Meanwhile, at the Lange showroom in Altenberger Strasse

One day in the showroom at 1 Altenberger Strasse, Glashutte...

A collection of Lange timepieces were gathered for a quick photoshoot. This is the result.

The 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar

The 1815 Auf/Ab

And the awesome Lange 31

Lange 31: A view on its commercial achievements

The Lange 31 is a unique and very interesting watch, but have not really enjoyed popularity. Why?

I have covered this watch during the launch event in Dresden in 2007. See Lange 31 - more complicated than meets the eye.

As is apparent in the article above, I am rather impressed with the technical prowress of this watch. So it is with great interest that I follow the commercial progress of the Lange 31. Unfortunately I find the watch not to be very popular, commerically.

I am not entirely sure why not, but can offer that perhaps the very large size of the watch, and the plain-ness of the dial, looking very discrete, not calling attention to itself as reasons. Yet hidden within, is the incredible technical achievements packed into the rather large and thick case.

But history has shown us in the past that models from the great houses which were not commercially successful at launch and production years are the ones which manage to achieve impressive results in auctions years on. One example is the Rolex Daytona, another is the Patek Philippe Amagnetic. At launch, they were poor commercial performers, but when disconnected (I refer to the first series of Daytonas, as later generations are extremely popular) proved to be highly sought after and achieving very high auction results.

Perhaps the Lange 31 might be one of those as well. For me, a key BUY recommendation.

Single Shot Fridays: Sinn U1

The Sinn U1, made in tagimented submarine steel has gained some interest amongst the collecting cogniscenti in recent years. The small German manufacture, from the Frankfurt area, now owns and manufactures its own cases in their SUG factory in Glashutte. And made of super harderned tagimented steel, makes a very nice, rugged watch for sporty intents.

I do wear my U1, The Hour Glass Tempus Edition for my cycling. And recently, met up with a friend, mid-ride for a beer. And he wore his Sinn U1 The Hour Glass All Black edition. Shown below, both watches.

Lange 1815 Kalenderwoche

Special 1815 Langes do not come by frequently. And one wihch is made with a special complication for to celebrate a retailer's Anniversary is even more special. The Kalenderwoche, or calender week is one example.

The use of week of the year, is a rather German business tool...many German business people would look up their calendar in search for a free spot would propose..."how about week 26?"...most of us, who do not use this style of numbering sometimes go, "ah?". Simple and of course logical enough, it refers to the week number from 1 to 52 for each week of the year. And to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the legendary Munich retailer Huber, Lange introduced the 1815 Kalenderwoche.

Introduced in 2006, and limited to 50 pieces in platinum, yellow gold and pink gold, the 3/4 plate is engraved with gold lettering "Andreas Huber Munchen 1856-2006"

The dial is beautiful, simple 1815 layout, with the additional hand, centrally mounted, to indicate the current calendar week.

Measuring 38.4mm, the new hand wound movement is the caliber L045.1, has two additional pushers which are used to adjust the calendar displays.

Vintage LeCoultre Memovox

I came across this interesting case and dial design in a Jaeger LeCoultre recently in the collection of a friend's magnificent Memovox collection.

The unusual elongated cushion shaped case is rather unique, especially with the oval dial and crystal. Very interesting.

And the unusual blue hue of the dial is mesmerising. The condition of the dial and hands is certainly in line with the age...made by JLC in the 1970s, though it is

I was told this is a high beat movement, marked HPG, running at some 28,800 bph, signed LeCoultre because it was originally intended for the US market.

Lange 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar

I took the opportunity to photograph the extremely photogenic Lange 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar again when I was in Glashutte recently for the pre-SIHH 2014 launch event of the Grand Lange 1 Moonphase.

I have covered this watch before, in my SIHH 2013 report and the specifications of this beautiful piece can be found in the official website.

Beautiful dial layout, clear, and quite legible, considering that perpetual calendars are typically rather not easy to read due to crowding on the dial to show all the indicators.

And of course, as with all Lange watches, the movement is to die for...

Magnificently laid out, in layers, and in intricate and beautiful shapes of the bridges and levers, springs. Simply breathtaking.

Finishing is top drawer, and absolutly stunning.

Zenith El Primero Striking 10

Zenith is one of the super interesting of watchmaking houses. Why do I say that? Well, for one, they were the first to develop an inhouse column wheel chronograph with an integrated automatic winding movement. This is the El Primero movement. Not only does it lay claim to that first, it is also the first to feature a 36,000 bph movement, allowing it to measure accurately down to 1/10th of a second.

But the capabilities of the El Primero are well known and documented. Zenith, under new leadership, also features a much improved the traditional watchmaking image. From a traditional watchmaker, they swung to the other extreme during what is now known as the Nataf years, where the watches took on a personality which is at the same time flamboyant and totally out of this world. Now under Dufour, the watches are moving back to the realm of the traditional, and definitely more desirable to the eyes of the collector.

For the GPHG, Zenith squeezed in a special complication...the chronograph whizzes across the dial at the rate of making one complete revolution every 10 seconds. Mesmerising to watch, but also allows the watch, which already is able to read precisely to 1/10th of a second due to the fast beat El Primero, now easier to read as well.

As usual, technical information is found at the official website here.

The watch design is bold, and very striking...pardon the pun, and very attractive.

Viva the new Zenith.

Tudor Heritage Black Bay

Continuing on the GPHG winners...today's feature is the Tudor Heritage Black Bay.

As usual, technical information can be found at the official website here.

Looking almost like a NIB vintage, the Tudor is a true diver's watch, created for diving, and totally fitting the role. The watch first appeared in 1954, and the new issue recreates teh domed dial, with the unusual burgundy bezel and snowflake hands.

Remembering Günter Blümlein

One usually rembembers good friends who have had a powerful impact on one's life on occassion of his birthday or passing day. But for a totally random day, I remember the late, great Günter Blümlein

Passing well before his time in 1 October 2000, born 21 March 1943 in Nuremberg, Blümlein had an immense and very powerful impact on the watchmaking industry, and to the his customers (like me) and staff. Many of those who worked for and with him, still carry on his philosophy and remember him with great fondness.
Photographed, in Glashutte December 6, 2013. On a page of my book "A. Lange & Sohne: The Pour le Meite Collection" dedicated to Blümlein, published 2010. Lange 1 Lumen, announced SIHH 2013 on a photograph of Blumlein and the late Jutta Lange.

The Lange 1 was and is truly an iconic timepiece created by Blümlein, assymetric when it was unusual to have watch dials which were so, and featuring an outsized date.
Photographed, circa 1999 at the Lange booth in BaselWorld 1999.

Pre-SIHH novelties: The Grand Lange 1 Moonphase

Lange novelties are always interesting...and last week, I attended the launch event of the latest Lange novelty to hit the press, pre-SIHH.

To be sure, there will be more interesting, perhaps more complicated timepieces which will be in store in SIHH. But on December 5 in Glashutte, in the yet uncompleted new factory building at Altenberger Strasse, very nicely done up, wrapped, and heated to accomodate an august group of global journalists, Lange unveiled the Grand Lange 1 Moonphase.

The forum I moderate with my good friend Edwin Heusinkveld carries the press release in detail. Please go here to see the details. So here, I will focus on live photographs that I took on December 6, at the Lange 2 building, just across the street from the Launch event.

In platinum, always very fetching.

I must take my hat off to the Lange designers. They get everything right. The balance of the design, the smallest details are nicely done, and cohesive, making a very beautiful watch.

Now with a larger moonphase display than the original Lange 1 Moonphase, which had the moonphase as a cutout in the seconds hand subdial, the larger moonphase is now revealed in a cutout on the main hour-minute dial.

And as usual, the movement is beautifully and magnificently designed. From the back, the movement looks exactly like the recently released Grand Lange 1.

Now with 72 hours power reserve, inhouse balance, and enlarged movement to accomodate the larger dial with a larger outsized date.

German retail in platinum is €50,900, and in gold is €38,900. Available in platinum, shown above, and in rose gold (shown below) and yellow gold.

A closer look at the moonphase dial, showing the stars.

A comparison of the original Lange 1 Moonphase and the new Grand Lange 1 Moonphase.

With the benefit of being able to compare both now, I prefer the cleaner look of the new Grand Lange 1 Moonphase. The moonphase display is clearer, more attractive.

And wrist shots...in platinum

And rose gold

Habring2 Jumping Seconds

I have known Richard Habring for a long time. Since the early days of A. Lange & Sohne where he had been asked to set up the aftersales service department, just after his rather fruitful stint in IWC Schaffhausen. He left Glashutte not long after the untimely demise of the late great Gunter Blumlein, and returned to his homeland in Austra to set up his own watch brand with his wife Maria.

Recently, Richard won a GPHG prize for his Jumping Seconds watch...a interesting small complication..a seconds morte. The seconds hand of the watch jumps once every second, like a quartz watch. But instead of doing so to conserve energy as in the case of the quartz movement, in a mechanical movement like the Habring2 Jumping Seconds, it features a small complication added to the indirectly driven sweep seconds hand.

Handsome looking watch, nicely done Richard. Not a very high level of finishing is performed to the watch or the movement, because Richard wanted a watch which is affordable to the public.

The jumping seconds mechanism is made by Richard, and mounted on a movement based on the Valjoux 7750.

Rather nice looking watch. Full specifications here.

Ressence Type 3: Atypical watch with an atypical display and approach to telling the time

Ressence is one of the new brands who seem to have sprouted out of nowhere with innovation burtsting from their ears. Their concept of a watch with wandering dials suspended in a fluid that refracts light like the air, so the orbiting indications appear to be on the crystal.

As usual, technical information, and the video of how this amazing time piece works can be found at the official website here.

The watch is indeed rather handsome, with the individual sub-dials, each rotating around the main dial, while the hands on each of these sub-dials also move in concert to indicate the day, hours, minutes, seconds and date.

The time telling system is rather ingenious, though non-intuituve at first glance, is learnt easily enough, and becomes second nature within a few minutes.

Interesting that Ressence chose not to encumber the dial with all manners of type, as many other manufactures are likely to do...advertising the USPs of the watch, but chose to retain a clean, Bauhaus like design. Even devoid of the brand name, electing only to show a little icon of a stylised palm symbolizing the brand. The earlier Series 1 watch looks more conventional with a regular crown, but the Type 3 shown here is sans crown, with the time setting and winding functions relegated to the caseback.

On the wrist, the watch is very light, and very comfortable, in part due to the very flexible, soft leather strap, but with one near fatal flaw. The buckle is designed such that the part which is used to pierce the openings in the strap has a strange kink in it, making it very difficult to open the buckle. I guess this does make it less likely for one to accidentally open the buckle and drop the watch, but it also makes taking off the watch a rather tedious process.

One of the winners of GPHG 2013, this watch is rather interesting and attractive.

Girard Perregaux Constant Escapement: extreme macros

Girard Perregaux: a grand dame of watchmaking. Making beautiful and magnificent watches. GP is famous for their Tourbillon on Three Golden Bridges. But recently, GP shook the horological world at its roots. After centuries of the Swiss Anchor escapement, they came up a new escapement. Constant force escapement. Beautiful, magnificent.

The watch is rather large, measuring some 48mm in diameter, but sits nicely on the wrist.

A very distinctive look, with the pride of place on the dial taken by the Constant Force Escapement, with its unique look.

A closer look at the escapement

Mesmerising to look at. The principle is well explained in GP's own website. Note the small details like the arrow shaped bridges which hold the escapement, giving a nod to the similarly shaped golden bridges in their famous Tourbillon with Three Golden Bridges.

The movement is as beautiful behind as it is from the front.

The movement is finished exquisitely. Very beautiful, and fine finishing.

Superb, superlative timepiece. Magnificent concept, equally magnificently executed.

Antoine Martin Slowrunner: Awesome!

Antoine Martin is a brand established by the very innovative Martin Braun after he left his namesake at Franck Muller. I have know Martin for a long time, since his early days working with his father under the family firm of CCM Braun.

He went on from CCM Braun to establish his own brand, Martin Braun, which became famous for the EOT and Sunrise/Sunset watches. Subsequently, he sold the company to Franck Muller. The partnership was not to be, and he left in 2009, and established his new company, Antoine Martin in Luzern in 2010.

He focussed his energies in developing a new movement, a totally new, high performance escapement which capitilize on the properties of silisium. And recently, in BaselWorld 2013, he unleashed the Slowrunner. He showed me the Slowrunner in GTE this year, but I was asked to keep an embargo till BaselWorld. I recently caught up with Martin, and had the opportunity to photograph the Slowrunner.

This is the antithesis of a chronometer. This is not a watch to win chronometry competitions or precision timing. This is much like an anti-watch, much like some fashion brands started the anti-fashion clothing line some years ago.

The purpose of a watch like the Slowrunner, which beats at a very slow 7200 bph, is to show the virtuosity that such can be done, and also to allow the owner a moment of repose as he flips over his watch in the midst of a high speed high tension day, and gaze at the slow beating of the huge...no giant, escapement.

The watch keeps reasonable time, on the bench...and the escapement can be regulated to within a few seconds a day. But on the wrist, the slow beat of the escapement is very prone to shocks which cause huge swings on the chronometry. Plus 20 seconds

The 7200 bph does not happen by chance, but selected to be so because this is the resting heart rate of a healthy individual. Indeed, my own resting heart rate is 58 beats per minute. 7200 bph runs at one full oscillation every second, or 60 oscillations per minute. This has the effect to calm the observer, providing respite for the hustle and bustle of the day.

The challenge of combining a huge escape wheel, and a slow beat movement is interesting, not to mention a daunting task. But the ingenuinity ofMartin won the day.