artie lange roast

In many areas of luxury the end consumer is often met with the finished product with little idea of how that product was actually developed the way it was, nor why. Here A. Lange & Sohne provides a fascinating insight into how it approached three technical areas of watch*** and reveal how each of those paths evolved.The first of Lange's innovations for 2010 is harder gold (top). Chemically speaking, this novel "honey-coloured" gold is an 18-carat gold alloy which means it consists of 75 percent pure gold. Its colour lies midway between pink and white gold and is attribut-able to its copper and zinc content.The combination of a special thermal treatment with a slight admixture of man-ganese is responsible for its extraordi-nary hardness which registers between 300-320 HV on the Vickers scale. To put that in perspective, yellow gold's value lies between 135-150 HV meaning honey-coloured gold is more than twice as hard. The benefits to the watchmaker and the wearer are obvious, offering far improved scratch resistance and durability.Meanwhile another of Lange's discoveries for 2010 centres round its Zeitwerk timepiece (above) which boasts numerals that are obscured behind the dial for most of the day. To ensure the wearer can read the time in the dead of night, the numerals’ ability to absorb light had to be addressed.Lange's solution was to create a sapphire-crystal dial with a semi-transparent but UV-permeable coating. The light in the ultra-violet (UV) range from 250 to 430 nanometres is allowed to pass unhindered so the Superluminova numerals can be charged up with photonic energy even when obscured behind the dial. This allows them to glow for several hours at night despite not seeing sunlight in the traditional sense for much of the day.The final innovation likewise involves luminosity but is related to lunar discs rather than numerals. Lange's 1815 Moonphase is accurate to such a degree that it takes over a thousand years for the display to be off by one day relative to the moon's position. Maintaining this excellence, Lange wanted to develop a coating for the stars that would genuinely emulate the appearance of the night sky.The brand employed a group of scientists who pioneered a new process in the watch*** industry in which they apply extremely hard carbon films to the solid-gold lunar discs through physical vapour deposition �C known as PVD. This adjustment of the su***ce not only delivers the desired col-our hue but also very high wear resistance. The lunar discs are crisp and brilliant.

The talented watchmakers at A. Lange & Sohne created Large 31, the first mechanical wristwatch in the world with a 31 days power reserve and a patented constant-force escapement able to power the going train with constant torque delivery. Lange 31 transcends the notion of power reserve while keeping the same high Lange standards and providing highest quality rate stability and rate accuracy for an entire month.The Lange 31 has an unmatched autonomy that allows you to forget winding it from time to time. The watch shows the right time for 31 days even if you take it off, a special function emphasized by the solid-silver dial engraved with the inscription "Monats-Werk". On the right hand side of the solid-silver dial, an ample indicator displays the power reserve. The left hand side is balanced with a stylish patented outsize date. A closer look at the sapphire-crystal backside of Lange 31 discloses the key-winding mechanism, another precision element rarely found in watch*** that was specially designed and constructed to match Lange 31. This mechanism permits more precise winding transmission ratio than a crown. Consequently fewer revolutions are required and more energy saved. Between the winding mechanism and the case there are three seals protecting the watch against water with maximum 3 bar pressure. The key is introduced through an opening in the sapphire-crystal case-back and has an integrated torque limiter that prevents damages of the mainsprings. In the moment the mainspring is entirely wound, any attempt to turn the key releases the triangular toothing of the two wheels and stops the power flow. The Lange 31 features a powerful L034.1 calibre stored in a 37.3 mm diameter and 9.6 mm height space. The energy storage function is provided by two stacked spring barrels which incorporate the two mainsprings. These two mainsprings are five to ten times longer than the springs of regular mechanical wristwatches and their compound energy is more than 3 joules, as their total length is 3700 mm. A constant force escapement controls the power delivery. It has a pretensioned spiral spring that instantly retightens on the fly every ten seconds. In a controlled way, the next ten seconds the stored energy from the spring is sent to the going train while the torque output constantly powers the watch to function for a month.In addition to the innovative movement, the aesthetic enhances the value of this timepiece. The model in platinum has a solid silver and rhodi�� dial, as well as rhodiumed gold hands and platinum deployant buckle. The model in 18-carat pink gold has a solid-gold deployant buckle, the dial made of solid silver, argent�� and the hands are pink gold. Both models have hand-stitched crocodile strap. Traditional Lange elements such as three screwed gold chatons and the whiplash precision index adjuster on the balance cock are also present. All finishes are superbly done. Lange 31 Revolutionary One Month Power Reserve, 10.0 out of 10 based on 1 rating