A. Lange & Söhne

foversta
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Part 1: the Richard Lange Tourbillon Pour le Mérite

I would like to start with this watch because it is, without any doubt, my fav of the new collection. Lange published the press release before the Salon so we were quite excited to discover it in the metal. I was not disappointed. For me, this watch is the logical sequel of both Richard Lange and Pour le Mérite collections. It is a junction of different worlds:
- the world of accuracy with its Tourbillon and its Richard Lange context.
- the world of regularity with its Chaîne - Fusée system and its Pour le Mérite context.
- the world of mechanics, of engineering with its animated dial.

We have to consider that moving the dial like it is required for the Richard Lange Tourbillon is very demanding in terms of speed control, of energy and of fight against wear. I had in the past a discussion with another brand about the animation of some watches elements: moving a part at a high speed level like it is the case here with the hours disk is a true nightmare. You need to find the right way to start the move... but also to stop the disk at a stretch. A pure mechanical feat.

Caliber L072.1 is a true joy for our eyes thanks to its very curvy bridges, almost like lace. It has a power reserve of 36 hours and a 3hz frequency. Due to the architecture of the caliber, the engraving of the balance cock is fully visible: there is no regulation system above. I also love the big jewel in the center and the feeling of depth given by the L072.1.

The L072.1 caliber:


















I also like a lot the dial, especially its layout and the way the 3 circles come together. They give a feeling of harmony which is not disturbed by the Tourbillon opening. Of course, the part of the dial above the Tourbillon bridge is very original, also quite thin and gives a dynamic style to the watch. My only regret is that maybe I would have prefered a less flat dial with some applied figures. But, well, that's a very original watch which seduces me a lot.

Please note that the case diameter is 41,9mm, the height 12,2mm. The watch is available with PG case and with a PT one in a LE of 100 pieces.

The PG version:













The Platinum version:







My feelings in a sentence: original and impressive, my fav Lange of the 2011 SIHH.

Fr.Xavier