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A. Lange & Sohne mechanical movements: what makes them so irresistible?

It is hard to find someone - watch enthusiast or not - who remains indifferent to the appeal of the A. Lange & Söhne mechanical movements.

Watch connoisseurs are particularly impressed as they also consider the mechanical complexity of these ensembles but even people without a specific knowledge about watchmaking are immediately fascinated by their aesthetics. What makes these mechanical movements so attractive?



The Saxon watchmaker has its own beauty recipe. Let’s examine some of the key "ingredients" used for the finishing and the decoration of its movements keeping in mind that each component, whether it is visible or not, must comply to the highest artisanal and aesthetic standards.


Hand-engraved balance cock
The balance cock of every watch is engraved by hand with the Lange-style floral pattern and bears the unique signature of the artisan's own work making each A. Lange & Söhne watch truly unique.



Ribbing
The typical three-quarter plate in German silver is decorated with uniform stripes (ribbing) which are created using a slightly inclined, rotating grinding wheel that is guided along the component in straight, parallel lines. The stripes must be perfectly parallel and regular.



Perlage
Applied to the inside surfaces of plates and bridges, perlage is a decoration pattern consisting of small circles (pearls) applied to a surface by grinding. It is generated with a rotating abrasive peg that only briefly stipples the component with each stipple overlapping the previous one. The uniform distance between the individual stipples depends on the dexterity of the finisseur.



Solarisation
The spiral pattern of solarisation is applied principally to mainspring barrels and other larger round surfaces or wheels and it is produced by rotating the part and the grinding wheel in opposite directions.



Straight graining
Used for steel clicks, springs and yokes, straight graining is a surface finish that is accomplished through rubbing an abrasive on a workpiece in a linear fashion. Straight and regular movements are essentials to obtain the best result.



Circular graining
Smaller wheels are finished with circular graining. The regular circular contours are produced when the part is rotated on abrasive paper.



Chamfering
All of the edges of plates, bridges and levers of the A. Lange & Söhne movements are chamfered, a process that involves both bevelling and polishing. Only highly skilled artisans can produce chamfers (also known as anglage) with a uniform width and angle on every edge. Whether using files or grinding wheels, the bevels are then polished entirely by hand.



Flat polishing
Up to two hours of precision work are needed to mirror-polish the surfaces of a whiplash spring, the endpiece of an escape wheel and other parts of the movement. To flat-polish a component, the finisseur presses it into the pith of an elderberry shoot and guides it in figures of eight on films coated with progressively finer diamond powder. This process requires great concentration as even a tiny grain of dust between the part and the polishing film, or excessive pressure on the part, can wipe out hours of work in a second.



Black polishing
Only very few and select parts are decorated with the intricate and time-consuming - it can take several days - black polishing technique. Using special abrasive pastes, the respective parts are manually polished on a zinc or tin plate until they appear to be black at a certain angle of incident light.



Gold chatons and blued screws
The blued screws add a touch of aesthetic elegance to the movements but they also offer higher corrosion resistance. The steel parts are blued by slowly and carefully heating (annealing) them to 300 °C. In the process, the metal is coated with an ultra-thin layer reflecting a cornflower blue hue.



Contour grinding
This technique is used to embellish the vertical edges of the frame elements of a Lange movement.
Using a rotating abrasive peg, the contours of all framework components are given a matt finish to create a vivid interplay with the polished edges.



The highest aesthetic qualities alone would not be sufficient to create the “magic” of these complex mechanisms without being matched to flawless assembly of several hundred parts.

And each A. Lange & Söhne movement is not assembled just once but two times. After the first assembly pass, it is taken apart and cleaned again in a quest for perfection.


In the second, final assembly phase, one single watchmaker is responsible for the entire movement. It is in this second assembly that all gold chatons are carefully inserted in the plate and the jig screws are replaced with thermally blued screws and the movement is finally ready to be housed in a precious metal case.




Suggested reading:

Name

A. Lange & Sohne,137,Accutron,1,AkriviA,10,Alain Silberstein,3,alarm,16,Alpina,14,Andersen Geneve,2,Andersmann,2,Andreas Strehler,5,Angelus,5,annual calendar,43,Anonimo,15,Anthony de Haas,1,Antiquorum,4,Antoine Martin,2,Antoine Preziuso,1,Apple,2,Apple Watch,2,Aquadive,2,Aquastar,1,Armin Strom,76,Arnold and Son,26,Artime,1,Astarwatch,1,Atelier de Chronometrie,1,Ateliers deMonaco,2,Atmos,1,Auctions,91,Audemars Piguet,92,Autodromo,1,automaton,2,BA111OD,1,Ball Watch,1,Bamford,2,Baselword 2022,1,Baselworld,8,BaselWorld 2013,50,BaselWorld 2014,53,Baselworld 2015,69,Baselworld 2016,27,Baselworld 2017,64,Baselworld 2018,75,Baselworld 2019,41,Baselworld 2020,2,Baume,4,Baume & Mercier,11,Baume et Mercier,65,Bell & Ross,39,Bernhard Lederer,4,Bernhard Zwinz,1,bespoke,1,Blancpain,92,blue dial,3,Bonhams,2,Bovet,12,Brands histories,1,Breguet,122,Breitling,71,Bremont,1,Bremont Watch Company,4,Breva,2,bronze,28,Bücherei,1,Bucherer,1,Bulgari,114,Bulova,2,Burberry,1,C3H5N3O9,1,carbon,3,carillon,3,Carl F. Bucherer,4,Carl Suchy,1,Carrera,17,Cartier,46,ceramic,20,Certina,11,Chanel,4,Chaumet,3,chiming hour,13,Chopard,42,Christiaan van der Klaauw,1,Christie's,9,Christophe Claret,5,Christopher Ward,14,chronograph,717,chronometer,38,Chronoswiss,6,Citizen,3,co-axial,1,column-wheel,7,complete calendar,27,complications,88,concept watch,5,Concord,1,constant-force,39,Corum,18,Credor,1,CSEM,1,Cuervo y Sobrinos,1,Cyrus,32,Czapek,8,Dan Niederer,1,Davosa,1,Daytona,7,De Bethune,28,de Grisogono,3,dead seconds,21,Delma,1,detent escapement,4,DeWitt,9,digital display,1,dive watches,56,diving,8,diving watches,377,double regulator,3,Doxa,34,drei,1,dress watches,504,dual time,101,Ebel,2,Eberhard,35,Edouard Koehn,5,Edox,6,El Primero,41,Emile Chouriet,1,Emmanuel Bouchet,1,Emmanuel Breguet,1,enamel dial,12,enamelling,15,Equation of time,9,ETA,1,Eterna,18,exhibitions,1,F.P.Journe,38,Faberge,2,factory tours,3,Favre-Leuba,1,feature article,82,features,118,Felipe Pikullik,2,Ferdinand Berthoud,7,flyback,55,Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie,1,Formex,1,Fortis,9,Franc Vila Founder,1,Franck Muller,7,Frederic Jouvenot,1,Frederique Constant,15,Furlan Marri,1,FVF,1,Gallet,1,Garrick,1,Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix,8,Georg Jensen,1,George Daniels,4,Gerald Charles,2,Gerald Genta,12,Girard-Perregaux,47,Glashuette,19,Glashuette Original,88,Glashütte,33,Glashütte Original,121,Glycine,4,GMT,126,GoS,1,GoS Watches,1,GPHG,20,GPHG 2020,3,GPHG 2021,3,GPHG 2022,3,GPHG 2023,3,GPHG2019,1,Graham,6,Grand Feu,5,Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve,16,Grand Seiko,33,Grande Complication,28,Grande Sonnerie,8,Greubel Forsey,38,greubelforsey,1,Gronefeld,10,Grönefeld,8,Grossmann,3,guilloché,8,H. Moser and Cie,49,H20 Watch,1,Habring,10,Habring2,11,Hajime Asaoka,2,Hallmark of Geneva,2,Hamilton,37,hands-on,118,Hanhart,15,Harry Winston,11,Hautlence,6,Hermes,26,Heuer,2,high jewellery,2,high-frequency,3,Hublot,59,Hybris Artistica,1,Hydro Mechanical Horologists,7,HYT Watches,16,Icon,1,In pictures,17,independent watchmaker,35,industry news,227,interview,8,Interviews,8,IWC,166,Jacques Bianchi,1,Jaeger-LeCoultre,123,Jaquet Droz,58,Jean-Francois Mojon,1,Jean-Marc Pontroué,1,JeanRichard,3,jumping hours,36,Junghans,11,Kaj Korpela,1,Kari Voutilainen,10,Kenissi,1,Kollokium,1,Korpela,1,Krayon,4,Kudoke,5,Kurono,2,L.Leroy,1,L'Epee 1839,1,Labails,1,Ladies watches,190,Lang & Heyne,4,Lang 1943,1,Lange,48,large date,3,Laurent Ferrier,25,Laureus,2,Le Garde Temps,1,Lederer Watches,4,Leica,3,Lemania,1,Leroy,4,Linde Werdelin,2,Longines,93,Louis Erard,26,Louis Moinet,7,Louis Vuitton,1,luxury steel watch,24,LVMH,10,LVMH 2020,6,M.A.D.Edition,3,M.A.D.Editions,3,Maîtres du Temps,1,Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps,3,Manufacture Royale,3,Marc Lang,1,marine chronometer,2,Marqueterie,1,Maurice de Mauriac,2,Maurice Lacroix,26,MB&F,64,MCT,1,MeisterSinger,90,meteorite,3,metiers d'art,2,Mickey Mouse,2,Mido,59,military watches,14,Minerva,3,Ming,1,Minute Repeater,62,monopusher chronograph,4,Montblanc,57,moon phases,121,Moritz Grossmann,31,Moser,44,Muhle,6,Mühle-Glashütte,5,mystery watches,4,Nautilus,12,New Britain Corp,1,new watches,3587,Nivada,2,Nomos,76,Norqain,31,Ochs und Junior,6,Officine Panerai,103,Omega,190,Only Watch,15,Only Watch 2015,4,Only Watch 2017,2,Only Watch 2019,3,Only Watch 2021,4,Only Watch 2023,10,Oris,42,paillonne,1,Panerai,106,Parmigiani,14,Parmigiani Fleurier,33,Pascal Coyon,1,Patek,56,Patek Philippe,133,Pedrozo & Piriz,1,perpetual calendar,146,Perrelet,11,Petermann Bedat,3,Phenomen,1,Philippe Dufour,1,Phillips,10,Piaget,34,Pierre DeRoche,2,pilot watch,111,Pininfarina,1,Pisa,13,Pisa 1940,1,Pisa Circle,12,Pita,1,planetarium,2,platinum,7,pocket watch,3,pocket watches,2,Poehlmann-Bresan,2,Poincon de Geneve,2,Porsche Design,17,Pre-SIHH 2016: Cartier - Clé de Cartier Automatic Skeleton,1,pulsometer,5,Purnell,1,quartz,9,Rado,19,Ralf Tech,3,Ralph Lauren,2,rattrapante,23,Raul Pages,2,Raymond Weil,4,rectangular watches,16,reddot award,1,regatta,1,regulator,25,remontoire,5,Remy Cools,1,Renaud Tixier,1,Reservoir,2,resonance,21,Ressence,12,retrograde,10,Revelation,1,Reverso,26,review,119,RGM,1,RGM Watch Co.,1,Richard Mille,110,Richemont,4,Richmond,1,Roger Dubuis,11,Roger Smith,1,Roger W. Smith,1,Rolex,68,Romain Gauthier,12,Romain Jerome,1,Royal Oak,39,Rudis Sylva,1,sapphire,4,Schwarz Etienne,1,Seamaster,9,Seiko,41,SevenFriday,24,SIHH,3,SIHH 2012,4,SIHH 2013,25,SIHH 2014,36,SIHH 2015,43,SIHH 2016,44,SIHH 2017,41,SIHH 2018,43,SIHH 2019,53,Simon Brette,2,Singer,6,Singer Reimagined,10,single hand,27,single-hand watches,32,Sinn,16,skeleton,35,smartwatch,9,solar energy,1,Sotheby's,8,Speake Marin,6,Speake-Marin,6,Speedmaster,34,split seconds,22,sport,1,sport watches,930,sportwatches,1,Spring Drive,2,square watches,3,squelette,57,steampunk,1,Steinhart,1,Strehler,1,striking time,16,SuisseMecanica,1,sunrise,2,sunset,2,Swatch,8,Swatch Group,23,Sylvain Pinaud,2,table clocks,4,Tag Heuer,172,tantalum,1,technical insight,3,terra Cielo Mare,1,Theo Auffret,1,Tiffany,17,Tissot,8,titanium,8,top news,395,Torsti Laine,1,tourbillon,361,Trilobe,3,Tudor,35,Tulloch,1,Tutima,3,ultra thin,34,Ulysse Nardin,39,Unimatic,1,Union Glashutte,14,Universal Genève,1,Urban Jurgensen,29,Urwerk,22,Vacheron Constantin,80,Van Cleef & Arpels,7,Vauchier Fleurier,1,Vianney Halter,5,video,1,vintage watches,3,Vulcain,11,wandering hours,1,watches,1,Watches & Wonders,41,Watches & Wonders 2020,19,Watches & Wonders 2021,28,Watches & Wonders 2022,35,Watches & Wonders 2023,38,Watches & Wonders 2024,2,Watches&Wonders,5,WatchesandWonders2022,35,WatchesandWonders2023,39,WatchesandWonders2024,3,Wilhelm Schmid,1,Winnerl,1,worldtime,56,YEMA,4,Zannetti,1,Zeitwerk,2,Zeitwinkel,1,Zenith,110,Zodiac,9,
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Time and Watches | The watch blog: A. Lange & Sohne mechanical movements: what makes them so irresistible?
A. Lange & Sohne mechanical movements: what makes them so irresistible?
A. Lange & Sohne mechanical movements: what makes them so irresistible? The Saxon watchmaker has its own beauty recipe. Let’s examine some of the key "ingredients" used for the finishing and the decoration of its movements keeping in mind that each component, whether it is visible or not, must comply to the highest artisanal and aesthetic standards. Hand-engraved balance cock. Ribbing. Perlage. Polarization. Straight graining. Circular graining. Chamfering. Black polishing. Gold chatons and blued screws. A. Lange & Sohne watch movements. Lange Sohne movement. Pictures of A. Lange & Söhne mechanical movements.
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