A. Lange & Söhne Double Split Drop Damage — WatchProSite Forum Digest

piccolochimico (aka dsgalaxy1) · 2018-02-02T06:19:38Z

A friend's A. Lange & Söhne Double Split suffers severe damage from a fall. Discuss watch handling, deployant clasps, and Lange's repair capabilities.

piccolochimico (aka dsgalaxy1)

WPS member · A. Lange & Söhne forum

25 replies4165 views5 photos

Piccolochimico shares a harrowing account of a friend's A. Lange & Söhne Double Split suffering severe damage from a fall. This post serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of high horology and sparks a discussion on watch handling, the importance of deployant clasps, and the meticulous repair capabilities of brands like Lange.

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Only last week i was introducing to you my friend's DS.

What a memorable and pleasant dinner.

We met again few days later, in order to try on the Octo.

He showed me his wrist, a nice Eberhard.

No DS.

Then, he found the strenght to rivive THAT moment.

He gave the DS to someone to try it (not an employee, or he'd have been fired immediately); the result is well depicted by these photos.

WTF!, was my first thought.

How did he make a damage like that?

I haven't figured it out yet how a fall can have caused such a damage!

A screw is gone!

The watch was working, but he has taken the watch to the AD in Rome to have it checked and fixed.

We both agreed that the buckle is not appropriate for an heavy watch like this one, deployant should be provided by default.

It's an additional safety feature, because for those not used in dressing these watches, the risk is extremely high by taking it off

Combined g-force and ignorance won.

Key Points from the Discussion

Dropping a watch, even from a short distance onto hard surfaces, can cause catastrophic and often unbelievable damage, highlighting the extreme fragility of mechanical timepieces.
Lending high-value items like luxury watches to individuals unfamiliar with their care and handling significantly increases the risk of damage.
A deployant clasp is crucial for heavy watches like the A. Lange & Söhne Double Split, providing an essential safety feature to prevent accidental drops, especially for those unaccustomed to wearing such pieces.
The absence or dislodgement of a case back screw after an incident can indicate either pre-existing issues or significant impact, warranting a thorough internal inspection beyond visible external damage.
Emphasizing the value and delicate nature of a watch before handing it to someone can increase awareness and careful handling, especially for rare or unique pieces.
A. Lange & Söhne's factory service is renowned for its ability to restore severely damaged watches to like-new condition, offering a silver lining in unfortunate incidents.
The worst watch damage stories often involve extreme circumstances, such as a watch being thrown into a fireplace, yet even these can sometimes be restored by dedicated manufactures.

The Discussion

JFT

Feb 2, 2018

Yeah... A deployant should've been a standard for heavy watches...

And second, if you watch to give your watch to a person to see the stuff, gotta make sure that the person is not careless and do it on top of a wooden table/surface or on top of a nice thick carpet... My deep condolence for your friend, it's just... so sad.... Anyway, best wishes, Jev

piccolochimico (aka dsgalaxy1)

Feb 2, 2018

This is our common procedure, but we are trained

I also believe that that person was absolutely unaware of the price tag. I still remember how carefully i handled the AP Jules Audemars minute repeater when a close friend gave to me, 5 pieces world. Deplo will be the next purchase

JFT

Feb 2, 2018

Ahh yes, just give a I forgot to mention that "precaution"

Good point to mention the price before handling it to the person that wanted to see it, not being I'm a rich guy or something but more like "be careful as it is an holy item or something" as awareness for such is pretty important... And the most scariest thing indeed handling such rare piece... I've handled enameled unique enameled bovet and jlc hybris artistica sonnerie before and I was trembling a bit...

JToddH

Feb 2, 2018

My heart weeps!

( Keeping in mind that the Double Split is my holiest of grail watches ) Was his "friend" operating heavy equipment at the time of this incident. A chipper-shredder perhaps? A jackhammer? Not to make light of this unfortunate event. Seriously, it saddens me to see such a horrible accident.

piccolochimico (aka dsgalaxy1)

Feb 2, 2018

Seems the watch has been thrown all over the floor

i still can't figure it out it how it has scratches on both sides

JToddH

Feb 2, 2018

Truly sickening. [nt]

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