Saxonia Moonphase - Simple and Classy

The DNA of the House Of Lange & Sohne is unmistakable - the big date and the dial profile.

Personally, I am more of an 1815 person than a Saxonia kind of person. I prefer timepieces with Arabic numerals but the Saxonia Moonphase is somewhat an exception.

Released during the 2016 SIHH show, the timepiece exudes elegance and great proportions. The 40mm timepiece comes with an automatic movement. This is the white gold piece but there is also the rose gold version too.

The moon disc is highly polished and the plate has a bright blue hue with the sprinkling of stars.

The automatic movement is Calibre L086.5 with a power reserve of about 72 hours. The rotor is a combination of gold and platinum.

What's so special about this moonphase movement is that the lunar disc is connected to the hour wheel to provide a more accurate moonphase reading.

I like the Saxonia Moonphase and it would have been much better for me if it had the Arabic numerals. But still a nice timepiece nonetheless.

First Jumping Hours & Minutes - Now Jumping Seconds!

The famous 5 minute clock developed by Ferdinand A Lange was resurrected in the Zeitwerk featuring a mechanical timepiece with a digital display. Instead of the normal hands that tells time, the Zeitwerk displays time with a jumping numeral display.

Fast forward to 2016 and the Manufacture has introduced a new complication - the Jumping Seconds. Also known as the dead beat seconds, the Richard Lange Jumping Seconds is driven by a one-second constant-force escapement. Unlike other mechanical timepieces where the second hands sweep the dial, a dead beat seconds complication improves the reading of the second hands by displaying as jumping hands just like a quartz timepiece. So a mechanical timepiece mimicking a quartz watch?

Well, this is one of the few complications not many brands can muster. The few I know and have seen are Habring, Arnold and Sons, Jaeger LeCoultre, Rolex (yes, I managed to see a vintage Tru Beat in a shop in HKG) and Gronefeld. There are a few other brands with a similar complication but executed differently and the price range vastly different too. Enter the Richard Lange Jumping Seconds...

The folks at Lange & Sohne choose a different display style - preferring to put the jumping second complication into centre focus. Two other smaller dials display the minute (right) and the hour (left), very much like a regulateur layout except that is it slightly different (again).

Right in the centre where the three circles meet is the power reserve indicator. When it indicates red, it means the power reserve is down to 10 hours.

The movement is as impressive as one would expect from Manufacture Lange & Sohne. Built from ground up, the L094.1 movement delivers the same amount of energy to the constant-force escapement in one-second intervals. The constant force escapement is also another complication not many brands possess and it is this mechanism that provides a constant and uniform power to drive the movement.

The movement accords 42 hours power reserve for this manual winding mechanism. The movement also has a patented Zero-Reset mechanism which means the seconds hand returns to 60 when the crown is pulled. Another feat for the house of Lange.

The timepiece measures almost 40mm and the dial layout is consistent with the other Richard Lange family timepieces - the Richard Lange Perpetual Calendar "Terraluna" and the Richard Lange Tourbillon “Pour le Mérite” where the two smaller dials display the minutes and hours. Except that in the Jumping Seconds, the minute and hour dials are displayed right and left respectively while the other two are displayed left (minute) and right (hour).

The Richard Lange Jumping Second was released together with the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar as well as the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon during SIHH 2016. Compared to both the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar and the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon, the Jumping Seconds looks "simple" but with the special features like the constant force escapement, Zero-Reset and dead beat seconds, it is anything but. Trust Lange to make a complication sound simple.

Grand Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar

Not all perpetual calendars are made equal - we know that. The special ones are not only a technical feat but also easy to read - enter the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar.

Perpetual calendars unlike the annual calendar counterparts knows the numbers of days in a month and correctly jumps to the right date at the switch over. For 11 months in a year, the days will either be 31 or 30 days. But for February, it will be 28 days for three years and during the leap year, will have 29 days. The perpetual calendar mechanism takes into consideration the leap year and ensures that for that one year, the date display jumps from 28 to 29 and from 29 to 01 as with the case of the Lange which has the big date function.

So much has been said about the perpetual calendar in a mechanical timepiece but all said and done, the perpetual calendar has to be, first and foremost, legible. A few timepieces have got it right - the Moser Perpetual One for one. And with the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar, the manufacture Lange has another winner.

The off-centre Lange 1 layout with a clearly intuitive dial layout. Lange 1 is perhaps the most well known off-centre dial timepiece that is so symmetrically proportionate. The day, date, month, and moon phase are very well laid out. Two other indicators are the leap year and the day/night indicator within the time dial.

The display of the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar is laid out in a rather "unconventional" way. Typical perpetual calendars will use the sub-dials to display the days, months etc. But with the Lange TPC, the unique layout allows the owner a clear view of the timepiece - uncluttered view. (Pardon the smudges on the sapphire glass - my bad).

The outer ring revolves anti-clockwise displaying the month of the year. At the 8 to 10 o'clock displays the day of the week and the Lange big date is unmistakable. The 7 displays the moon phase. Right at the 6 is the leap year display. The dial is clean and the indicators can be clearly read.

Turn around and you will see an automatic movement. A beautiful 21k gold and platinum rotor. And what a well hand engraved rotor.

Turn the rotor to the other side and it reveals the Tourbillon. As with the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon, the Tourbillon has a stop seconds mechanism.

Again, another hallmark is clearly visible - the hand engraved bridges of the cocks. And beneath it, the Tourbillon.

The people at Lange prefers to keep the dial of the Lange 1 TPC clean and therefore the Tourbillon is found at the back on the movement side.

The Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar is an exciting package. The case size measures 41.9mm and when fully wound, provides 50 hours of power reserve.

A Lange 1 is a Lange 1. Only that the people at Glashutte made it a more iconic - with a stop second Tourbillon and adding on a Perpetual Calendar complication. Well done again!

Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon - Stunning Beauty!

The Lange Datograph is an icon and the Datograph Perpetual made it more drool worthy. Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon? Well, that goes into the realm of dream worthy!

The folks at Lange know one thing - how to make an exciting and beautiful chronograph movement. Add on a perpetual calendar and the beautiful 3D movement is stunning but the latest iteration where they added a Tourbillon to the movement adds a different dimension to the whole piece.

The layout of the dial is proportionate and surprisingly legible. The perpetual calendar also features a moon phase that is accurate for more than 100 years. And the instantaneously recognisable large date that is a hallmark of the Datograph series is also evident. The case is a very wearable 41.5mm.

Most brands would want the Tourbillon as their centre piece but the folks at Lange prefer the discreet approach preferring to keep the Tourbillon to the back.

But the Datograph is always about the movement. ALWAYS!

The column wheel chronograph movement is more than 700 parts and comes with a diamond end stone.

The Datograph movement is already an impressive movement. With the Tourbillon at the back, my attention was drawn immediately to the Tourbillon. Impressive indeed! There is a lot to like about the movement - the blue screws and the rubies add a splash of colour to the three dimensional hand wound movement.

The power reserve is around 50 hours and this example is a prototype - 000/100. The platinum case beauty is made in a limited edition of 100 pieces. The diamond end stone is located above the Tourbillon. Lange made history when they unveiled the Cabaret Tourbillon - the first Tourbillon which could achieve a stop second. What this means is that when the crown is pulled, the Tourbillon cage will stop and allow the time setting to be more accurate. With the traditional Tourbillon, the stop second feature was not possible until the Cabaret Tourbillon was released. The same feature is available on the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon.

What makes the Datograph special is the jumping counters - instant jumps. And the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon is no different. All the indicators of the perpetual calendar and the date changes instantaneously which is a technical feat in itself. Because of the gear arrangements and the perpetual calendar modules, most perpetual calendars will have their indicators change between 10pm and 4am with the watch fully "correct" by 4am the next day. But not so with the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon which jumps instantaneously - not many movements are able to achieve this.

Technical feat aside, the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon is an incredible timepiece. I am sure this timepiece will feature in many collectors' "Dream Watch" list. It sure is on mine! If only I could afford one.

Thanks to Patrick at the Lange Boutique at Ion Orchard for arranging the pieces availability and also to Gaetan Guillosson for hosting the event. Watch out for more reports on some other awesome Lange timepieces.

P.S. - I have been looking at the timepiece over and over again and it is just so easy to overlook the chronograph function of this Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon. The perpetual calendar feature on the dial is so complete that one can be easily forgiven when they overlook the column wheel chronograph that the Dato is so famed for.

Not All Rectangular Timepieces Make It - This One Does!

There are only a few rectangular timepieces that make the mark. The Lange Cabaret is one of them.

For one, they need to have a proper movement - one made for the timepieces and not slapping a round movement in a rectangular case. When Lange Cabaret was first launched in 1997, it came with the "regular" big date version. Later, they added the Moonphase to this timepiece and transformed the timepiece to a beauty!

The timepiece has all the hallmarks of the Glashutte manufacturer - big date and applied markers.

On the right side of the case is where the push buttons are for the adjustment of both the big date and the moonphase.

Lange does not scrimp on finishing - take a look at the big date windows. Finesse!

And the moonphase and the hands are just in perfect harmony.

And now for the movement side. The movement is rectangular - made for the timepiece and not slapping a round movement into a rectangular case and covering up the case back.

Similar three quarter German Silver plate with the rubies and blue screws.

The finishing on Cabaret is top notch as one would expect from Lange. Glashutte ribbing and hand finished.

And the individually hand engraved balance cock.

This beauty of a timepiece belongs to a friend of mine - Dr. Stefan Ma and he absolutely loves it!

The Cabaret is not as illustrious as the Lange One but still a very attractive timepiece. Under appreciated IMHO but for those who own one, they are the few who definitely enjoy the understated beauty. Congrats to Dr. Ma on his ownership of such a fine timepiece.

We Never Go Out of Style!

I was watching the Taylor Swift music video Style and the image of the Lange One came to mind. How appropriate!

Even though the timepiece was first unveiled in 1994, the Lange One is still so stylish. For the longest time, the Lange One was my dream watch (and still is) and it means a lot to me to own one of these beauties.

The iconic timepiece with the off-centre dial and large date is unmistakably the Lange One.

The class and finesse of the dial is so pure.

The off centre dial - the hands and the applied markers are very well finished.

And the large date window...

And Lange is always about looking at the movement side too. The Glashutte ribbing and the three quarter (German silver) plate with all the rubies and blued screws add to the beauty of the movement.

And the close up of the engraved balance cock - another hallmark of Lange.

The Lange One has been updated but the essential DNA stays intact. After all these years, why change something when it is still relevant and attractive. We never go out of style!

Lange 1815 Chrono - The Hunt is Fun!

The Lange 1815 Chronograph - perhaps the most beautiful chronograph front and back.

A good friend of mine had wanted the 1815 chrono for the longest time but finding one at the right price with the right piece was always elusive. The 1815 chrono in the pre-owned market is always difficult to find - especially if you want one at the right price. Patience they say is a virtue and so he waited and waited - then one day, it was there. From an overseas AD in Japan! Amongst our group of watch collector friends, many were eyeing this piece and I had to be quick. Not only do I need to be quick, I had to enlist the help of my Japanese colleague to call the AD to reserve this piece. And it all worked out beautifully!

So happy with the purchase, the first thing we did was take the watch to my place and examine it inside out. And with all 1815 chrono or Datograph owners, the first thing we did was turn it around and examine the movement.

The movement is about the most beautiful chronograph movement in the market.

This column wheel chrono is well designed - and just looking at the movement, one can understand why we are so mesmerised by it.

The layout and finishing on this chronograph is top notch.

And as with all Lange timepieces, the balance cock is hand engraved.

And a close up look at the movement.

Enough of the movement side - the front is equally well designed. The clean dial is proportionate. Simple and beautiful.

And a comparison - old and new.

However you look at it, both version of the 1815 chronograph are exquisite. I love them both and I am so happy for my friend. Next, the hunt for the rose gold black dial.