A. Lange & Söhne

Dear enthusiasts,

there´s a nice detail deserving a closer look; it´s rarely mentioned, but Lange´s casework can provide a real surprise.
Here´s an example, the "Walter Lange" limited edition in white gold:

Like with the "Cuvette", these pieces prominently feature a hinged back of solid metal.
That´s unusual, not only for the Lange portfolio; hinged backs make for a special challenge due to the small size of the hinge, which needs to be sturdy enough to withstand decades of wear but can´t be large in order to preserve the proportions and dimensions of a wrist watch case.
That´s a combination hard to achieve and probably we´re not surprised to learn all of these require meticulous manual labor to come to life.

But there´s another feature, which is part of the rear lid.
The inside is perfectly polished to a mirror polish and reveals itself only to the owner or those allowed to have a glimpse.
And it´s fairly more difficult to achieve than one may believe, given all steel parts of the movement are perfectly polished and finely finished.
Other than movement parts, the inside of a solid watch back provides a much larger space and a common rule notes, the larger the work piece, the more difficult to obtain a perfect polishing. That´s in the nature of the metal, because white gold is softer than other materials and adds to the challenge particularly of choosing the right abbrasives and tools, which requires a long experience and practice. And it´s due to the method, as these are hand-polished; a lapse of the hand and the polishing is ruined, which requires to start all over again. This makes for a challenge and it´s not that rarely seen a metal back being polished 2, 3 or 5 times until the perfectly smooth, fine and mirror-like outcome is achieved.

The "mirror back" of the "Walter Lange" and those rare Lange timepieces featuring a solid hinged back probably isn´t spectacular as the beautiful dials and wonderful movements, but it´s more to it than one may guess at a casual glimpse. And that´s to me very "Lange"; attention up to the smallest details and perfection in all of them.

Greetings from Germany,

Peter

hope you are doing well.

What a magnificent piece,, this "Walter Lange" 1815!!!! I love it but am not
in the position right now to acquire one. I´ll ask my wife if she really
doesnt need a small portable mirror; and, of course, I will offer her to
carry it when nessassary(sp).

Edwin

Hi Edwin,

just busy over the past weeks!

The idea of a portable mirror is a VERY cool one
And gentlemen always help out a lady, don´t we?
I think you found a great additional pitch for the WL

I really like these.
Not just they are "sober" in a very nice and interesting way, but opening the back to view the movement is a very private moment.
I like this, it´s quite understated and it´s for sure very nicely executed!

Cheers,

Peter

Please forgive my amateur shots!

Thanks for sharing the picture and congrats on your first post.

We hope to see many more.  Spread the word.

Bill

I'll try and show some others when I get hold of a Macro lens

G'day,

impressive pictures of an impressive watch!!!
The Cuvette is SO special, not just because of the back. A beauty!!!

What a great catch, sincere congrats!
Thanks for sharing!

Cheers,

Peter

G'day,

i really love the shiny back!
Thanks a lot for sharing and enjoy your beautiful WL!!

Cheers,

Peter

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the movement reflected in the polished back makes for wonderfull pictures!
100% drool material. Thanks all for posting!

Edwin