The latest in the incredible range of technical masterpieces from the German brand is here...
During times as crazy as these, the kings of German watchmaking have brought back that sense of normality with the 2 latest releases, in the Odysseus and Zeitwerk ranges. A. Lange & Söhne know a thing or two about consistency and that proves it in typical fashion with these striking, highly complicated & luxurious pieces.
White Gold A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus
The latest A. Lange & Söhne watch family is growing. The ODYSSEUS now comes in white gold with an integrated rubber or leather strap. The sporty-elegant timepiece with the large-format date and day display and a water-resistant case features a grey dial with a special surface structure for a very textured effect.
The Odysseus now in white gold - Image Credit: A. Lange & Söhne Press
The watch is powered by the L155.1 DATOMATIC manufacture calibre developed exclusively for the ODYSSEUS. Its name stands for the combination of a date mechanism and automatic winding. To guarantee high rate accuracy regardless of external factors, the balance operates at a frequency of 28,800 semi-oscillations per hour (4 hertz). Recessed poising screws minimise air turbulence that could affect the rate. The movement has a maximum power reserve of 50 hours. The skeletonised and partially black-rhodiumed central rotor with a centrifugal mass in platinum assures dependable energy delivery.
The Odysseus now in white gold - Image Credit: A. Lange & Söhne Press
In line with Lange’s philosophy, all parts are lavishly hand-finished and the movement is assembled twice. Many artisanal details can be discovered with a glance through the sapphire crystal caseback. They include the German silver plate decorated with Glashütte ribbing, the wave pattern engraved on the balance bridge, and the screwed gold chaton above the escape wheel.
The Odysseus now in white gold - Image Credit: A. Lange & Söhne Press
Movement - Lange manufacture calibre L155.1 DATOMATIC®, self-winding, crafted to the most exacting Lange quality standards, decorated and assembled by hand; precision-adjusted in five positions; unidirectional winding central rotor with platinum centrifugal mass; balance bridge engraved by hand
Movement parts - 312
Jewels - 31
Power reserve - 50 hours when fully wound
Functions - Time indicated in hours, minutes, and subsidiary seconds with stop seconds; day-of-week and date displays
Operating elements - Screw-down crown for winding the watch and setting the time; two buttons for advancing the day of the week and the date
Case dimensions - Diameter: 40.5 millimetres; height: 11.1 millimetres
Movement dimensions - Diameter: 32.9 millimetres; height: 6.2 millimetres
Crystal and caseback - Sapphire crystal (Mohs hardness 9)
Water resistance - To 12 bar (120 metres)
Price - €39,500 (Including VAT)
I think they have hit the nail on the head with this version, and seems to solve a few of the issues people had with the original watch in steel. I think that this looks much better on both the leather & rubber straps than the steel watch on bracelet and the new dial texture/pattern helps to mix the sporty elements with a luxury approach, I also think that the grey dial is a perfect choice for a modern sports watch.
Blue Dial A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater
Presented in 2015, the ZEITWERK MINUTE REPEATER is the world’s only watch that combines a mechanical jumping numerals display with a decimal minute repeater. The complicated timepiece – its assembly alone requires several months – has so far been available only in platinum. Five years after its debut, it now comes in a limited 30-watch edition in white gold with a deep-blue dial.
The Zeitwerk Minute Repeater, now with a blue dial - Image Credit: A. Lange & Söhne Press
As soon as the striking mechanism is activated with the repeater pusher at 10 o’clock, it sounds the time as indicated on the dial. One hears what one sees. And one sees what one hears. At 7.52, for instance, the gong hammer on the left strikes the low-pitched gong seven times, once for every elapsed hour. Then, five double tones are struck for the elapsed ten-minute intervals, followed by the right-hand hammer with two high strikes, one for each elapsed minute. The polished gongs and the black-polished gong hammers are subtly integrated in the design of the dial.
The Zeitwerk Minute Repeater, now with a blue dial - Image Credit: A. Lange & Söhne Press
To achieve the best possible sound quality, the product developers carefully reconciled all relevant parameters such as the case, gong hammers, gongs and movement architecture with one another. The large white-gold case delivers a reverberant, warm sound. The gongs, patiently tuned by hand, generate pure, resonant tones in perfect harmony.
The Zeitwerk Minute Repeater, now with a blue dial - Image Credit: A. Lange & Söhne Press
The ZEITWERK MINUTE REPEATER features a unique pusher mechanism for triggering the repeater. Because the power for the striking mechanism is delivered by the mainspring barrel, there is no need for a slide – common in minute repeaters – to tension a separate spring. The absence of a large lateral opening in the case eliminated a source of acoustic disruption, thus improving the sound quality. And since a pusher, unlike a slide, can be sealed, the ZEITWERK MINUTE REPEATER is water-resistant to as much as 3 bar.
The Zeitwerk Minute Repeater, now with a blue dial - Image Credit: A. Lange & Söhne Press
Movement - Lange manufacture calibre L043.5, manually wound, crafted to the most exacting Lange quality standards, decorated and assembled by hand; precision-adjusted in five positions; three-quarter plate made of untreated German silver; balance and escape-wheel cocks engraved by hand; constant-force escapement
Movement parts - 771
No. of jewels - 93
Oscillation system - Shock-resistant cam-poised balance; balance spring crafted in-house, frequency 18,000 semi-oscillations per hour, precision beat adjustment system with lateral setscrew and whiplash spring
Power reserve - 36 hours when fully wound if the striking mechanism is not activated
Functions -Hours and minutes with jumping numerals display, striking mechanism with decimal minute repeater, subsidiary seconds with stop seconds, power-reserve indicator
Case dimensions - Diameter: 44.2 millimetres; height: 14.1 millimetres
Movement dimensions - Diameter: 37.7 millimetres; height: 10.9 millimetres
Crystal and caseback - Sapphire crystal (Mohs hardness 9)
Limited edition - 30 watches
Price - €449,000 (Including VAT)
What can I say? This watch is a technical masterpiece & work of art, and blue seems to be the colour of the year... The perfect match.
If you would like to see more of these incredible watches, you can check out the A. Lange & Söhne website here.
