeygold and the Saxonia Thin. First off, the 1815 collection is partly defined by its use of Arabic numerals, while other collections use Roman numerals or just markers. The dial in the 1815 Thin Honeygold is a two-part enamel affair and of course the hands are in honeygold too. That exquisite enamel dial makes the 1815 Thin Honeygold marginally thicker than its Saxonia cousin (6.3mm versus 5.9mm), although this is admittedly relatively trivial.
Lange & Söhne Product Development Director Anthony de Haas tells us that the aim was never to win any thin accolades. “Our colleagues at Piaget will probably laugh at (the 1815 Thin Honeygold) because one can fit three Piaget ultrathin watches in our watch!” The new 1815 Thin is instead made to be the best sort of tribute to the heritage of A. Lange & Söhne, with the printed railway track scale and the Arabic numerals creating perfect clarity on the enamel dial. For those in the know, this reflects the values of F.A. Lange, as seen in his pocket watches. For the movement, the standard-issue three-quarter bridge, ribbing and the exposed crown and ratchet wheels are all hallmarks of Glashütte watchmaking, as pioneered by F.A. Lange himself.
A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Thin Honeygold Specs and Price Movement Manual winding calibre L093.1; 72-hour power reserve Case 38mm in honeygold (limited to 175 pieces); water-resistant to 30m Strap Brown leather (prong buckle in honeygold) Price S$49,900
The new edition of the LANGE 1 TIME ZONE in yellow gold is equipped with a champagne-colored dial and a medium brown leather strap and limited to 100 pieces. It measures 41.9 mm in diameter and is 10.9 mm high.
Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called “The Pledge”. The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. The second act is called “The Turn”. The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. But making something disappear isn’t enough; you have to bring it back. That’s why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call “The Prestige” – Christopher Nolan’s 2006 film, The Prestige
Originally released as part of Lange’s first collection in 1994, the Lange 1 was the Saxony Manufacture’s “pledge”. They took an ordinary watch and through an asymmetry guided by the principle of golden ratios, went on to spawn nine variants including everything from a Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar to the popular Grand Lange 1. Then, it followed up with an act of extraordinary mastery in 2005 called the Time Zone, it was the maison’s second act. Today, the Lange 1 Time Zone receives its first technical update since it was first launched 15 years ago. The new 2020 edition of the Lange 1 Time Zone retains the 41.9mm proportions of the original Lange 1 Time Zone but adds the practical functionality of daylight savings time indicator, simple but immensely useful tool for anyone who travels often to countries which still use the archaic practice.
The new 2020 Lange 1 Time Zone
The predecessor Lange 1 Time Zone from 2005
Despite the inclusion of an additional daylight savings reminder, the face of the new Lange 1 Time Zone looks pretty much unchanged without a side-by-side comparison but put the two together and the most noticeable change is the inclusion of two independently operating ‘sub-dials’ each hidden within two of the main dials. These disks indicate day and night, rotating once every 24 hours, an hour hand over the blue arc indicates PM for that time zone; these are the surest signs that beneath the argenté and black dials, lies an entirely different calibre driving these sophisticated timepieces.
The new edition of the LANGE 1 TIME ZONE, presented in June 2020 and equipped with a new manufacture calibre L141.1, combines functionality with clear readability. The time and date at home and another of the 24 zone times can be read at one glance. Ring-shaped day/night indicators assure good legibility and the new daylight saving time indication is a useful addition. The LANGE 1 TIME ZONE is available in pink gold with an argenté-colored dial, in white gold with a black dial and in yellow gold – limited to 100 pieces – with a champagne-colored dial. It measures 41.9 mm in diameter and is 10.9 mm high
The New Lange 1 Time Zone displays the Saxony manufacture’s nigh magical prowess in its Prestige
With nine assorted hands and pointers, and five dials, a dual timezone watch like the original Lange 1 Time Zone was never an easy watch to pull off design-wise. Though executed with much aplomb in 2005, the new Lange 1 Time Zone for 2020 creates a visually cleaner watch, and even if the raison d’etre of watchmaking today is one of fine arts, an easier to use dual timezone watch is always welcome.
Thoughtful decisions allow the Saxony manufacture to give the new Lange 1 Time Zone an additional daylight savings time reminder unobtrusively, while I’m not certain this means lovers of the current edition will give up their predecessor models for the 2020 edition, the new Lange 1 Time Zone is certainly a monumental update from a technical and visual perspective. Seriously, how do you add one extra indicator to the myriad of hands and dials yet make it more discreet? It’s a contradiction of terms and this is The Prestige.
While the older model expresses day and night in separate subdials, the new Lange 1 Time Zone offers a visually sophistication solution by “hiding” subdials via discs rotating around the central axis of hands. Furthermore, a recent Zoom presentation hosted by Lange’s Director Of Product Development Anthony de Haas explained the city pointer which referenced the city on the city ring on the previous iteration, now also hides a small window within the pointer to denote whether the respective city uses Daylight Savings Time or DST. Cities that do not use DST are indicated in white while red fills the window for cities that do.
Though not as discreet as its dial layout, the new Lange 1 Time Zone allows adjustment of the city ring in one-hour increments via a pusher at 8 o’clock; functionally, this feature is similar to other timezone complications on the market, moving each of the 24 reference cities for each time zone around the dial in one hour increments. A button at 10 o’clock adjusts big date.
Beneath the surface of the 2020 Lange 1 Time Zone
The nine of the current first generation Lange 1 variants including the Time Zone were derived from the L901.0, the base movement which powered the original Lange 1 in 1994. It was updated once in 2015 with the L121.1 and since then, Lange has progressively updated across the original Lange 1 collection, the new Lange 1 Time Zone is the last watch in the family to receive a new calibre L141.1 , one which accounts for daylight savings at that.
The new manufacture calibre L141.1 retains the unique synchronisation mechanism that makes it possible to transfer zone time from the smaller to the larger dial. This is useful when – during an extended stay abroad, for instance – the user wishes to swap zone time and main time. If the crown is pulled out to the second position, the times of both zones can be adjusted synchronously. But in the process, if the button for setting the second time zone is pressed and held, the hour hand for zone time will stay in its position. Now, the defined new main time can be set independently of zone time. Finally, it may be necessary to correct the outsize date which is connected with main time. This is done with the pusher at 10 o’clock.
Ultimately, the new Lange 1 Time Zone is a distillation of the collective experience accrued with the development of 65 calibres since their revival.
New Lange 1 Time Zone Price & Specs
Movement Manually wound Lange manufacture calibre L141.1 with 72 hours power reserve Case 41.9mm honey gold or white gold with 30 metres water resistance Strap Leather Price S$74,700 for PG and WG.
S$79,300 for YG version, limited edition 100 pieces, boutique exclusive
The new edition of the LANGE 1 TIME ZONE, presented in June 2020 and equipped with a new manufacture calibre L141.1, combines functionality with clear readability. The time and date at home and another of the 24 zone times can be read at one glance. Ring-shaped day/night indicators assure good legibility and the new daylight saving time indication is a useful addition. The model in white gold is equipped with a black dial and a dark brown leather strap. It measures 41.9 mm in diameter and is 10.9 mm high.
Spring 2020 is here and once more, we have another highly anticipated issue of World of Watches Malaysia. Want to find out what we have in store for our valuable readers? Why not pick up a copy of the magazine or, even better, subscribe to receive the magazines at your convenience, especially during the Movement Control Order period? Here is a sneak peek of what’s inside.
Daniel Craig aka James Bond 007 is back with his new Omega Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition. Read how the actor was consulted on the creation of the watch made for the most famous of field secret agents even as the launch of the new Bond movie is postponed towards the end of the year. The new watch, with its military specifications and vintage-inspired aesthetics, will remain high on the desirability list, especially with the greater anticipation for the 25th Bond movie which is coincidentally Craig’s last outing as James Bond.
2020 is a leap year and, once again, the date change at the end of February moves into focus with the extra day at the end of the shortest month of the year. In this issue, we discover how fine German watchmaking brand, A. Lange & Söhne, implements the major complication of the Perpetual Calendar in their highly complicate timepieces. In fact, since 2001, the highly respected brand has released no less than eight timepieces that feature this complication and, all but one of them implements the function in the most traditional of ways.
On a more heartwarming note, we feature Patek Philippe’s long-standing relationship with Cortina Watch as they come together to revel over sixty years of warm friendship and business connections. Find out how the two entities cooperated and stayed strong with each other through thick and thin in, our special write-up on Patek Philippe and Cortina Watch.
Of course, even in the absence of Baselworld and Watches & Wonders 2020, we persevere and continue to present the latest horological launches for the year. Rado shares the limelight with the new update on its popular vintage-styled Captain Cook that comes enhanced with 300m water resistance and in a more prominent and larger case of 42mm. Corum presents something lavish for the ladies – the Corum Golden Bridge Round 39, a watch that successfully combines traditional watchmaking values with the fine skills of haute joaillerie. Not to be left behind, Seiko honours Novak Djokovic’s achievements with a new Seiko Astron GPS Solar dedicated to the champion tennis player as its premium brand, Grand Seiko, celebrates 60 years of excellence with a range of 60th anniversary Grand Seiko limited edition watches.
Rest assured, these are just some of the many other fabulous watches that we delve into for this issue. During times of social distancing, many physical watch launches were postponed or cancelled but, definitely, we will not be lacking in any watch related information so stay with us always!
Last but not least, in our issue, we also invite you to take a journey on the L’Odyssée de Cartier even in the times when there are many travel restrictions. Discover how the legendary Maison took inspiration from the depth and the diversity of mankind’s culture and incorporated it into rare creations. Do not forget to follow the adventures on Cartier’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/Cartier
As we all stay strong and healthy in these trying times, please stay tuned into the happenings of the Malaysian watch market and do look out for the Spring 2020 issue of World of Watches at your local newsstands as well as follow us on our Instagram account @WatchWOWMy.
Celebrating its 10th birthday, A. Lange & Söhne’s mechanical “digital” watch receives an update for SIHH 2019. The latest Zeitwerk Date delivers the same high precision jumping digital display with an all-new feature – an additional date complication via a sapphire ring date displaying the current date in red.
The new A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Date is equipped with a new manufacture calibre, adding a date complication variant of the Zeitwerk series of Handwerkskunst, Minute Repeater, and the Decimal Strike.
SIHH 2019 A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Date
The Zeitwerk series debuted in 2009, ushering a new era in timekeeping- a digital watch with a mechanical heart. Inspired by the famed Dresden clock (and not an ironic watchmaking exercise mimicking digital quartz devices which almost killed the industry), the Lange Zeitwerk became known for its innovative, precisely jumping digital hours and minutes.
Arguably a foundational pillar for the Saxony manufacture’sknow-how, alongside the Datograph collection, the innovative concept of a digital mechanical wristwatch, with constant-force escapement and precisely jumping digital displays indicating hours and minutes with jumping numerals, became a revolutionary icon for the resurgent brand.
Zeitwerk Date
Ten years later, the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Date uses the new Lange manufacture calibre L043.8, introducing the series’ first date complication. The 44.2 mm white- gold Zeitwerk Date with a grey dial could be mistaken for a regular Zeitwerk in the collection save for the circumferential date ring consists of glass with printed numerals from 1 to 31 with the current date indicated in red, as a result, the ring-shaped date complication is perfectly harmonised with the Lange Zeitwerk’s overall design codes.
Zeitwerk Date
To achieve the post-modern date display, a small colour segment beneath the date ring performs one step exactly at midnight. Advancing 31 days, the red section would have complated one full orbital association.
Hence, the date is always clearly legible at all times and also recognisable intuitively. The date is itself manually adjusted with a corrector at 8 o’clock which operates on what Tony de Haas calls, “the inverted pusher”.
Zeitwerk Date
Typically, a user subjects the movement of his watch to an inordinate amount of pressure when using his pushers, this action could technically damage the user’s calibre. However, the switching impulse generated by the Zeitwerk Date when it is released takes a lot of the guesswork and potential for damage out of the equation.
Inclusion of the new date display unexpectedly threw up some inconvenient challenges like how the aesthetic codes of a Zeitwerk do not allow for easy layout for the brand’s signature outsized date. Hence, the team eventually decided that they needed a totally new design approach with a precisely jumping ring date.
Zeitwerk Date
Since time setting accurate to 24 hours would take too long to adjust via the crown of a Zeitwerk due to the minute by minute advancement, the SIHH 2019 Lange Zeitwerk Date incorporates an additional button at 4 o’clock allowing for advance of the hour indication separately.
The integration of the hour button was associated with considerable design modifications. To enable the correction independently of the switching cycles of the movement, a clutch uncouples the hour ring from the jumping numerals mechanism each time the button is pressed – Lange Technical Director de Haas refers to this convent as the “inverted” pusher.
The 516 piece manually wound calibre L043.8 stands out with its clearly organised movement architecture. What remains is the patented constant-force escapement that handles two tasks. As a remontoir device, it powers the balance of the Zeitwerk Date with a uniform amount of force for the entire running duration. Additionally, it also delivers the one-per-minute impulse for switching the three-disc jumping numerals display.
Zeitwerk Date Price and Specs
Movement Manual winding Lange manufacture calibre L043.8 with 72 hours power reserve Case 44.2 mm white gold case Strap Alligator leather Price $96,700
Classical music — a genre so unspeakably rich in content, vast in scope and so absolutely beautiful is best paired with a complication, because nothing else will quite match up.
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Glashutte Original Senator Cosmopolite
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The time in the major cities around the world at a mere glance, with a flyback chronograph to boot – that’s a good description of Ref. 5930, at least for a start. There’s also the masterful arrangement of elements to keep the dial legible and aesthetically balanced, alongside the shades of blue that do not detract from the classical styling of the watch. There’s even guilloché applied to the middle of the dial that manages to enhance its overall look, without creating any hint of busyness. Truly a timepiece that’s far, far greater than the sum of its parts. White gold, approx. RM301,883.
Words by Jamie Tan. Photography by greenplasticsoldiers. Art direction and styling by Evon Ching. From: World of Watches #37.
