Monday, October 1, 2012

A. Lange & Söhne - Zeitwerk Handwerkskunst Platinum

A. Lange & Söhne - Zeitwerk Handwerkskunst Platinum Limited Edition  NEW

THE LEAP INTO A NEW HOROLOGICAL EPOCH.

“I shut my eyes in order to see.” For once, the phrase coined by Paul Gauguin* was taken literally by Lange’s masters so they could gain a clear outlook on some fundamental issues concerning the future of precision watchmaking.


How can the principles of a mechanical watch and a modern time indication format be persuasively combined? What are the lasting values of a watch? 

 
And is it possible to visualise the flow of time such that it can be experienced or felt with other senses? In dealing with these questions, they began to assemble the mental image of a time- piece that explores new paths: the LANGE ZEITWERK.


With its all-mechanical numeric display for hours and minutes, the watch symbolises a leap into a new era – after all, both indications leap forth instantaneously, thanks to a disc configuration never before implemented in quite this way.The Lange principle clearly differentiates itself from the so-called creeping digital time displays in which the hands are merely replaced by permanently rotating discs. 


It also distinguishes itself from the genuine jumping numeral mechanisms found in pocket watches (Pallweber and Dürrstein principles) by introducing two key improvements: the first truly legible format of the numerals and the precise generation of switching steps based on a proprietary constant-force escapement.


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Technical specifications

Reference :140.048

Case :Platinum, caseback engraved by hand
Dial :White gold, black-rhodié;
hand-engraved in tremblage technique
Time bridge :German silver, rhodié
Hands :Gold, rhodié
Glass and caseback :Sapphire-crystal (hardness 9)
Movement :Lange manufacture caliber L043.4, manually wound, crafted to the most exacting Lange quality standards, decorated and assembled by hand; precision-adjusted in five positions; plates and bridges made of untreated German silver; three-quarter plate with grained surface and hand-engraved lettering; balance cock and escape lever cock engraved by hand
Movement parts :425
Jewels :68
Screwed gold chatons :2
Escapement :Glashütte lever escapement, lever and escape wheel made of 18-carat gold
Oscillator :Shock-resistant screw balance; superior-quality balance spring manufactured in-house; frequency 18.000 semi-oscillations per hour, precision beat adjustment system with lateral setscrew and whiplash spring
Power reserve :36 hours when fully wound

Functions :Time display with hours and minutes as jumping numerals, subsidiary seconds with stop seconds, power-reserve indicator
Operating elements :Crown for winding the watch and setting the time
Case dimensions :Diameter: 41.9 millimetres
Height: 12.6 millimetres
Movement dimensions :Diameter: 33.6 millimetres
Height: 9.3 millimetres
Strap :Hand-stitched crocodile strap, black
Buckle :Lange-prong buckle in platinum

Limitted edition :30 watches

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www.Alange & Soehne.com