Marco Lang – Zweigesicht “Two Face” - III Variations Unique Masterpiece Limited Edition
Zweigesicht by Marco Lang — The Luxury Watch News and Reviews
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With a sophisticated reversible case, offering two very different displays, and an astonishing new in-house movement which includes a very unique feature, Dresden based independent Marco Lang returns under his own banner, with his remarkable new Zweigesicht masterpiece.
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As co-founder of much loved and highly successful Dresden indie brand Lang und Heyne, Marco Lang is not exactly what you’d call a new face on the independent watchmaking landscape, but after almost twenty years building both his company and a reputation as a watchmaker of rare talent, he has turned back the clock to go solo, to reconnect with hands-on watchmaking, and under his own name has released the inaugural Zweigesicht masterpiece, to announce the beginning of a new chapter in an illustrious career.
A long-standing member of watchmaking’s independent elite association, the AHCI, if Marco Lang’s work has a defining hallmark, it is one of uncompromising attention to detail, breathtaking finishing and technical complexity, coupled with a contemporary take on classical design, and in keeping with those values, the Zweigesicht is everything we have come to expect from his atelier, and more.
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Its name translating as “Two Face”, Zweigesicht has, unsurprisingly two faces, and indeed two distinct personalities, with on one side a beautifully appointed three-hand dial, while on the other, laid out beneath a skeletonised dial, the symmetrical haute horlogerie mechanism is a feast for the eyes.
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Depending on the mood the watch can be worn either way, although at first, exactly how you go about doing that is not immediately obvious, as it does not appear to pivot, yet whichever side is facing upwards, the crown is always to the right (compared for example to the Reverso by Jaeger-LeCoultre, in which the crown traverses from right to left when flipped over), and the lugs, which have a downward curvature, remain unchanged. It’s something of a mystery at first, but the solution, which preserves the elegance and integrity of the concept’s design is both clever and simple, and the work of just a few moments to do.
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The case itself is round, with gently domed sapphire crystals, rounded polished bezels, a flat satin waist with satin finish, and a fluted crown, which nestles between two sloping shoulders on either side. It is offered in stainless steel, rose gold or platinum options and measures a tidy 40mm across and 12.5mm tall. As mentioned above, the lugs are box-shaped and extend out from the case, curving down to a rounded end.
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Of the two options, the more classical layout features a three-part silver-plated dial, with slender faceted ‘pencil’ hands (in either blued steel or gold) and fine clous de Paris guillochage decoration on the recessed centre, with minutes track and applied gold indices around the periphery. While the elegant, elongated roman numerals give the dial a traditional feel, the design is otherwise minimal, contemporary and stylish.
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On the reverse face, the finishing and architecture of the fully exposed movement is genuinely impressive. Produced in-house by Marco Lang himself, his all new ML01 calibre is a three dimensional and symmetric contrast of frosted gold, satin and polished rhodium, flame-blued steel and the translucent grand feu enamel which defines the reduced dial. Skeletonised so as not to impair any of the spectacle beneath it, the solid silver dial is clearly influenced by the art of stained glass, and the blue enamel accentuates its fine outlines and the delicacy of the blued steel cathedral hands.
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Below the dial, the manual wound mechanism features two barrels, which deliver a minimum 70 hours power reserve, and which are secured beneath the largest of the three central bridges, descending in span as the eye follows the gear train upwards across the winding assembly to the balance bridge, which is adorned with diamond-topped balance staff.
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The keen-eyed will also soon notice a curious but elaborate little indication, with very fine blued steel pointers and tapering red markings adjacent to the nine o’clock position. This is in fact a tiny horological seismograph, which via a moving cylindrical weight (pink) detects and displays the effects of the minor impacts a wristwatch will endure as it goes though daily life.
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With each bump, the weight moves the two overlapping swinging arms with red gradients and tiny teeth which catch the tips of the four hands, spreading them along two (x,y) axes, and then holding them locked in place, until freed and reset to their central resting position via a corrector on the side of the case. Although an ‘optional extra’, and not a critical component of the actual movement itself, the shock sensor is an intricate, fascinating and unique novelty which complements the Zweigesicht, and it is unlikely that too many, if any, will leave Marco Lang’s workshops without it.
In typical Lang style, the detailing throughout is astonishing. Be it the anglage on the curving edges and pronounced tips of the bridges, or the immaculate cut of each one of the miniscule polished gear teeth, be it the uniformity of the blued steel components or the pure aesthetic beauty of the gossamer-thin shock pointers, there are few watchmakers who go to such lengths in the pursuit of perfection.
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As each piece is individually made, with a degree of flexibility regarding final bespoke configuration, Marco Lang anticipates a production of between four and five pieces leaving his Dresden atelier each year. In total there will be eighteen examples manufactured. Interestingly its full title.
An exceptional watch from an exceptional talent to wind up an exceptional year, when we look back on it Zweigesicht will stand as testament that 2020 did have its good things too.
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Marco Lang Logo Dresden Germany Uhrenmacher
Marco Lang – watchmaker from Dresden
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A watch movement consists of many parts. I take delight in manufacturing a part on the machine and perfecting its shape and fine finish under the microscope. Every single lever, every spring, every screw has its own architecture. Together they amount to a ticking feast for the senses. And yet they simply follow the physical necessities, the function of an accurate timepiece.
"a ticking feast for the senses…
I create small mechanical machines, which after a while on the wrist of the owner are no longer regarded as such.
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It’s fascinating how the golden gears turn day after day, week after week and year after year, making the balance oscillate elegantly.
Passion
Meticulousness and a certain degree of uncompromisingness is also part of my work. Only a single inaccurate edge or surface can destroy the harmonious overall picture. Of course, it requires a lot of effort, from the construction to the production, finishing and fine-tuning of the watch created.
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Then I breathe life into it, create a small work of art, that will last for many decades or even centuries. Today we – as independent watch creators – experience happy times, as many watch lovers and collectors have the same dedication and passion – and also the knowledge to appreciate our work and art. I am truly grateful, because it enables me to realise my ideas and create new ones.
"Quality, precision and the finest finish…"
Biography
- 1971 Marco Lang was born in 1971 and is a fifth generation watchmaker. His father, Rolf Lang, worked as restorer of clocks and scientific instruments in the Dresden Art Chamber. Marco spent many hours in his father’s workshop and learned about the works of great masters.Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
- 1989 During the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany, Marco Lang completed a three-year apprenticeship as a precision mechanic in Glashütte / Saxony. It was only after learning the fundamental mechanical production methods that Marco Lang traveled in 1991 to the famous master watchmaker Ihno Flessner in Northern Germany, where he completed his training as a watchmaker. Afterwards, he dedicated himself there for five years to the construction of precision pendulum clocks.Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO
- 1999 Lang returned to Dresden and founded his first small company focussing on the sale and repair of antique watches. In the best family tradition, he soon made a name for himself among German watch lovers. But the passion for manufacturing his own fine watches continued to blaze in Lang.
- At the beginning of 2001 he founded the watch manufacture „Lang & Heyne“ with his companion Mirko Heyne (who soon left the company in 2002).
- 2002 the founders exhibited their first wristwatches in Basel at the AHCI stand and the small company quickly picked up speed. Lang’s demand for quality, precision and finest finish now also fascinated many international watch lovers.
- 2013, the manufacture by then consisted of a team of 10 watchmakers who created about 30 watches per year, when Lang sold the majority of his shares to a German / American investor. This was accompanied by the foundation of “Uhren-Werke-Dresden”, a movement supplier company for the watch industry, which Lang built up in its early years.
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- 2019 Lang left the watch manufacture Lang & Heyne. Over the past 18 years, he has developed and constructed 9 different movements and a collection of 8 watch models and their variants with a price range of 20 to 150 thousand Euros.
- 2020 Under the motto “back to the work bench” Lang founded a new atelier under his own name. He wanted to realize his unbroken creativity and passion for the art of haute horology again with his own hands. It is no longer the development of a company that is the focus of his work, but the watch as a valuable, artistic piece unique.
Starting in summer 2020, Marco Lang will present his new project to international watch enthusiasts.
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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Model: Marco Lang – Zweigesicht
Gender: Mens
Reference:
- Zweigesicht-1- stainless steel
- Zweigesicht-II - rose gold
- Zweigesicht-III - platinum
Case
- Stainless steel
- 18ct rose gold
- Platinum
Anti-reflective Sapphire crystal on both front sides
Caseback: Sapphire glass
Water resistance: 50m
Dial
Silver-plated with Clous de Paris decoration, roman numerals, applied indices and pencil hands
Reverse: Skeletonised dial with exposed mechanism, with grenage, polished and satin finish bridges, blued steel hands and detail
Features: Reversible case with two display options
Movement
In-house Caliber ML01 manual winding calibre by Marco Lang
All movements are made almost entirely in the hands of the master.
Size Ø 34mm
Height 4,4 mm (without dials)
Frequency 3 Hertz (21.600 osz./ hour)
Power reserve 70 hours
jewels 27 rubis, 💎1 diamond
Balance/escapement
Free four-leg balance with eccenter regulation, blued Breguet hairspring
Lever escapement (20.5) with one-armed balance lever
Function
face1: hours / minutes/ central second
face2: hours / minutes
second hand stop
Seriell geschaltetes doppeltes Federhaus
Resettable shock indication in 4 directions (x/y)
Optional
Alternatively: engraving plate with personal engraving
Bracelet
Alligator leather strap, this is covered on the inside with shark leather to increase water resistance
Pin buckle (folding clasp on request)
Limitation: Only 18 - Pieces
- And because its time is limited, we also limit this model series.
- Only 18 watches “Zweigesicht” are prepared and sold.
Price: Steel €57,000; 18ct rose gold €65,000; 950/1000 platinum €68,000
CONTACT
Marco Lang
Weissenberger Str. 10
01324 Dresden
Germany
E-mail ml@marcolangdresden.de
Tel. +49-176-57888783
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@marcolangwatches
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www.MarcoLangwatches.com
