A. Lange & Söhne presented a new edition of its Zeitwerk Minute Repeater, the world’s only watch that combines a mechanical jumping numerals display with a decimal minute repeater. The 2020 Edition comes in a white gold case framing a deep-blue dial in solid silver the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater in white gold with blue dial (ref. 147.028F) is a limited edition of 30 pieces with a price of Euro 449,000. Watches & Wonders 2020
A. Lange & Söhne is presenting today a new edition of its Zeitwerk Minute Repeater, the world’s only watch that combines a mechanical jumping numerals display with a decimal minute repeater.
Five years after the 2015 debut version in platinum, the 2020 Edition comes in a 44.2 mm white gold case framing a deep-blue dial in solid silver that create a beautiful contrast against the rhodiumed German silver time bridge.
Activated by a pusher system in place of the conventional slide, its striking mechanism sounds the hours, ten-minute intervals, and minutes.
The black-polished steel gong hammers are visibly arranged on both sides of the subsidiary seconds dial. The hours are struck on the left, the single minutes on the right. For the double-tone ten-minute counts, both hammers strike both gongs slightly offset in time.
The dial time is sounded with a low-pitched tone for each elapsed hour, a double tone for each elapsed ten-minute period, and a high-pitched tone for each elapsed minute. 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.
Consisting of three discs, the display module is arranged in such a way that the time, with large-format numerals, can be read from left to right in the natural way. The patented jumping numerals mechanism advances from minute to minute until, at the top of the hour, all three numerals discs simultaneously jump forward by precisely one increment. An exceptionally strong mainspring is required to handle these switching actions. It is equally important to assure the controlled deceleration of the abruptly accelerated discs to rule out damage to the movement. This is done with a fly governor that absorbs excess energy after each switching sequence.
Composed of 771 parts, the L043.5 manufacture calibre is meticulously hand-finished at the highest standards. Beneath the hand-engraved balance cock, the balance wheel with eccentric poising weights and a free-sprung balance spring beats at a slow frequency of 18,000 semi-oscillations per hour.
To avoid mechanical conflicts that would occur if the owner were to set the time during a chiming sequence, the designers incorporated a safety feature which prevents the crown to be pulled while the striking mechanism is active. When activated, the winding train is uncoupled from the ratchet wheel that powers it. This way, the winding wheel train including the crown cannot turn while the gongs are being struck, which would waste a considerable amount of energy.
It is also interesting to note that the switching of the numeral discs is delayed until the chiming sequence has ended. This takes about 20 seconds for the maximum succession of tones at 12:59. This is important in order to ensure that the acoustic time indication always corresponds to the time displayed on the dial.
The patented constant-force escapement delivers a uniform amount of energy to the numerals display during the entire power-reserve period. Because the mainspring also powers the striking mechanism via the ratchet wheel, the number of minute repeater activations and their duration will influence the availability of the underlying power reserve. For this reason, the striking mechanism can no longer be activated if the remaining power reserve is less than twelve hours. On the power-reserve indicator, this point is identified with a red mark.
Implementing a pusher instead of a slide offers several advantages compared to a slide. The absence of a large lateral opening in the case eliminated a source of acoustic disruption, thus improving the sound quality. Moreover, a pusher can be sealed making the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater water resistant to as much as 3 bar.
Completed by a blue hand-stitched alligator leather strap secured to the wrist by a white gold deployant buckle, the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater in white gold with blue dial (ref. 147.028F) is a limited edition of 30 pieces with a price of Euro 449,000. alange-soehne.com
Five years after the 2015 debut version in platinum, the 2020 Edition comes in a 44.2 mm white gold case framing a deep-blue dial in solid silver that create a beautiful contrast against the rhodiumed German silver time bridge.
Activated by a pusher system in place of the conventional slide, its striking mechanism sounds the hours, ten-minute intervals, and minutes.
The black-polished steel gong hammers are visibly arranged on both sides of the subsidiary seconds dial. The hours are struck on the left, the single minutes on the right. For the double-tone ten-minute counts, both hammers strike both gongs slightly offset in time.
The dial time is sounded with a low-pitched tone for each elapsed hour, a double tone for each elapsed ten-minute period, and a high-pitched tone for each elapsed minute. 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.
Consisting of three discs, the display module is arranged in such a way that the time, with large-format numerals, can be read from left to right in the natural way. The patented jumping numerals mechanism advances from minute to minute until, at the top of the hour, all three numerals discs simultaneously jump forward by precisely one increment. An exceptionally strong mainspring is required to handle these switching actions. It is equally important to assure the controlled deceleration of the abruptly accelerated discs to rule out damage to the movement. This is done with a fly governor that absorbs excess energy after each switching sequence.
Composed of 771 parts, the L043.5 manufacture calibre is meticulously hand-finished at the highest standards. Beneath the hand-engraved balance cock, the balance wheel with eccentric poising weights and a free-sprung balance spring beats at a slow frequency of 18,000 semi-oscillations per hour.
To avoid mechanical conflicts that would occur if the owner were to set the time during a chiming sequence, the designers incorporated a safety feature which prevents the crown to be pulled while the striking mechanism is active. When activated, the winding train is uncoupled from the ratchet wheel that powers it. This way, the winding wheel train including the crown cannot turn while the gongs are being struck, which would waste a considerable amount of energy.
It is also interesting to note that the switching of the numeral discs is delayed until the chiming sequence has ended. This takes about 20 seconds for the maximum succession of tones at 12:59. This is important in order to ensure that the acoustic time indication always corresponds to the time displayed on the dial.
The patented constant-force escapement delivers a uniform amount of energy to the numerals display during the entire power-reserve period. Because the mainspring also powers the striking mechanism via the ratchet wheel, the number of minute repeater activations and their duration will influence the availability of the underlying power reserve. For this reason, the striking mechanism can no longer be activated if the remaining power reserve is less than twelve hours. On the power-reserve indicator, this point is identified with a red mark.
Implementing a pusher instead of a slide offers several advantages compared to a slide. The absence of a large lateral opening in the case eliminated a source of acoustic disruption, thus improving the sound quality. Moreover, a pusher can be sealed making the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater water resistant to as much as 3 bar.
Completed by a blue hand-stitched alligator leather strap secured to the wrist by a white gold deployant buckle, the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater in white gold with blue dial (ref. 147.028F) is a limited edition of 30 pieces with a price of Euro 449,000. alange-soehne.com
End of the game for a watch collector. A grail!
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