A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk

A classic mechanical movement combined with a modern digital display go together like peanut butter and jelly … who would’ve thought?  Well, A. Lange & Söhne did when they developed the Zeitwerk in 2009. At the time, the idea of merging a mechanical watch with a digital display was an exciting concept, and in many ways, was ahead of its time — true to the innovative ethos that we’ve come to identify with manufacture hailing from Glashütte.  Equipped with a dual-disc mechanism, the Zeitwerk intuitively displays both the hours and minutes through two separate ‘digital’ display windows and is powered by Lange’s patented constant force escapement.  Inspired by the renowned five-minute clock perched high above at the Semper Opera House in Dresden and beautifully balanced in its miniaturized execution, the Zeitwerk is a breath-taking example of mechanical art, with a decidedly German flair. This piece - a Reference 140.029 - is a fine example of the first-generation Zeitwerk, and comes housed in a 41.9mm 18k white gold case featuring a polished bezel, a signed crown at 2 o’clock, a sapphire crystal and a sapphire exhibition caseback that beautifully frames Lange’s manual-winding Calibre L.043.1 movement. Its satin black dial features a German silver plate housing both jumping hour and minute ‘digital’ displays, a power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock, and a silver-accented constant seconds sub-register at 6 o’clock.  Paired to a signed black alligator leather strap with a signed white gold deployant clasp, this teutonic masterpiece is accompanied by its full set of factory goodies including box set, books, and papers dated 2013.  Dubbing this piece a mechanical marvel is not an over-statement … it’s undeniably accurate.