CR
[Moderator]
4025
That's interesting. I heard the opposite.
Here's what one of the most respected watch journalists wrote to me in 2015:
On the subject of production time, it is clear to me that Lange has gradually reduced the finishing on its watches over the years, so I assume they have industrialised other processes too. The most obvious example is the Langematik movement. If you look at the perlage on the 3/4 plate below the rotor, they are drastically different from c.1999 and c.2014. The earlier ones have small, consistently spaced pearling, while the later one is larger in diameter, almost double the size. Doubling the size of the pearls cuts the number by half, and also the time taken to do it. This is evident in other aspects of finishing too. It’s minor and not apparent to most, but obvious when do you comparison. That is why I like a lot of the older Lange watches.
This piqued my interest, so I did a quick comparison and then wrote him back with this:
Interesting discussion. I just compared the perlage on 3 Langematik movements: 1 Langematik with Big Date (movement #111XX) and 2 Langematik Perpetuals (#281XX & 2842XX. I counted the number of swirls between the same 2 points on all 3 movements. The older movement #111XX had 13 swirls, whereas the other 2 Langematik movements (in a much more expensive watch, the Perpetual) had 8-9 swirls.
I'd love to learn the specifics about the opposite perspective that you've shared -- that the finishing of the newer Lange movements is systemically better than it used to be.
Can you share details about what to look for, visually? I'm now very curious!
Zeitwerk movement Gen 1 vs. Gen 2 aesthetics
Which one looks more beautiful to your eyes based on aesthetics consideration alone? Obviously Gen 2 is more technically advanced than Gen 1 with 72 hours PR and an (inverse) pusher to quick-set the hour. Aesthetically, it loses the anchor shaped remontoi...
Ok, so 3-1 so far, in favor of the old one (aesthetics only) ...
The new one is technically very good indeed. Managing 72 hours of PR with all those jumping discs is indeed an achievement ...
A Lange movement "improvements" come at a great cost...
to beauty and finishing complexity. Lange of today is a totally different brand than Lange of 20 years ago, sadly.
ive heard that before
but upon personally inspecting older and newer timepieces, speaking to the watchmakers at Lange and touring the manufacture I realized the finishing techniques today have improved. Lange watches today are finished better.
That's interesting. I heard the opposite.
Here's what one of the most respected watch journalists wrote to me in 2015: On the subject of production time, it is clear to me that Lange has gradually reduced the finishing on its watches over the years, so I assume they have industrialised other proc...
I think you may have miss understood my post...
Or perhaps I was unclear. The finishing on Lange movements has, without question, decreased in their complexity and quality of execution over the years. Also, I really appreciate you sharing some insight into that private conversation. I suspect I who kno...
Oh, my reply was directed to The Winding Stem, not to your post! :)
I hope he replies with specifics. I'm very curious to know more about how Lange's finishing has improved over time.
Counting perlages!!?
That has to be the craziest thing I've read on a watch forum, but I totally love it!😅😅 It seems to me that both CR and BFP are saying the same thing, and CR was responding to TWS's post, which claimed the opposite ...
Looks great!
I'm trying to decide which way to cast my vote (using wallet of course), and both make a strong case!
Absolutely, Gen 1 for me!
Anchor remontoire bridge is a must as it's so quintessential. Also, the two gears on top of the barrel reveals clever design in preventing overwinding
Yup ...
My eyes automatically searches for that anchor shaped bridge when looking at Zeit movements. I was a little confused when Zeit-date came out because I couldn't find the anchor
The movement doesn’t look THAT different to my eyes
With the exception to the barrel which is a lot more exciting in GEN1. The improved PR is a nice upgrade on the GEN2, and let’s be honest, any of us should feel fortunate to own either.
First generation
For quite a number of reasons, but an easy one would be that the newer movement just has so much more empty space; the kind of empty space that to me feels more sparse/anaemic than it does minimalist.