A. Lange & Söhne has combined the warm hue of pink gold with the coolness of a grey dial for the first time in the Zeitwerk Date
The Zeitwerk was probably one of my favourite watches I was able to review last year. There is something completely different about the way a digital style display looks on the watch on the wrist. Couple this with 18k pink gold, and you have a winner in my mind. That particular piece featured the small seconds and power reserve indicator on a lush black galvanised silver dial. It looks expensive, and it is. However, the one thing that it lacked was a date indication. Had it had this, then my overall rating would have been even higher than 9.1/10. Thankfully, there is a date version of the Zeitwerk that was released in 2019, which addresses this for us who like a date. But it was white gold, which is nice, but personally, it feels a little too monochromatic. This has now also been addressed by the Saxony brand, with the introduction of the Zeitwerk Date in 18k pink gold.
A Lesson In Form, Function & Restraint
A. Lange & Söhne always seem to do the watches it creates with elegance and restraint. The Zeitwerk, even though it is a bold watch, still has that restrained execution. It is almost an If You Know, You Know watch. The large oversized windows for the jumping hour and minutes display take their form from the oversize date windows Lange uses – a throwback to the design from the clock in the Dresden Opera House. This provides the wearer with an easy-to-read time display, all framed by the silver time bridge that is actually part of the movement itself. The time bridge is flanked by the power reserve indicator above and, to balance the dial, the small seconds dial below.
With the Zeitwerk Date, A. Lange & Söhne has chosen form blended with function, thanks to the date disc that surrounds the dial on the outer track. What is unique about this is, the date is indicated by the use of the red numerals. A. Lange & Söhne achieves this by designing a date ring out of flat printed glass with transparent numerals. To achieve this effect, a small colour segment on a ring beneath the date ring performs one step exactly at midnight. So in the course of a month, it moves around the dial, completing one full revolution.
RELATED READING: Hands On With The A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk
Powering the Zeitwerk Date is the manual winding calibre L043.8. This movement comprises of 516 parts, all assembled to A. Lange & Söhne’s highest of standards – finished meticulously and then assembled twice to ensure it works as it should and is as accurate as it should. It includes Lange’s patented constant-force escapement. The 1-minute remontoir or constant force mechanism can be seen sitting between the escape wheel and the main spring barrel. This acts effectively as a break to slow down energy transmission from the barrel to the escapement, so every 60 seconds, it “unlocks” a minute’s worth of energy and delivers this to the escapement, avoiding damage and keeping the time in check.
Movement Mastery
The Calibre L043.8 gives the watch 72 hours of power reserve, which is a good amount for a watch that is on the more technical side. It is adjusted to 5 positions, consists of a shock-resistant balance wheel, beats away at 18,000 VpH / 2.5Hz with a lever escapement. As I briefly mentioned, the movement, like all A. Lange & Söhne watches, is finished immaculately. The large striping on the three-quarter bridge, the hand anglage around the edges of the bridge, the perlage on the baseplate and the ornate hand-decorated balance cock are all hallmarks of the craftsmanship that creates a visual feast for the eyes.
The watch is cased in a beautiful 19k pink gold that measures 44.2mm in diameter and a case thickness of 12.3mm. While this is slightly larger than the Zeitwerk in yellow gold I had the pleasure of going hands-on with last year, thanks to the addition of the date disc and accommodation of, I feel it won’t feel all that much larger on the wrist. At the end of the day, the Zeitwerk is a bit of a statement piece, so in one sense, you want to feel some wrist presence.
RELATED READING: In Person With Nicolas Gong, Managing Director for A. Lange & Söhne Asia Pacific
Initial Thoughts
A. Lange & Söhne is more of a connoisseur’s brand. You don’t instantly get into watches and gravitate towards Lange, or at least most don’t. You need to understand watches a little, understand the effort that goes into developing a movement and then finishing it by hand. It takes years for a watchmaker to study and practice these types of movements before they can even get their hands on one to try, and the artisans have honed their skills over many, many years, sometimes decades, to craft and polish all the movement parts so expertly – slowly and methodically. Sometimes it takes an entire day to do the anglage of one small bridge. Once you get this, then you probably have an appreciation for what A. Lange & Söhne is about. The Zeitwerk takes this to the next level again thanks to its unique design and look.
I summed up my experience with the Zeitwerk in my review as this: “The weight of the gold feels like you’ve got an expensive piece on (which is the case), and it’s a piece that you want to show off, talk about, and then take it off and show that stunning movement inside. The digital time display is cool, it takes you back to a simpler time of when you learned to read digital clocks and reminds you that you were once a kid. However, the mechanics behind the Zeitwerk’s simple exterior are anything but, and when you delve into the movement, you understand the appeal of the Zeitwerk”
I still stand by this with this piece, but will add this – the contrasting grey dial and pink gold case looks sublime, and the addition of the date means that this is a watch I could comfortably wear each day should I be lucky enough to one day be able to afford such a piece. It is a good addition to the Zeitwerk collection and now gives fastidious collectors another precious metal option to consider.
Reference: 148.033
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 44.2mm x 12.3mm thick
- Case Material: Brushed and polished 18k pink gold
- Case back: Brushed and polished 18k pink gold with sapphire crystal display
- Dial: Grey galvanised Sterling Silver with centre time bridge digital display, small seconds subdial and power reserve, pink gold hands and outer date wheel with red indicator
- Crystal: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment
- Water resistance: 30m / 3bar
- Movement: Calibre L043.8 hand-wound movement beating at 2.5Hz / 18,000 VpH with a constant force escapement
- Power reserve: 72 Hours
- Strap: Hand-stitched alligator leather, dark-brown with buckle in 750 (18k) pink gold