A. Lange & Söhne: Zeitwerk

“I close my eyes in order to see” is a quote from the famous painter Paul Gauguin… The Master Watchmakers at A. Lange & Söhne have been inspired by this idea, when they wanted to create a timepiece that could reinterpret the time with a modern key.

We are obviously talking about the Zeitwerk… which is not a 2016 novelty, but is such an amazing watch that we absolutely wanted to try it on for you.

At a first impact it is already stunning! It took a few seconds before we had to stop looking at the dial and find the courage to try it on. And, we assure you, it has not been easy to separate from it.

The 41,9mm case encloses the manufacture caliber Lange L043.1, mechanical with manual winding, that can be seen through the sapphire-glass case back. The materials used are platinum, white gold and rose gold.

A rhodiè sterling silver dial perfectly combines the classic A. Lange & Sohne watchmaking values, together with the contemporary design of the bridge of the hour and the small seconds in alpaca.

In the upper part, the “36 hours” power reserve perfectly completes the dial, in a sleek geometrical proportion.

The way of reading the time, simple and immediate, happens digitally thank to three discs; at 9 o’clock the hours one, and at 3 o’clock the two discs of the minutes. The passage from a minute to the other, and from an hour to the consecutive, is instantaneous, almost slight, that can be perceived thanks to a distinctive sound, “click”! The huge amount of energy used to move the discs and the seconds hand (instead of the classic “three hands”) is so high that Lange’s Master Watchmakers had to patent a new barrel, with a super powerful main spring, regulated by a remontoir that keeps the energy given to the gear train always constant throughout all its charge.

Now you’ll be asking yourselves if this watch is perfect in all the ways… well we actually found something that can be improved… not mentioning the price, which starts from 71.800 Euros (absolutely justified from the peculiarity of the complication), the case is a bit too thick, 12,6mm, slightly excessive for such an elegant watch, making the Zeitwerk not suitable for all the wrists.

In conclusion, if you are looking for something different, that can enhance true passion for traditional watchmaking, but at the same time with a modern and contemporary look, the Zeitwerk is absolutely perfect.