jleno
1918
I'm not an expert on finishing but I'll try to take a crack at this...
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.
More posts:
How does the movement finishing rate on the Atelier de Chronometrie watches?
How would these compare to...Moritz Grossman or Urban Jurgensen or Lange or anyone's finishing you'd like to compare these movements to? Many thanks! ...
These pics are courtesy a purist in Japan, btw. AdC will have an AD there.
I hope they have an AD here in the USA as well someday.
Its a tough one to answer. I think the finish is to a very high standard and the watches are outstanding. They are classic Omega movements enhanced and refinished to another level.
It is similar to what Singer does to a Porsche. I would buy one of these watches in a heart beat, however I can't get my head around the price point which is comparable to a Lange 1. ...
Thanks for the pictures and well reasoned take! So, you'd say they are very good, but not quite Lange level?
I think the chance for bespoke details and loss of economies of scale are part of that pricing/value equation. For finishing, they have some sharp interior angles chamfered which a Lange doesn't have, but you miss the chatons around the jewels, engraving,...
Any finish level is the product of the process by which it was achieved.
I have a high opinion of the finishing by Lange and MG, but they are simply not at the level of AdC, nor should they be given their production processes and numbers. As for a comparison, I think you need to look "up" for your competitive set. Romain and K...
Your perspective is much appreciated!
I need to see these in person someday if they are at the level of Romain and Kari! Also, that level for the price of a lange 1 is a good deal!
Yes, in-person is a must, and with a loupe.
With Lange, what you give up in finishing you gain in technical intrigue and variety (remontoire's, jumping seconds, fusees, interesting stop seconds, etc.). The AdC philosophy, on the other hand, is to turn up the performance of classic architecture with...
brandon1 has made an excellent point. The finishing can't be faltered and the comparison is difficult due to the different manufacturing processes. I think AdC sit in quite a niche position
and not dissimilar to what Struthers are doing in Birmingham and RGM in the US (all to varying levels of finish). I love the fact that they fuse different era's by using historically important calibers like the Omega. I guess the reason I find the price p...
AdC does not use any CNC machines in its production process
which is quite rare these days so I like to to think that they will excel in some movement finishing areas and lose out on others to the other brands with top movement finishing. Even RW Smith uses CNC machines so AdC may argue that their price point is n...
GS has nice machine finishing, a possible competitor to most JLC
Of course, they have some ultra high-end hand finished movements now as well.
I would like the opportunity to examine...
The movement under a loop before making a judgment.
For sure the movement is nicer than the dial!
In pictures, at least. I'm not sure if this is rude (please advise), but I've just written AdC to ask if a bespoke guilloché dial is possible. The email was polite, the possible rudeness is that I don't intend to immediately put down €50,000 euros after t...
I'm not an expert on finishing but I'll try to take a crack at this...
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 point...
I think
comparing to the brands(for simple time only watches) you have mentioned, it can hold its weight. More interior angles and nice rounded anglage. Points for trying to do different kinds of finishing on the ratchet and winding wheel. In terms of the brands ...
Cotes de geneve are an option.
Could you explain more about how there's something gauche about all the work?
Gauche?
(Looking at the 2nd image ...) The work looks gauche because of the combination of frosting, an inexpensive finish, the apparently inconsistent perlage, the poor treatment around the shock protection and the complete avoidance of work to/around the screw ...
Very interesting, thanks!
It's funny how RWSmith, sometimes KV, etc., uses frosting. I don't really think of it as associated with inexpensive watches, or cote de geneve contrarywise.
Yeah, I could be wrong but I don't immediately agree with kjkt3's assessment
cotes de Geneve is one of the easiest finishes to apply, you can find videos on youtube showing the process which only takes a few seconds to complete and doesn't require any skill. Not sure what the issue with the screw heads is either, they appear to be...
"Artisanal"
AdC's website explains why the work on their Omega movements can look gauche and inelegant. It is "artisanal".
Ha, well the mantle of art has been used to cover for a lot!
Fun how different the takes on a watch can be. I would like to see these watches in person
Just another opinion
but at that price, I would suggest Romain Gauthier's work is hard to beat. That said, the ADC is certainly nicely finished.
I have to make a few more posts here on purists about them first!
Not even totally kidding! Have written them with a possible dial idea.
