The A. Lange & Söhne Thread - including daily pics...

[ajw44]

Hello humble friends, just wanted to show my new acquisition - a Zeitwerk 10th anniversary Date - along side my other Zeitwerk striking time!

Really nice contrast between the two. Amazing how much thinner the Date version is! Cheers!




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[Russell996]

Originally Posted by ajw44

Hello humble friends, just wanted to show my new acquisition - a Zeitwerk 10th anniversary Date - along side my other Zeitwerk striking time!

Really nice contrast between the two. Amazing how much thinner the Date version is! Cheers!




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Lovely pair

[watchucallit]

Wow.. great!.. you are the first person I know to own both.. I have come so close to purchasing a Zeitwerk... one of these days

Originally Posted by ajw44

Hello humble friends, just wanted to show my new acquisition - a Zeitwerk 10th anniversary Date - along side my other Zeitwerk striking time!

Really nice contrast between the two. Amazing how much thinner the Date version is! Cheers!




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[EEpro]

Originally Posted by ajw44

Hello humble friends, just wanted to show my new acquisition - a Zeitwerk 10th anniversary Date - along side my other Zeitwerk striking time!

Really nice contrast between the two. Amazing how much thinner the Date version is! Cheers!




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Holy cow! This is amazing.


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[CFR]

Originally Posted by ajw44

hello humble friends, just wanted to show my new acquisition - a zeitwerk 10th anniversary date - along side my other zeitwerk striking time!

Really nice contrast between the two. Amazing how much thinner the date version is! Cheers!

Congrats -- what a great pair of white gold beauties! I have an old Striking Time and am curious about something. How does the winding feel on the ZW Date compared to the Striking Time? I've played with the ZW Date a bit at an event, but not for very long, and I never wound it. I love the stiff, ratchet-like winding feel of the Striking Time because it's so distinctive. You can feel every click. I wasn't sure if the ZW Date felt very different due to the changes in the movement and design.

[ajw44]

Originally Posted by Russell996

Lovely pair

Originally Posted by watchucallit

Wow.. great!.. you are the first person I know to own both.. I have come so close to purchasing a Zeitwerk... one of these days

Originally Posted by EEpro

Holy cow! This is amazing.

Thank you guys!!! AD made me a great offer I couldn't pass up!

Originally Posted by CFR

Congrats -- what a great pair of white gold beauties! I have an old Striking Time and am curious about something. How does the winding feel on the ZW Date compared to the Striking Time? I've played with the ZW Date a bit at an event, but not for very long, and I never wound it. I love the stiff, ratchet-like winding feel of the Striking Time because it's so distinctive. You can feel every click. I wasn't sure if the ZW Date felt very different due to the changes in the movement and design.

Congrats on your striking time! You'll be pleased to know the winding feels almost identical. One of my favorite things about the watch is the mechanical feel to the wind. Definitely try to check it out in person!

[WatchEater666]

Congrats on the 2nd ZW! Still cant get enough of mine and have been wearing it almost daily since I got it in March 2020.

[Sulituan]

Has anyone heard of the "basic" ZW model being discontinued?

[GreenLantern]

Originally Posted by Sulituan

Has anyone heard of the "basic" ZW model being discontinued?

I have. Fairly confident in my source.

The regular no-date / time-only Zeitwerk is slated for production end early this year (if not already?).

I have to believe that the ZW Date will take its place in the line-up.

[chiscott_29]

Originally Posted by Sulituan

Has anyone heard of the "basic" ZW model being discontinued?

Hmmm. Can you offer more details?

If this were true I would expect we’d see fewer out on the market. There are quite a few out there, and I believe WatchBox has had several over the past few weeks. The price hasn’t done much, and dealers still offer mid-$40s for like new condition.

If this is true I’d expect the price to head up, as this is a quintessential Lange piece and it’s the most “affordable” one available. I don’t see how the Date model replaces it...

EDIT: Sorry, I should have quoted ‘greenlantern’.

[GreenLantern]

I don't have more detail other than a report that the regular, time-only, no-date ZW is slated to end production some time this year.

The ZW hasn't, historically, flown off the shelves, from what I can tell, so it's not surprising that the pre-owned market hasn't caught on much (like how it did with the 5711/1A).

[chiscott_29]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

The ZW hasn't, historically, flown off the shelves, from what I can tell, so it's not surprising that the pre-owned market hasn't caught on much (like how it did with the 5711/1A).

I hear you. I have to think (hope?) that’ll change some day? It’s just insanity that you could buy a Zeitwerk and still have the money to buy a pretty nice car for what a mundane 5711/1A would set you back today.

[NYG1121]

Originally Posted by ajw44

Hello humble friends, just wanted to show my new acquisition - a Zeitwerk 10th anniversary Date - along side my other Zeitwerk striking time!

Really nice contrast between the two. Amazing how much thinner the Date version is! Cheers!




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drool

[WatchEater666]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

I have. Fairly confident in my source.

The regular no-date / time-only Zeitwerk is slated for production end early this year (if not already?).

I have to believe that the ZW Date will take its place in the line-up.

Interesting. The vanilla Zeitwerk is my favorite because of how clean it looks and it's also very very wearable compared to the versions equipped with repeaters.

I've seen prices for the newer ones without the preloading issue creep up but nothing crazy. I don't think they will go up that much either as the ZW is pretty niche!

[NYG1121]

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[Sulituan]

Originally Posted by chiscott_29

Hmmm. Can you offer more details?

I also haven't heard anything more than that. 11 years in production for that reference. What is hard to swallow for me (I dont own one) is if there would be no replacement. The Date piece is simply too big with 44mm for most of us.

[dbfagan]

Originally Posted by NYG1121

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Very nice indeed!

[Abdullasaif]

Excuse the stuck date window

[ap1]

Originally Posted by Abdullasaif

Excuse the stuck date window

Awesome, is that from midnight changeover?

[ReturningSon]

Originally Posted by Abdullasaif

Excuse the stuck date window

Grey alligator strap? I thought the odysseus was only offered on rubber or the calf leather? Is this a custom job? Looks great, only reason I ask!

[SS Oyster]

Originally Posted by ajw44

Hello humble friends, just wanted to show my new acquisition - a Zeitwerk 10th anniversary Date - along side my other Zeitwerk striking time!

Really nice contrast between the two. Amazing how much thinner the Date version is! Cheers!




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I stopped into the ALS Boutique today at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. I met a terrific BD Manager there who helped me with all my questions and allowed me to feel the same exact two watches in the metal and leather.

Incredible ... that’s the only word that came to mind. I was blown away. I am so over every other watch brand after seeing these beauties. Now I just need to find a way to buy my favorite, the striking time.

Here are some salient points I learned while there, which impressed the heck out of me, making me completely forget about Rolex, Omega, Patek, AP and even Vacheron Constantine.

1. Each A. Lange & Sohne watch should be serviced every 4-5 years (not sure that cost as I didn't ask). Any customer can ask (at any time) for a restoration polish (misnomer) as a paid service for around $800, however, they DO NOT remove material. They first add PM (gold or platinum) to the case to fill any dent and then polish it back down to its original exact dimension in the exact original finish. Expensive, but knowing you can pay ALS to return your watch to factory original ... never having to send to someone like LA Watch Works.
2. The Zeitwerk Date has the same 44.2mm case diameter, but is about 2mm thinner (and it's noticeable). More impressive, the Date version has a 72hr power reserve coming from dual thinner main barrel springs, which sit one directly over the other. The hour can be shifted by one hour at a time (ahead direction only) with press of a button, which is flying to NY from LA, you would push three times. If flying from NY though to LA, you would push the side button 21 times and then reset the date via another button.
3. The Striking Time (my favorite) has a much lower power reserve, like 40 hours (can recall the exact number), which is less if set to chiming. You setup the watch to chime by pressing the pusher at 4 o'clock, and silence the time strikers by pushing the same pusher. It's the chime / silence chime pusher. I love the idea, at $350k less than the minute repeater, that you can have the watch remind you of the passing of each quarter hour, with the higher-tone chime (right side hammer) happening at 15, 30 and 45 past the hour, and the lower-tone chime (left side hammer) happening on the hour ... and I mean exactly on the hour. The chime happens when the beautiful white gold and perfectly finished seconds hand (seen at 6 o'clock position) passes exactly the top marker, not one or two seconds before or after.
4. The Minute Repeater at $500k, which I thought I preferred going into the boutique, only chimes when you press the pusher at the 10 o'clock position, when it will chime low tone once for each hour, twin (both left and right) chimes for each 10 minutes after the previous hour, and then the higher tone right hammer once for each minute after the 10s of minutes. Example: if you press the chime pusher at 5:26, even if its about the hit 5:27, the watch will chime: low-low-low-low-low (pause) both-both (pause) high-high-high-high-high-high, and only then will the time advance to 5:27 even though it may be 5:27:20, of course keeping the exact time. While completely amazing and showing incredibly capability with over 700 amazingly finished components, it seems far less useful for someone like me, who just wants to be reminded at 15, 30 and 45 past the hour and when a new hour starts. To me ... the striking time is a far more useful (at least in business and everyday life) albeit less technical complication. And of course the striking time comes at a price of around $380k lower price tag.
5. A. Lange & Sohne only make around 25 Zeitwerk watches per year, which means I was looking at (and the person who owns both of these beauties) a full month of Zeitwerk production for the entire world. Doing a little math with a couple of assumptions (but pretty close), a person buying a full month from Rolex would own 4,000 Daytonas.

Bottom line for me - Expensive (but worth every penny). Exclusive (only 24 Zeitwerks a year). Technical (something like 484 parts in the Striking Time). Absolute conversation starter. Shockingly impressive when viewing the dial and especially the movement (wish my eyes were better). 100% legible (even with my 57yo eyes).


Q








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[SS Oyster]

Who would, in their right mind, buy a Richard Mille is even a single Zeitwerk were available for sale?

Today was horologically transformational for me - MIND BLOWN!

[CFR]

Originally Posted by SS Oyster

I stopped into the ALS Boutique today at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. I met a terrific BD Manager there who helped me with all my questions and allowed me to feel the same exact two watches in the metal and leather.

Sounds like an amazing visit!!

Originally Posted by SS Oyster

1. Each A. Lange & Sohne watch should be serviced every 4-5 years (not sure that cost as I didn't ask).

Service costs are listed here (see Category #4). I'd strongly disagree with that advice. Service it when it breaks, not preventatively. You won't save any money by sending it in before it breaks, you'll be without the watch for months, and you introduce risk whenever the watch is shipped and whenever the caseback is opened (even by Lange). There's no benefit whatsoever to servicing it before it breaks. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Originally Posted by SS Oyster

4. The Minute Repeater ... While completely amazing and showing incredibly capability with over 700 amazingly finished components, it seems far less useful for someone like me, who just wants to be reminded at 15, 30 and 45 past the hour and when a new hour starts. To me ... the striking time is a far more useful (at least in business and everyday life) albeit less technical complication.

Absolutely! The Minute Repeater is amazing, but the Striking Time is practical. Hearing the soft chime during a meeting is a true pleasure. And at night, in a quiet environment when you're not wearing the watch in bed, you can hear it chime from across the room.

Originally Posted by SS Oyster

5. A. Lange & Sohne only make around 25 Zeitwerk watches per year, which means I was looking at (and the person who owns both of these beauties) a full month of Zeitwerk production for the entire world. Doing a little math with a couple of assumptions (but pretty close), a person buying a full month from Rolex would own 4,000 Daytonas.

I think the manager misspoke. Maybe the manager meant that they make 25 Zeitwerk Minute Repeaters a year. That'd make sense, since (for example) Lange announced last year (2020) a limited edition of 30 pieces of the 147.028 WG/blue dial Zeitwerk Minute Repeater. Or maybe Lange did make very few ZW's in 2020 due to the pandemic-related workflow interruptions. In general, I take any "inside information" from boutique staff with a grain of salt until corroborated (which is often difficult) because I've gotten a lot of misinformation that way, though they're always incredibly kind people.

As you saw, the ZW movement is at least as compelling as the dial. When I would sit at a desk and work, I would sometimes remove the watch and put it next to my computer monitor with the movement facing me, so I could look at it.

[SS Oyster]

Originally Posted by CFR

Hearing the soft chime during a meeting is a true pleasure. And at night, in a quiet environment when you're not wearing the watch in bed, you can hear it chime from across the room.

When I would sit at a desk and work, I would sometimes remove the watch and put it next to my computer monitor with the movement facing me, so I could look at it.

Must be so nice to have that piece chiming away in the quiet of your home. Someday I’ll have one for sure.

I don’t know how you could have possibly got any work done, but clearly you did or you wouldn’t have been able to afford those beauties - congrats! Absolutely love your taste.
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[illiguy]

Great to see another convert. ALS does everything well. I also love that they are pieces unique, but they do not draw unwanted attention like a 5711 or DaytonaC might in this day of Instagram hype.

[SS Oyster]

One last thing I am remembering that impressed me:
- ALS assembles each watch twice before selling to make sure each piece has no friction points.


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[WatchEater666]

Originally Posted by CFR

I think the manager misspoke. Maybe the manager meant that they make 25

As you saw, the ZW movement is at least as compelling as the dial. When I would sit at a desk and work, I would sometimes remove the watch and put it next to my computer monitor with the movement facing me, so I could look at it.

I do the exact same thing, keep it on my desk at night an then stare at it around the hourly transitions lol

[NYG1121]

Bumping this thread!


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[jed11]

The subtle grain on this dial...



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[Watchflair]

Originally Posted by jed11

The subtle grain on this dial...



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Very nice shot - the detail - incredible