lange & sohne langematik perpetual 129256

(Click image for gallery - 11 photos)A. Lange & Sohne recently released a book about their most complicated timepiece ever. The book tells how the Grand Complication No 42500 was originally brought into the Lange workshop to be evaluated for restoration. Jan Silva, head of Lange's historical watches department, gives an excellent first hand account of the restoration, which he personally conducted over a period of five years. He explains every detail of the restoration process, from breaking it down, to *** new parts to replace those that couldn't be salvaged, and up until the point when the watch was in perfect working order, with its original luster. I recently finished reading the entire book and definitely recommend that you read it.Lange Press Release"The book about A. Lange & Sohne's most complicated pocket watchA book dedicated entirely to one watch must be quite extraordinary. Indeed: The Grande Complication with the serial number 42500 crafted by A. Lange & Sohne is a horological opus with an eventful history now spanning over one hundred years. The report that describes its inception, its restoration, and its comeback is a revelation for every Lange collector and an enriching diary for everyone with a penchant for precision watch***.In 2001, a unique horological treasure returned to the place where it had been made nearly one hundred years earlier. The rarest, most complicated, and most significant timepiece that had ever left the A. Lange & Sohne manufactory was originally sold to a Viennese gentleman of independent means. It came back in a pitiful state. Many of the 883 parts had corroded or were broken and needed to be painstakingly reconstructedThe famous front-lid "Graff engraving" adorns the cover of the book.by the master watchmakers in the restoration atelier. But from the very beginning, Lange's experts realised that the historic value of the watch justified every conceivable effort. During the carefully documented restitution process, the watch divulged many of its long-kept secrets and repeatedly challenged its saviours with seemingly insurmountable problems. But just in time for the kickoff of the 2010 anniversary events that commemorate the establishment of the German precision watch*** industry by Ferdinand A. Lange 165 years ago, "the 42500" presented itself to the public in its original splendour. Today, all components of its complicated mechanisms function as flawlessly as they did over 100 years ago.The book about the "Grande Complication No 42500" portrays the watch as a monument to horological prowess and human passion. It describes the work expended to restore it as a journey of discovery that brings together the ingenuity of the masters of old with the artistry of our generation's watchmakers. The anthology of full-page macro images offers a breathtaking account of how the 42500 unites the aesthetic beauty of an idea with artisanship at its finest. In a conversation with auctioneer Stefan Muser, readers learn how to gauge the value of an irreplaceable pocket watch. The narrative of the restoration process is an in-depth exploration of the complex movement. Experts explain the significance of the Grande Complication in the history of watch*** as well as the design and function of horological extravagances like minute repeaters, rattrapante chronographs, and perpetual calendars." (I'll be in Germany touring the Lange manufacture and museum next month, and I should be able to take some photos of the 42500 to share.)Press Release PDFSource: A. Lange & Sohne

Although established back in 1845 by A.F. Lange, the A.Lange & Sohne brand of watch manufacturing has never made compromises regarding both the materials employed and the technical elements used. Renowned for its obsession with quality and precious materials, A.Lange & Sohne is known worldwide as a brand that uses gold and silver and never steel in its designs and that proposes mechanisms characterized by amazing technical performance. With legendary timepieces for the watch *** tradition, A.Lange & Sohne shocked the media one more time in 2007, when the brand introduced on the market the first wearable mechanical watch with a 31-day power reserve, a technical complication that takes great talent and effort. Like most of the timepieces introduced by A.Lange & Sohne on the market, the new Little Saxonia Watch presents the same distinctive appearance that reminds the eyes of the connoisseurs of the quality and prestige of this brand. Wanting to achieve an extravagant timepiece that at the same time would hint to a refined vision of design, the designers from A.Lange & Sohne have come up with *** lines and feminine proportions for the case. Measuring 34 mm in diameter, the case comes crafted from sophisticated yellow gold that matches the detailing present on the dial. The air of sophistication is best rendered by the diamond-adorned bezel, the designers *** use of no less than 50 brilliant-cut diamonds attached carefully on the bezel, weighing 1.2 carats. The dial maintains the same simplistic vision, with a mother-of-pearl silvery dial covered with yellow gold detailing. Regarding the functions presented, the new A.Lange & Sohne Little Saxonia Watch presents the main functions of hours and minutes through central hands made from gold, while the seconds are displayed through a sub-dial located just above 6 o'clock. The hour markers are *** lines, the only distinction being the main positions, 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock, where the dial makes use of two parallel lines to indicate the hour, similar to the Roman numeral of 2. Even though the main appeal of the new A.Lange & Sohne Little Saxonia Watch is based on its exterior design, highlighted by the white dial and the diamond-adorned bezel, the technical movement of this watch has not been neglected at all. Dedicated to quality, the designers from A.Lange & Sohne proposed a manually wound Calibre L941.2 movement equipped with stop seconds and having the capacity to provide 45 hours of power reserve. The functionality of this watch is undisputable as its mechanism provides extreme accuracy and amazing reliability. It was normal that the mother-of-pearl dial would be coupled with a white leather strap to provide a harmonious look and a feminine touch of design. The clasp fitting the strap comes manufactured from the same material as the case, yellow gold and it gives an air of sophistication and distinction to the whole design. Ladies worldwide will surely be impressed at the sight of this amazing new Little Saxonia Watch presented by A.Lange & Sohne.