October 1, 2012: The prestigious German watch manufacturer, A. Lange & Söhne, is casting a traditional glance at its most advanced watch. Three years ago, A. Lange & Söhne presented the Lange Zeitwerk, the first mechanical watch that featured a constant-force escapement to achieve a precisely jumping numerals display. The brand has now given birth to a new limited edition with the designation Handwerkskunst. The timepiece has risen to a new level with an exquisite case, dial and movement decorations as well as a Glashütte lever escapement which stands for the artisanal and horological proficiency of the Saxon manufactory.
The dial in black-rhodiumed white gold is endowed with an elaborate tremblage engraving. The engraver manually guides a specially crafted lining burin across the surface in precisely choreographed multi-directional movements. This produces a delicate and highly vivid granular texture. Decorated with linear graining, the time bridge in rhodiumed German silver contrasts with the dark dial. The interaction of precious metals culminates with the platinum case. The A. Lange & Söhne signature, the case number and the edition serial number on the caseback are hand-engraved as well.
A glance through the sapphire-crystal caseback of the Lange Zeitwerk Handwerkskunst reveals the highly complex manufacture calibre L043.4, which apart from classic elements such as the three-quarter plate and screwed gold chatons, also stands out with a kaleidoscope of artistic decorations. The A. Lange & Söhne signature on the mainspring barrel is executed as a relief engraving. The upper side of the bridge for the constant-force escapement is embellished with black polish.
The Glashütte lever escapement pays special tribute to 19th century Lange traditions. Its lever and escape wheel are made of hardened 18-carat gold. The advantage of the material was its insensitivity to magnetic fields. The anti-magnetic steel alloys commonly used today were not available then. The lever is designed to remain well-balanced in any position. The pallets are concealed and slightly curved to reduce the friction between them and the escape wheel. Perfectly executed, all these subtle design characteristics contribute to provide the precision of the watch.
The exclusive collector’s item is limited to 30 watches that are distributed exclusively through the seven A. Lange &Söhne boutiques worldwide. The Lange Zeitwerk Handwerkskunst was launched at the brand’s newly launched store in Dubai Mall, one of the world’s largest shopping venues.
