FabR[Senior Patek Moderator]
26124
+1! To give Lange the benefit of the doubt, it depends on who sent this information to the OP...
May 20, 2020,06:03 AM
...but if it's some executive with authority to speak officially on behalf of the brand, then this statement obviously makes the issue much worse.
For as long as Lange sells watches that include hands, all under its name, it goes without saying they are responsible for the entire package. That response looks way too naive to me though...so let's wait on the "official statement" ;-) Cheers.
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An explanation regarding the finishing of the hands.
By: TheWindingStem : May 19th, 2020-22:58
In respecting the anonymity of the person who responded to my request pertaining to the “unfinished” hands on some Lange watches, here is what I learned: Basically, the reasons behind the unfinished hands are quiet straightforward: A) Lange does not manuf...
Finishing the underside of the hands is not industry standards.
By: TheWindingStem : May 20th, 2020-06:49
VC, Patek, AP... they all don’t finish the underside of their hands- how’s that ok for them? Even the Geneva Seal doesn’t require the underside to be finished. Otherwise the movement finishing is of the highest standard especially compared to PP, VC and t...
Its very clear that Lange is referring to the movement.
By: TheWindingStem : May 20th, 2020-09:06
There shouldn't be a confusion as they were technically and explicitly referring to the movement - if anything, their explanation or what I got from them makes perfect sense to me. Economically not viable is a very sound and honest reasoning, not sure why...
I think you hit the nail on the head FabR
By: JTCL : May 20th, 2020-11:30
Technically and realistically speaking, Lange is right to not finsh the hands. The problem lies with the romantic (false) assumption that ALS finishes all components, visible or invisible, being shattered by this little detail. Further, I do not think the...
Here’s the thing though
By: TheWindingStem : May 20th, 2020-12:06
Lange has always made it clear the all parts being finished applies to the movement - there’s no confusion there, if we decide to apply it to other parts then that’s not their fault really.
I wasn't going to reply, as I think everyone should have their opinion, and this really isn't about Lange's level of movement finishing, or a comparison with Patek, AP, or anyone else.
By: FabR : May 20th, 2020-16:26
However, I was searching how this whole discussion originated, and look who started it less than two months ago: www.watchprosite.com Now, all of a sudden, Lange "has always made it clear", "there shouldn't be a confusion", or it's even "indisputa...
Of course the robustness of the hands is important
By: VinnieD : May 19th, 2020-23:26
But the argument that they come from a supplier is not valid in my eyes. Can you imagine Mercedes saying "oh yes, your ABS was faulty? That is coming from Bosch so not really our responsibility!"
I think this is an apples to oranges comparison.
By: TheWindingStem : May 20th, 2020-06:55
Also the hands are not faulty, the hands are finished as per industry standards. What we are talking about here is the underside that requires strong magnification to even notice.
Right ...
By: WatchEater : May 19th, 2020-23:45
I'm a huge Lange fanboy and think it's not really a valid excuse given they are owned by Richemont. Yes, Lange might be small but they could surely pool resources and find a solution. If other brands can do it, so can they.
Richemont doesnt control Lange
By: TheWindingStem : May 20th, 2020-07:05
or any of their other brands- think of it like a Canadian Federation. You have the Federal Gov. and then you have the provinces that have huge autonomy. Pooling resources is an easy word for us to use but Lange is a brand that was revived only 25 years ag...
Meh
By: WatchEater : May 20th, 2020-20:58
I'm sure they have autonomy but what I'm getting at is that engineers at Lange / PD heads can probably call other companies owned by Richemont and solve this. If Grand Seiko can do it, so can Lange.
They are the King of Finishing.
By: TheWindingStem : May 20th, 2020-07:40
For the price they offer the best package out of all the serially produced watches on the market today and they are super close to the indies.
How so?
By: TheWindingStem : May 20th, 2020-12:06
Who from the big brands are finishing their movements to the same standard as Lange?
I believe so -
By: TheWindingStem : May 20th, 2020-07:43
but I’m sure you understand the company would like to have one official statement as opposed to private conversations.
The "polished hands" discussion...
By: CR : May 20th, 2020-07:56
... reminds me about how each of us has our own idiosyncrasies. It's interesting and amusing to read about these things. It's part of what makes this hobby fun for me. For example, in another recent thread, several people said they wouldn't own a Zeitwerk...
EXACTLY!
By: TheWindingStem : May 20th, 2020-08:11
thank you for pointing these things out- for some reason people are so hard on Lange when their peers dont come close to them in terms of finishing/value.
What about Lange's relationship with rose gold vs. white gold?...
By: CR : May 20th, 2020-09:12
This is another association that I have to this discussion. I always perceived Lange's (older) rose gold cases to be "lesser" and their white gold cases to be "greater" when compared with many industry peers. Here is why: RG: As those who've followed Lang...
Yup I remember that.
By: TheWindingStem : May 20th, 2020-17:09
I never looked at the RG as inferior per se- I just felt the fully polished case seemed rather unattractive. Whatever their reasoning may be I hated it lol
Zeitwerk
By: WatchEater : May 20th, 2020-08:55
The preloading issue with the Zeitwerk is fixed on newer watches fwiw
Ok, for me this is quite simple.
By: MTR : May 21st, 2020-00:33
The reason why I pay for a ALS watch the amount of a (luxury) car is not least because of the story behind that ALS produces its watches at highest possible standards and therefore my/our („romantic“) assumption that this manufacturer finishes ALL compone...
Thank you CR
By: MTR : May 21st, 2020-12:12
for your nice reply and reading my thoughts. And I hope you are wrong with your penultimate sentence.... Let’s see what will come out in this case. Best Thomas
Not convinced- this sounds like a Cisco product manager response-
By: jlc.thomsen : June 16th, 2020-13:01
Admit and correct- We do not need rounded undersides like the upper part, just not rough cuts with marks from the plate cutting machines-Just take responsibility-don't send the ticket on to the supplier-you are such a great brand!