Chromatic Fugue
1847
balance cock engraving question
Sep 08, 2019,13:29 PM
I understand that the balance cock (or equivalent) of every Lange watch bears the individualized engraving of the watchmaker who put it together. Indeed, I understand that these engravings enable watchmakers at Lange to know at a glance exactly which of their colleagues made a particular watch. Here's a photo of the engraving on my first-generation 1815 chrono. It doesn't look at all like the unitary baroque pattern on my Lange 1 or most other engravings I've seen in photos of Lange movements. Although it has the usual curls on part of its surface, the portion closest to the balance wheel contains severe cross-hashes and at least one initial (an "N"). My quick survey of web images for Lange engravings shows this "N" and cross-hash arrangement only on a few other watches, and they're all 1815 chronos (although most 1815 chronos don't have it). This is obviously just idle curiosity, but does anyone else have this type of engraving or know the back story to it?
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balance cock engraving question
By: Chromatic Fugue : September 8th, 2019-13:29
I understand that the balance cock (or equivalent) of every Lange watch bears the individualized engraving of the watchmaker who put it together. Indeed, I understand that these engravings enable watchmakers at Lange to know at a glance exactly which of t...
I think it is N for Nach (slow) and V for Vor ( fast). [nt]
By: dedestexhes : September 8th, 2019-13:35
You just can see part of the V. The pattern is easily recognized of you do a factory visit. They’ll give a small card which states the engraver, not the person who build the watch. Cheers, Dirk
yep, same engraving
By: Chromatic Fugue : September 8th, 2019-13:47
The most distinctive feature of this engraver's "signature," in addition to the "N" (and hidden "V"), is the use of three parallel lines just below the screw, along with the hash marks at a 45 degree angle to those lines. It's an interesting contrast to t...
Many thanks for this!
By: Chromatic Fugue : September 8th, 2019-17:10
Right here is what’s so great about this site: ask a truly obscure question, get an incredibly interesting answer.
The balance cock doesn’t show who assembled the watch.
By: russell996 : September 8th, 2019-15:14
It is true they are individual to the engraver and you can find out who the engraver was from Lange. However the engraver and the watchmaker are not one and the same. They had an engraver at the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court and when I showed him ...
Got it...
By: Chromatic Fugue : September 8th, 2019-17:06
... curious: does the engraver perform any function other than engraving the balance cock?
They do other engraving as well
By: mj23 : September 8th, 2019-20:04
Like engraving on solid case back if you’d prefer as an example. That’s extra charge of course. 😁