The current landscape of unorthodox watch designs is surprisingly vast. The foundations that led us here have been laid over the course of generations, and represent a core component of the lasting success of mechanical timekeeping well beyond its practical shelf life. From the likes of Vianney Halter to MB&F, it’s easy to get caught up in the more extreme examples of unconventional watchmaking, but doing so overlooks other expressions that have been instrumental in establishing a similar level of ingenuity within the industry. One of the more interesting examples of this, which may not be top of mind when considering the genre, is the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk, a watch that challenges convention in a different kind of watch.
History & Development
In 2009, A. Lange & Söhne released the rather unusual Zeitwerk, a watch with a large digital display accounting for the hours and minutes. While the design serves as a nod to the Dresden Semper Opera House’s large five minute stage clock, the original inspiration for the Zeitwerk comes from the Pallweber pocketwatch of the late 19th century. It was this idea that Günter Blümlein suggested the brand revisit in 2001, just prior to his untimely passing. The Pallweber design, named for its Austrian creator, Josef Pallweber, was eventually licensed to IWC, and while it only ever took form in a vertical manner, his technical drawings did indicate a horizontal layout, which never came to fruition.
It would take the work of Lange’s prototyping team, notably Jens Schneider, to bring this idea to life in a manner that would fit A. Lange & Söhne’s design, which set the large display windows within a wing-like bridge constructed from German Silver set into the dial. Schneider currently serves as Lang & Heyne’s Director of Development, by the way. The challenge from the onset was moving a trio of large, relatively heavy discs in sync with one another while maintaining a reasonable reserve of power. As a result, the Zeitwerk uses a much thicker mainspring than you’d typically find in their movements, which is needed to deliver the torque required to power the components of this display.
The movement developed for the Zeitwerk was the L043.1, and while the watch itself isn’t exactly complicated, the technical solutions required to make it work certainly were. In order to move the discs in a precise, consistent fashion, Lange uses a remontoire to receive and store the vast amount of energy from the robust mainspring before sending it to one, two, or all three of the discs displaying the time. The system relies on a spring to store the power, along with a drive wheel, and a driven wheel acting as arbiters. Power flows through the system via the center wheel and the third wheel pinion, with the driving wheel remaining stationary, and the remontoire spring storing the surplus before sending its energy to the escapement for regulation via the driven wheel.
Every 60 seconds, a burst of energy is released via control pinions to the driving wheel, providing an impulse to the switching mechanism, and resulting in a near instantaneous switch of the display discs. Obviously, rotating all three discs requires more power than a single disc requires each minute. The energy stored by the remontoire is enough to move all three discs, so the excess energy output when only one or two discs are turned needs to be managed. Like a blow off valve in a forced induction engine, Lange uses a mechanism called the Windflüge to dissipate the excess energy safely.
Perhaps a future variation of the movement could include a kinetic energy recovery system here, and redirect that excess energy back into the mainspring for a more efficient system.
The remontoire system has seen refinements since its introduction, and the current caliber designation within the Zeitwerk is the L043.6 which boasts a pretty impressive 72 hours of reserve. The whole system is artfully laid out under a bridge, which keeps the action points largely visible under a recess in the three-quarter plate. The view remains similar throughout the Zeitwerk variations that have been released, which include a minute repeater and a decimal strike, bringing an audible complication to the digital readout. In 2019, A. Lange & Söhne introduced the Zeitwerk Date in white gold with a grey dial, adding a practical layer to the display.
The Zeitwerk Date
A. Lange & Söhne is very intentional with the evolution of their watches. Things like case metals, dial colors, finishes, and especially additional complications are handled methodically to work within the DNA of each collection. Bringing a date to the Zeitwerk, while practical, had to be done in a way the worked with the overall ethos of the watch. In doing so, the date was added to the perimeter of the dial, in the form of a stationary transparent printed glass disc. A red marker would advance each day to highlight the date throughout the month, and can be advanced manually with the use of a new pusher added to the case at the bottom left.
The core experience of the Zeitwerk is thus maintained, with the focal point remaining on the digital display at the center. As we’ve seen within the Lange 1 collection, this is a brand that isn’t afraid to tackle new mechanical challenges in order to achieve their design goals. Like the time display, the date feels deceptively simple at a glance, but it too required some trick engineering to be implemented within the movement.
The date complication here relies on an integration within the hour gear rim. When the hour switches from 11 to 12, a gear switching finger advances a 12-hour Maltese cross a quarter turn. Over the span of 24 hours, the cross is incremented twice, with nothing happening at noon, but as it advances beyond midnight, a date switching cam is activated, engaging with the date wheel at the perimeter, and advancing the red segment. Energy stored in a spring lever via snail cam is used to provide additional power for the switching process here.
As discussed in the introduction of the new pink gold Zeitwerk Date, the buttons governing the adjustment of the date and the hour are also quite unique. So as not to disturb any of the mechanisms within, the button press isn’t actually affecting anything, but rather, it is the return stroke that sets the action into motion. As Lange is unable to control the amount of force used to press the button, this was the best solution to protect the internals from excessive force being applied. It’s a small thing, but it’s indicative of the attention being paid to the minutiae by A. Lange & Söhne. The button at the bottom left adjusts the date, while the button at the bottom right advances the hour. The rest of the setting and winding is handled through the crown at three o’clock.
While the hours and minutes set into the winged bridge dominate the dial landscape, there is other information provided on the dial. At the bottom center is placed a large subsidiary seconds for a more granular look at the time, and balancing things out at the top is a power reserve indication, which is quite useful for a hand winding watch such as this. The shape of the inset German Silver bridge creates some rather interesting negative space on the dial, which stands out in contrast to the silver. I do wonder what a full German Silver dial plate would look like here, but the closest we’ll come is likely the very special Handwerkskunst from 2012.
On The Wrist
All of this is set within a 44.2mm case of either white or pink gold that measures 12.3mm in thickness. Yes, it’s a large watch. It looks large, and frankly, feels large. That said, it’s not uncomfortable by any stretch. The case has received just as much attention as everything else discussed, and it shows in the hand and on the wrist. The case is split, with a brushed mid section sandwiched between a polished top and bottom, with angular inset lugs done in the traditional Lange design. It’s muscular and assertive, and sits surprisingly flat on the wrist. The exhibition back is lightly flared out from the base, creating just enough to sink into the small of the wrist.
The Zeitwerk Date is not an uncomfortable watch, but I’m still not sure I’d call it a great option for daily wear, though you certainly could if you were so inclined. Instead, this is a watch that carries some weight (literally, this is a lot of precious metal) and presence in a watch that feels quite special. In that sense, it’s best to think about this watch as an experience that signifies the best of a brand. The same could be said for quite a few Lange watches, if I’m being honest.
I started by outlining this watch in the context of other unconventional watches from the likes of Vianney Halter and MB&F, and that’s the kind of experience that fits the Zeitwerk, not just physically, but mechanically. There is a similar sense of wonder and joy in beholding a watch like the Zeitwerk, and while it may differ stylistically compared to something like an HM4, it sits in the same vein as a conceptually unique display that’s been brought to life in an incredibly impressive way. And like an HM4, it puts a smile on your face.
Conclusions
The Zeitwerk is a technically impressive watch that brings a new level of depth to the brand as a whole. Where it deviates from the brand’s more traditional offerings, it also showcases exactly what makes them special. This is a new design language that necessitated novel engineering solutions, and Lange rose to the challenge in a uniquely Lange manner. The simplicity at a glance betrays the exceptional complexity within, creating an almost poetic contrast that captures an important truth about A. Lange & Söhne.
With the addition of a date, the Zeitwerk shows another wrinkle of versatility, and feels almost like a puzzle the brand can’t stop tinkering with. That’s what makes it so much fun to nerd out over, and what puts it in the loftiest realms of unconventional watch design. At $132,000, it’s an experience that comes at a cost, but one that feels commensurate with the development held within. Like the other examples cited in this review, this is a watch that sits at the forefront of unconventional watchmaking, and serves as another piece of the foundation for future generations. A. Lange & Söhne