For the first time ever in a mechanical watch, the new A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater combines a jumping numerals display with a decimal minute repeater. As a sequel to its launch in 2015, the new Zeitwerk Minute Repeater comes in a 30-piece limited edition in 18K white gold with a 44.2 mm case and a deep blue solid silver dial. A totally new interpretation of the classic complication, the striking mechanism sounds in ten-minute intervals instead of quarter-hours with double strikes.
With its dial crafted from solid silver, its time bridge from rhodiumed German silver and the hands made of rhodiumed gold, the new A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater marks the passing of time with one of the coolest mechanisms out there. Just as if the Zeitwerk couldn’t get any better, Lange drops this incredible watch at Watches & Wonders 2020. But what makes this striking watch so interesting, is that as soon as the striking mechanism is activated with the repeater pusher at 10 o’clock, it sounds the time as indicated on the dial. One hears what one sees. And one sees what one hears. At 7.52, for instance, the gong hammer on the left strikes the low-pitched gong seven times, once for every elapsed hour. Then, five double tones are struck for the elapsed ten-minute intervals, followed by the right-hand hammer with two high strikes, one for each elapsed minute. The polished gongs and the black-polished gong hammers are subtly integrated in the design of the dial.
Even though we have already mentioned how different this watch is to other striking watches out there, it is important to mention that another big difference between this new watch and other minute repeaters is the fact that the striking mechanism is activated with a pusher instead of a slider. Additionally, Lange’s engineers relied on the basic principle of the jumping numerals mechanism with which the time is displayed by an hour ring and two minute discs. Because the power for the striking mechanism is delivered by the mainspring barrel, there is no need for a slide —common in minute repeaters— to tension a separate spring. The absence of a large lateral opening in the case eliminated a source of acoustic disruption, thus improving the sound quality. And since a pusher, unlike a slide, can be sealed, the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater is water-resistant to as much as 30 meters.
Since a switching action could cause mechanical conflicts while the repeater is running, the minute discs are prevented from moving until the repeater sequence has ended. This can take up to 20 seconds. The delay also assures that the digitally displayed time and the acoustic time are always the same. For the same reason, the crown cannot be pulled while the striking mechanism is active. The actuation of the repeater pusher uncouples the wheel train of the winder from the ratchet wheel that drives the striking mechanism. This prevents the wheel train of the winder, including the crown, from rotating during the repeater sequence, which would result in an unnecessary loss of energy.
Finally, when the power reserve drops to less than twelve hours, the striking mechanism can no longer be activated. This assures that the repeater sequence is always executed in full and the power reserve is never depleted during this process. The watch will not stop unexpectedly before the strike sequence has been completed. On the power-reserve indicator, the 12-hour mark is identified with a red dot.
The beating heart for the new Zeitwerk Minute Repeater is the in-house Lange Calibre L043.5 composed of 771 parts and 93 jewels, with three of them set in screwed gold chatons. The hand-engraved balance cock — the artistic signature of all Lange watches— was given a design complement: the escape-wheel cock engraved with the same motif. The Zeitwerk Minute Repeater also features a patented constant-force escapement between the barrel and the balance that acts as a pacemaker for the instantaneous advance of the numerals discs in one-minute intervals. At the same time, it makes an important contribution to rate stability by assuring that the balance —regardless of the state of wind of the watch and despite energy-intensive switching processes— is powered with a consistent amount of force across the entire power-reserve duration.
Available in a limited edition of only 30 pieces, the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater is exclusively available in the 33 A. Lange & Söhne boutiques throughout the world.
Sticker Price €449,000 Euro —approximately $486,000 USD. For more info on A. Lange & Söhne click here.
