ian de lange

In 2001, a dramatic incident changed the working life of Jan Sliva, head of the in-house studio for historic Lange pocket watches. A visitor of the manufactory had handed him an old pocket watch and asked for an appraisal. It was clear from the very first moment that this timepiece was an extraordinary one. It was particularly large and heavy, and its case was engraved with an intricate motif designed by Professor Graff.But when Jan Sliva opened the artistically decorated caseback, what he saw sent shivers down his spine. He discovered a movement that at best could be called a "scrap heap". All parts were grimy, many were rusted, some were missing altogether, others were broken or so heavily corroded that their original shape could merely be surmised. Only the consummately assembled eight-part enamel dial was, surprisingly, almost in mint condition.It didn't take long for Jan Sliva to spot the serial number on a bridge: "42500". According to the journals, it identified a unique treasure with probably the most complicated, rare, and historically significant calibre that had ever left the A. Lange & Sohne manufactory �C and it was the only one of its kind. Pocket watch No. 42500 had been sold to a resident of Vienna for 5,600 marks in 1902. At that time, the sum was equivalent to the price of a stately house.An inestimably precious junkyard"This watch," Jan Sliva explains today, "unites a host of fascinating complications. It incorporates a chiming mechanism with a grand strike and a small strike, a minute repeater, a split-seconds chronograph with a minute counter and flying seconds (seconde foudroyante), as well as a perpetual calendar with a moon-phase display. Its nickel-plated German silver movement in 1A quality consists of an incredible 833 parts. Together with the case, it weighs nearly 300 grams." It was a watch of inestimable historic value and its restoration would justify any conceivable amount of effort. That much was clear to Jan Sliva at first sight.The very poor condition of the watch raised a fundamental question: how should such a rare and complex masterpiece be dealt with? Should the watch be left in its present condition and exhibited "in the raw"? For Jan Sliva and his colleagues, this was not really an option. Instead, they decided to study and document the functions and interactions of the individual components on the basis of what was left and to fully restore the functionality of all the mechanisms. "This is the only chance we had," says the master watchmaker, "to preserve the ingenuity of our fathers and forefathers for coming generations. What good is a heap of rust, however authentic it might be, if no one knows what it once looked like and how it worked?"The secrets of the 833 partsThus, the declared objective was to conserve as much of the original substance as possible and then to reinstate the function and beauty of the venerable movement. For starters, this meant heavy-duty research, because the watch harboured many secrets that would have to be arduously deciphered. It contained a number of parts whose function eluded even the experts. There were components of such intricacy that no one could imagine how they might have been crafted, and even advanced CAD software failed to provide clues. Other parts which would have to be replaced were so deteriorated that their original geometry could no longer be conjectured. Every layer that Jan Sliva exposed raised scores of new questions �C for instance how to craft an unusual type of gong for which no specifications existed. In some cases, months went by before a satisfactory solution to a problem could be found. Sometimes, the first try was successful. But the watch has also kept a few secrets to this very day.Magnificent comeback for a complicated starIn the end, it took until the year 2009 to restore pocket watch No. 42500 to its former splendour. At the SIHH 2010 in Geneva, it will be on public display for the first time. It is a breathtaking remnant of tradition that has come alive and a bridge that connects the ingenuity of the Lange watch*** dynasty with the virtuosity of the current generation of watchmakers. Indeed, it is a monument of horological expertise and human passion.For Jan Sliva, however, this watch is something like the highlight of his horological career. "After this, I can't imagine what might still lie ahead," he says. "Only very, very few people get a chance during their lifetime to restore such a treasure." No. 42500 is his lifework, so to speak.

Currently owned by Richemont International Group, Lange & Sohne (A Lange & Sons) is a German watch-*** powerhouse that traces its roots back to the 1845 Saxony, when it was founded by an enthusiast watchmaker, Ferdinand Adolph Lange, who initiated a long heirloom of master watchmakers dedicated to uncompromising mechanical innovation and aesthetical perfection.Internationally known for creating some of the most beautiful contemporary objects of horological art, Lange & Sohne, presented two superb diamond-set interpretations of its iconic rectangular Cabaret watch -the delicate Cabaret Soiree Jewelry Lady's watches, animated by sophisticated manual winding movements a rare characteristic of a lady's watch.Defined by refinement and sophistication, the new A. Lange Sohne Cabaret Soiree Jewelry Lady's watches, feature rectangular cases fitted with diamond-set bezels embellished with the seductive glitter of 70 round brilliant-cut diamonds that beautifully frame the delicate mother-of-pearl dials of the timepieces.The timepieces merge highly feminine hues, the dainty rose pink and silvery white, meant to conquer the heart of any romantic contemporary woman have been used in the watches dials and matching straps.The elegant dials feature the brand's traditional alpha hour and minute hands crafted from rhodium-plated polished gold, also a nice alternation of diamond shaped faceted hour indices and Roman numeral markers. The watches feature a small second's counter, located at 6 o'clock and an original oversized date aperture located at 12 o'clock. The distinguished Cabaret Soiree watches are animated by an exceptional mechanical movement, made of 237 hand-finished individual parts, the in-house L931.4 caliber a wonderfully decorated mechanism, which can be admired through the watch's exhibition case-back. The 30 jewels caliber was created according to the highest standards of the German watch-*** school and it features a balance wheel with weighted gold screws that oscillates at a frequency of 21,600 beats per hour and ensures a 42-hour power reserve.Two charming horological creations, the glamorous A. Lange & Sohne Cabaret Soiree Jewelry watches come matched with high-end hand sewn crocodile leather straps, harmoniously matched with the watches' dials and will surely be the dream of any refined lady keen on mechanical sophistication and luxurious aesthetics. Unfortunately, for most of them, they will remain just a dream as the timepieces were manufactured in an extremely limited edition of 10 timepieces of each model, available for a price tag of over $60,000.00.A. Lange Sohne Cabaret Soiree, 9.0 out of 10 based on 1 rating