jleno
1907
I'm not an expert on finishing but I'll try to take a crack at this...
Jul 25, 2019,19:53 PM
The types of finishes I try to look for first on a movement are the most difficult ones. I think these usually fall into three categories, but someone correct me if I'm wrong:
1. Free-hand engraving
2. Well-rounded anglage on the bridges, with bonus points for interior angles. There should not be light vertical striations on the anglage, which indicate machine finishing.
3. Black polishing on large pieces
I think the AC does very well on the anglage, better than any of the brands you mentioned (assuming we are comparing equivalent time-only pieces). Moritz Grossmann's pieces would primarily win on engraving but their anglage is relatively thin. Lange maybe falls somewhere in between the two with more prominent anglage (but only on a 3/4 plate with no interior angles) and some engraving on the balance cock. The Urban Jergensen would be more comparable to this since it's a similar Swiss-style movement. Their movements also appear to have nice anglage with some interior angles.
There are a couple of details that would make me rate this higher than the UJ for movement finishing. These include the multi-finished crown and ratchet wheels on the AC and the tighter perlage pattern on the base plate. However, finishing on the dial should also be considered and the UJ would get more points than the others here for an engine-turned guilloche dial. So this makes the comparison more difficult.
This could perhaps be the angle that the photos are taken at, but the gear teeth on the crown and ratchet wheel of the AC do not appear to be as well polished as what you would find on an MG or an ALS that has them exposed like the saxonia thin. If that's the case, I might give MG and ALS a few points over this for that reason.
Overall, I think the finishing is quite good with it's strength being the anglage. I see that these are about 40K? For that price, I think a Laurent Ferrier microrotor could offer you a more well-finished Swiss-style movement. Moritz Grossmann or Lang&Heyne probably get you the best German-style finishing for a time-only watch, but I think ALS will be the better choice for a complication like the 1815 chronograph. A Gronefeld Principia would be worth considering as well, and they have their own unique style of movement finishing. However, it seems like the primary appeal of this brand is the ability to customize and the ultra-low production volume more so than the finishing itself.