Flashback: Berlin Launch of ALS Zietwerk

The New Lange - Zeitwerk

Zeit in German meaning time
werk meaning works



October 1994, the Lange 1 burst into the scene and announced to the world that the Germans have arrived. The tour de force illustrated by the Lange 1, the Pour le Merite Tourbillon shook the world of horology. It was never the same again…the Swiss now have to be aware of the competition coming from their north.

Fifteen years later, Lange once again proved that they are the leaders. In a year of financial turmoil, they have showed their prowess by not launching one highly significant horological product, but two. In a year where many manufactures are holding back their significant pieces, Lange shows the way with two. They will also be delivering the Lange 31 and by year end, the second tranch of the Tourbograph in a new precious metal.

The Richard Lange Pour le Merite in enamel dial with fusee and chain announced in SIHH in January this year was joined by the Zeitwerk which was launched in a beautiful event in Berlin.



I had earlier shown the teaser above…the uncropped image is as below, and would have given away the fact that the new watch had no hands…ok…it had a huge seconds hand, but it was not apparent in this picture.



The new watch is the new face for Lange, leading the way to the next generation…in Fabian Krone’s invitation, he hinted that this will be a big jump in horology…if you look back at my hints, I used this several times.



So what’s so special? Starting from the design language, this is the first digital mechanical watch with such large digital display, and which is laid in a line across as one would read the time. Others seem to be arranged vertically, and typically the digital displays are smaller.

Also, a bold frame in German Silver frames the huge jumping displays. BTW, these are early prototypes, the alignment of the disks would be adjusted in the final product so they are totally alighed.



Next the movement, of course is special. Not only is finished in traditional Lange style, it is fitted with a constant force mechanism which provide a constant force to the balance and improves timekeeping but also powers the jumping mechanism of the digital display.



A new patent was registered for the digital display – the way led by the Lange 1’s large date, the time display is huge.



The time change occurs quickly, on the dot when the seconds hand hit 12, and instantaneously. In time setting mode, turning the crown forwards also effect this change instantaneously, and backwards will cause the time to jump back instantaneously.


Short movie on jumping at 11:59.

Housed in a magnificent case measuring 41.9mm in diameter and 12.5mm thickness lies the movement – Caliber L043.1, itself measuring 33.6mm in diameter and 9.3mm in height…and as usual for Lange, no movement ring is required…the movement is fitted right inside the case. The case is available in 4 metals – WG, YG, RG, Platinum. Each with its own dinctitive dial – black for WG, argenté for PG, champagne for YG, and rhodié for Platinum.

The movement…out of the case



In order to move the massive disks, a huge amount of power is required. And to supply this power, a very thick mainspring is used. This mainspring provides more torque than the Lange 31. Its shorter but thicker than the 31 spring.

If you remember the technical discussions on the Lange 31, the power of its mainspring is so strong that it will cause instantaneous and massive overbanking of the escapement. The problem was solved in the 31 with a remontoir, which is rewound by the mainspring once every 10s. And the small remontoir spring supplies near constant force to the escapement.


The bridge of the remontoir palet.

The same principle used to tame the power of the mainspring and also to provide constant force to the escapement. The remontoir is slightly different, and indeed carries a patent. This remontoir recharges once a minute, which suits the jumping mechanism just fine, as with each recharge instantaneously every minute, drives the jumping mechanism.

Movement has 66 jewels, 388 parts, and 2 gold chatons. 36 hour power reserve.

Part 2 of this report will be the technical discussion on how the remontoir works…fascinating stuff…so please stay tuned.

SIHH 2010: Some portraits

Arnd Einhorn



Tino Bobe



Ainie and Tian Bey.




Alan Soong



Dmitry Sabirov



Francois Xavier Overstake



John Kelmanson



Michael Hickcox



Oliver Meindl



Peter Conrad



Rob Gan



Stefan Weeber



Stephen Luk



Terry Opdendyk

SIHH 2010: ALS The Annual Calendar, Double Split, 1815 Chrono, and Little Saxonia

The Lange Annual Calendar...the first Lange watch to bear this complication is shown below:



The annual calendar offers a lower cost alternative to the perpetual calendar...and also a cleaner, easier to read dial layout.



Very handsome watch, clean dial layout, very legible.



Movement again in characteristic Lange finish. The annual calendar movement is under the dial (like the perpetual calendar) and from the back, the watch looks like a regular Langematic movement.

Next up, the Double Split in gold



One of my favourite watches, the Double Split...known as the secret watch of watchmakers...this is a special watch, known and appreciated for its technical virtuosity, and loved by the techies...



Absolute drop dead movement design and layout, following the cues from the magnificent Datograph, the Double split adds another layer on top of the already beautiful, layered look of the Datograph.



Detail of the movement. Showing the incredible design and finish of all the parts. Exquisite and truly a mark of true beauty.

The 1818 Chronograph was discontinued with the prior 1815 line, and when the 1815 line made its return last year, the chronograph returns in 2010.



The redesigned watch has a cleaner dial...the railway track is now gone, removing the clutter.



The same gorgeous movement adorns the new 1815 Chronograph.

And finally something for the ladies...the Little Saxonia.



Many mourn the loss of the original, small handwound watch, introduced with the revival of the ALS brand in 1994. Now it returns as a beautiful ladies piece. The bezel is set with 52 brilliant cut diamonds, weighing approx 1.3 carats. This is a beautiful piece to grace a feminine wrist.



The original L941.2 adorns the new watch. Case also remains unchanged at 34mm.

SIHH 2010: ALS ReferenzUhr

The Richard Lange Referenzuhr...reference time. A simple complication to the Richard Lange series of chronometers.



Two significant changes to the regular Richard Lange: move from central seconds hand to a large subsidiary seconds hand. And the provision of the ability to reset this seconds hand at will, without having to stop the movement.



This feature is useful for timesetting...making reference to the name Referenzuhr (reference watch)...also indicating to the historically important clock made by Richard Lange which was used to signal time throughout the land in the early days. The clock was connected electrically to the time signal on the top of the hour broadcasted by radio.



The zero reset mechanism - a complicated system allows the hand to be reset...similar to the flyback mechanism in the Datograph. This type of reset mechanism were common in the early days in pocket watches, and were known as Doctor's watches, as the doctor could reset the second hands when taking a patient's pulse at will, rather to have to wait for it to come to a reference point.



Again, typical very high standard of finish throughout. Beautiful anglages, and here a detail of the barrel wheel, showing skeleton finish.

SIHH 2010: ALS Zeitwerk Phantom

The Zeitwerk created a sensation in horology when it was released in Berlin in May 2009. Originally code-named Semper, as the time display reminds one of the display on the great clock in the opera house, but released as Zeitwerk, this year's innovation in 100 pieces executed in only platinum, is the Luminous Zeitwerk, also christened The Phantom (reference to The Phantom of the Opera)...



The timebridge is now anodized in black finish, to match rather than contrast the darkened sapphire crystal dial. The watch looks dark, brooding, and menacing...I just love the peek-a-boo disks below the dark dial.



The sapphire dial is an ingenious solution to allow the superluminova paint of the numerals to charge up while waiting for their turn to show up under the dial cutout.



The time is clear, very legible, and the glow is quite strong.



Movement is standard Zeitwerk, and shows characteristic finish.

SIHH 2010: ALS Daymatic

The newest member of the Lange 1 family is the automatic Daymatic. Lange used this as the teaser for SIHH10, and indeed in this forum, Edwin has posted the press releases of the watch.

Here in full glory:



At first glance looks like the regular Lange 1. But its almost a mirror image of the regular 1.



The movement is finished to the usual Lange standard, and the rotor is full sized, featuring a semi-skeletonized finish to allow viewing the full movement.

Although it seems just a mirror reflection, this is a completely new movement, featuring 60 hours of power reserve (instead of the 96 hours on the regular Lange 1), and a day of week indicator instead of a PR indicator.



Detail of movement. Note finishing. The very fine anglage finishing. Note also, Lange did not chose to take short cuts in the movement design, retaining sharp in and out turns on the bridges, which mandates skilled handwork.



Another view of the movement, turned 180deg, so the part hidden by the rotor in the picture above now is visible. The rotor is very well finished, a standard set by the Langematic mini-rotor is again seen here in the full sized rotor...featuring different kinds of finish to play with the light and providing private pleasures for the owner.



Available in RG, YG and plat.

SIHH 2010: ALS Homage Moonphase and Lange 1 Tourbillon

We continue with the Homage series in honey gold.

The 1815 Moonphase is a rehash of the original Emil Lange 1815 Moonphase which has been doing very well in the auction scene.



The character of the 1815 dial design is apparent in the new watch.



But the design shows a totally new watch...featuring the vapour deposit blueing of the moon disk.



The movement remains the same, again, safe for the the new decoration, and features a moonphase display accurate to 1 day in 1058 years.

Next the Lange 1 Tourbillon.



A true beauty in its own right, the Lange 1 Tourbillon features the characteristic cutout for a tourbillon at about 4 o'clock on the dial, supported by a highly polished one arm, skeletonised bridge.

The dial layout necessitates a separate small seconds hand on the main time dial. This is required because the tourbillon spins counter-clockwise, and hence not possible to mount a seconds hand on the cage.



Detail of the tourbillon bridge, showing the diamond endstone, and the tourbillon cage. Note also the date disks are numerals printed on sapphire crystal to allow the owner full view of the tourbillon.



In detail, you can see the sapphire disks, with printed numerals. Note shadow on the digits.



The movement, showing two fully decorateed cocks, one holding the tourbillon bridge, and the other holding the transmission wheel to drive the small subsidiary seconds hand. Both these cocks are in honey gold.



The tourbillon features a stop clock mechanism, first premiering in the Cabaret Tourbillon. This allows the entire tourbillon cage to be stopped on demand, as the owner pulls the crown to allow precise time setting.

continued in Part 3