The Watch Appreciation Thread (Reviews and Photos of Men's Timepieces by Rolex, Patek Philippe, Brei

[mimo]

Frilly, the answer lies in the Pratt/Shelby: perfectly triangular but sits flatter and a touch smaller. It is my personal favourite. But for a knit, the SF consensus is a double four-in-hand, that gives a kind of conical thing. It might work for this tie.

A couple more pics of that ordinary-looking Omega, stolen from an ad on Chrono24. I think it's the blued hand on the small seconds only, no date, and just something about the overall shape and size. Even though i wish it was all stick markers...except...I don't, because it works. Funny how we all react differently....

 

[no frills]

Frills - deets on fit please.

stitchy - suit is bespoke so fit better be pretty perfect, right? Tailor is Taji on 675 Madison Av - his stuff certainly works for me. Here's a full body shot from today:



Left sleeve is hitched up a bit, I think, but otherwise the rumpled look is because the fabric is Zegna Trofeo's linen/wool/silk blend (mostly linen). Plus I've obviously worn it several times ahaha. Silk knit tie is from Hermes. It's the first time I gave the venerable house a try and this specific tie caught my fancy. Really nice play on red (obviously my preferred color - love burgundy/red shades) and blue, and the texture is deep and rich.

Shoes are Corthay's Bucy - captoe in "lie de vin" (a swirling blend of burgundy and black).

(Keith T, there's that big knot again, ugh...)

Picture angle kind of makes my body look a bit weird, I think, at least based on how I usually see myself in the mirror. This is the same suit I wore when I swore allegiance to the US of A, pictured here:



I think this shot better captures how the suit drapes. Better lighting too so it shows that the suit is actually a lighter "summer-ier" shade of blue. I have pretty bulky arms and thighs, but somehow the suit leans me out - so, I quite like it, ahaha.

In this pic I am wearing G&G's single monkstrap Colcutt in vintage cherry. stitchy, I think you may be familiar with the work of this shoemaker from Northampton. Have I mentioned I like red?

 

[in stitches]

looks very nice frills. thanks for the 411.

 

[no frills]

Frilly, the answer lies in the Pratt/Shelby: perfectly triangular but sits flatter and a touch smaller. It is my personal favourite. But for a knit, the SF consensus is a double four-in-hand, that gives a kind of conical thing. It might work for this tie.

Aha! I will try this out, thanks mimo!

 

[Keith T]

Silk knit tie is from Hermes. It's the first time I gave the venerable house a try and this specific tie caught my fancy. Really nice play on red (obviously my preferred color - love burgundy/red shades) and blue, and the texture is deep and rich.

Truly is beautiful.



Mimo: like the larger crown on that Omega too. Obviously the caseback is interesting/collectible (as these things go). What is the size? 40-ish?

 

[rnguy001]

Awesome story. Very cool how you admit and own up to what you love and what you don't. The Omega story is my favorite so far

 A fact to which I am entirely indifferent.  Alas, I didn't have the money and still don't, but it just goes to show: forget the labels, the special editions, even the specifications on paper.  It either works for you or it doesn't, and when they're on the wrist, the most surprising things can press your buttons.  This certainly pressed mine, and weeks later, even with the dozens of things I've tried over the last few days, it remains up there at the top of the list of things I'd like to have.

 

[rnguy001]

Sorry just read this, Mimo - you are on FIRE

And the bracelet is where I really notice some extra manliness: the lugs are 2mm wider than those on the Sub or GMT, and the Tudor version of the Oyster bracelet commensurately larger to match. It makes a big difference to the feel of the watch. A while back, we were talking about the bracelet on the Sea Dweller looking disproportionately small. [COLOR=FF00AA]And now I've seen this, I can't help but wish the GMT and Sub had just a little more chunk on the bracelet too [/COLOR]Take a look: Perhaps the picture doesn't really communicate it, but that little difference makes a geometric rise in the weight of every link in the bracelet. It feels good. I've complained that the new DateJust is just fat and silly (takes one to know one..), but this body-building Tudor [COLOR=FF00AA]now has me thinking that perhaps the Rolex sports lines could have gone to the gym. Two millimetres on the case, and two on the lugs,[/COLOR] mean that the gap between the lugs grows proportionally more than the case, and the weight of the bracelet significantly. I think I might like it. It would, for me, take away a bit of the Submariner's desk-diving versatility to put on that extra weight. But it wouldn't half feel nice. Anyway, maybe leave each to their place. But a Black Bay would be welcome in my house for sure. As would a Pelagos - though perhaps with a different bezel: one thing I like a lot about the Black Bay is that although it borrows so heavily from the Sub, the bezel and strap give it a very distinct personality, and take it well beyond Submariner substitute. I came in looking for a Daytona and the new GMT while holding love for a Submariner firmly in my heart. And left thinking about a Tudor. [COLOR=FF00AA]Sometimes, thinking about watches is weird.[[/COLOR]

 

[mimo]

Thanks, gentlemen. The Seamaster 1948 is 39mm. Subtle for a watch with sporty origins, but also slightly thicker than the average dress watch. For me it's just a perfect size for every day use.

Now, talking of what I love and what I don't...OK, maybe just what I love:



A year ago I knew nothing at all about this maker. Several years back I knew a guy who collected watches, and now recall that Lange was a favourite of his. At the time I didn't really have much of an interest, and just thought he was rich and bored. Which might well be true. Anyway, having stumbled across SF while trying to sell a pair of shoes (did anyone buy a wide pair of blue Allen Edmonds double monks on eBay last summer?!), I in turn stumbled across TWAT, posted a pic of my Dad's old watch that I'd just fixed up, everyone was very welcoming, and now here I am. Completely hooked. And one thing that really hooked me is A Lange & Soehne.

It's far from the only watch I like. Off the top of my head I can think of a dozen makers and fifty watches I would be delighted to have, and none of them Lange's. But if I were to pick one maker that touches me deeply, one that I see as a special pinnacle of class and distinction, one holy grail for my dream watches, it's Lange. Explaining why is difficult. I've not seen or handled that many, and bar that former colleague whom I've not seen in years, I don't even know anyone who owns one. Lange's most iconic and TWAT-friendly design, the Lange 1 is something I like, but most models appeal to me less than other makers' pieces, So it's not a blind love. Some I love, some I don't, like any maker. But those I love I really love. Why? I can't say they are always more beautiful than a Patek Philippe, or more original than a Vacheron Constantin (another maker that touches my heart for some reason). So of all the unofficial "big five" and beyond, why this one?

I admire a lot of things German, and in the watch world definitely. From Stowa to Nomos to Glashuette Original to Lange, there are design elements, standards and in my mind, relative good value, that stand out. There's also something about Germans that makes you feel a watch made there will not have cut any corners. It will be thoughtfully designed, perfectly engineered, carefully finished. And it will work. That's what I imagine when I think of German products, and that the designs of the watches are so distinctively German just reinforces this positive prejudice in my subconscious. So maybe that's part of it: Lange is the best of the Germans, therefore it must be excellent.

There are a few other endearing themes that I can identify: the beauty of the movements, and that they are invariably on display, makes Lange's watches feel complete - perfectly finished in exquisite detail, entirely in-house, and even though the technical distinctions might still be beyond my comprehension, I believe that many are very original. From whichever angle, I can see that nothing has been missed or skipped over, back or front, in or out. I love that feeling of comprehensive perfection. Also, I do think they feel different to their Swiss cousins - fonts, proportions, whole dial layouts, are quintessentially Glashuette, quintessentially Lange. It's nice to feel unique. Finally, they seem to be somehow immune to fashion: they have always been a little heavier than their Patek counterparts, but like that most famous of Swiss, have not felt the insecure need to inflate their cases further, or make a carbon fibre special forces black ops ninja edition in rose gold and stingray. True, they did make a larger Lange 1, but that's not entirely inconsistent with the original design. And Patek made that hideous "sports watch". Every business feels pressure to deliver what its customers want. But the best know that, in general, the customers they want, will always want what they make.

On the matter of following trends, we all like to think that we plough our own furrow, indifferent to the whims and caprices of others. I'd like to think I'm very much an individual, and the older I get, ever more enormous and irresistible grows the gravity of the **** I simply don't give. Yet that's only partially true: especially as the neophyte, the parvenue among my new TWAT friends, I am not indifferent to the trends and implicit peer pressure that run through the discussion: many things I have grown to like simply be seeing them many times here. The Royal Oak is a good example - I didn't especially like it when I first saw it, but it's grown on me immensely - all the more so since handling a few in person. That is solely a function of exposure. Funnily enough, I share things I like often with my beloved, and she also didn't like the RO to start with. As of yesterday, she's picking out the one she prefers. We are all susceptible to a little influence.

Am I then, following a herd into Lange-love: certainly I've heard a few things about the maker and their creations on TWAT, and what comments there are on Lange tend to be very positive. But actually, it is not much discussed here, and I don't read other forums like many of you. Kai bought that gorgeous Lange 1 Time Zone (probably the Lange 1 I like the most, along with the Moonphase), fairly recently. Someone else had a Richard Lange or an 1815, I forget, a while back. But in general, most of the regular contributors who I read regularly have little special connection with Lange, and none of their watches.



I tried this on at my local AD a few weeks ago:










If peer group influence were the main driver of aspiration, I would be talking all day about Patek Philippe having been inspired by Frilly. And a Nautilus or a 3970p would be extraordinary and wonderful things, I like them very much. Yet ask me to pick one, and it's got to be a Lange, and not TWAT-approved either: Dino flat out does't like it (and in general, a policy of agreeing with Dino on most things watch-related, is pretty safe). Or rather, he said "it does nothing for him". Which I can even understand - it's not unique in its function, unusual in size or shape, and the style is a matter of personal taste. But it does plenty for me. Actually, several of them do I've posted picture before, and until this week, pictures are all I had. On Tuesday, however, I discovered that for once, everything I had imagined was true. They really are the ones for me.

So back to the A Lange und Soehne boutique. I went in there with a little trepidation, if truth be told. Of all the boutiques, it was somehow the most intimidating. Bright white, cool, and laid out in a way that was almost unfriendly - a pillar of shelves in the centre in front of the door, breaking up the room from a raised section at the rear that housed the top pieces, giving a psychological barrier that says "no entry without invitation". The other reason for a twinge of self doubt was my high expectations. This was the one I had been saving, looking forward to, and would it live up to my imagination?

Two of my favourites were on display and I noticed them quickly. And I didn't ask for them. I asked instead about one I thought I'd like that is relatively more attainable (not for me yet, but potentially at least!): the 1815 up/down. They didn't have it. So I looked for another starting point, and saw this:




As you can see, it was certainly worth trying on. It's a solid 40mm piece of platinum, so certainly a dress watch with confidence. It's heavy, and although it's comfortable it has real presence. You know you're wearing this watch. I liked it a lot. I chatted about it with the first of my new friends at Lange, a lovely lady called Svetlana (you might note that all the boutiques in Dubai seem to have at least one Russian and one Mandarin speaker on staff, as well as Arabic and English). And despite her considerable charms, mostly I stared at this. Platinum is certainly special, and so is a Lange.

From a cynical point of view, this is a watch with a price heading up to $40k, that does nothing but tell the time. There is no complication, no extraordinary concept to show your friends. But this again takes me back to a reason I love this maker: unless you tell them, or unless they happen to know a thing or two about watches, nobody you meet will know that this is an expensive watch. They might, if observant, see that it's very nice. The finish and detail are perfect - the care, the microscopic fineness of the lettering, and the almost imperceptible detail of the red numbers at 6 and 12 - not so you'd notice, yet somehow they lift the black and white dial and make it alive without your noticing how. But this is not a watch for show-offs. It's a watch to make you feel that YOU know. That's a powerful feeling.

I looked at it, cradled it, cherished it for a while. I enjoyed my conversation with Svetlana, gave my details for the mailing list, left the other watched unmolested, and departed with yet another Lange on my mind. But that was Monday.

Tuesday I had more time and did the bulk of my tyre-kicking. I had unfinished business with Lange, and towards the end of the day, went back. This time, Russia was out and China was in, and thank you to Ms Shen Shen (I hope I remembered that right) for making me just as welcome, even though this time, I was aiming even further beyond my means. I explained how I'd been looking at the Richard Lange and how I'd liked it. But it wasn't the one. Although I was sure they were beyond me for the forseeable future, there were two watches I wanted to handle to know the truth: to know if my adoration from afar was justified. My new friend did not disappoint, and in the silent boutique, chatted with me happily for half an hour, openly appreciating the conversation with a Lange fan who knew a little about the maker, cheerfully taking pictures, sharing thoughts and passing the time. And here's the one I had to see first, the one I'd pick for reasons of my own that I don't entirely understand. Here's my number one:




This is the Langematik Perpetual. It is an automatic, when the purists would say hand-wound is top. It has incomplete roman indices when I generally prefer sticks. It's not, empirically, the most interesting or spectacular watch in the world. Or even in this price range. Or even that I'd handled that day. But it's the one for me. The size is right, the proportions are right, the way it sits on my writs, the weight, the intricacy, that micro rotor, the hand-engraved details of the movement, the very deliberate, functional elements of the complication manifested on the dial. I just love it. And it looks absolutely perfect on me. Whether you think so or not.

What else can I say about that watch? It's just how I feel!

And here's another. Perhaps a more difficult choice in that there are similar styles that I also love from other makers i.e. the Vacheron Constantin Les Historiques Chronograph. We compared them a few weeks back, along with the Patek equivalent. The former is considerably cheaper, too, and easily found used. But both the VC and PP use the same movement they've adapted, and although the PP in particular is beautifully decorated, this Lange is original. A rarity in that it's a new chronograph movement (or was when it was launched) rather than a development of someone else's old standard.

The original Datograph had a jumble of indices that left Dino discombobulated. That I can understand. But this one is very tidy. It also has that power reserve indicator at the bottom of the dial that for some reason I adore. Again, like the Langematik, it's a great size and weight, a little more chunky but not self-consciously so. The contrasting subdials make it almost loud for a Lange, and definitely a little sporty. Not too much, just enough to tell you there's power on the inside. And just take a look at the back. I would contest that none of its peers from other makers have a movement that looks this good.




I think it's fantastic. It's my second love. Maybe logically it should be first, given its engineering and design purity. But that's not how it works, is it? I would love to wear this watch. But I'd love to live with the Langematik always. Ideally of course, the standard TWAT refrain is "have both". Certainly, given the means, that would be a serious temptation.





They do make a lovely couple, don't they?

Essentially, that was me satisfied, bar one thing: I'd noticed one more watch in pride of place. Not in any way the most exotic thing I'd seen that day, and honestly, priced half as much again as the Datograph Up/Down, really one that you'd have to be obsessive about to think of buying, even if you were very wealthy. Gentlemen, the Datograph Double Split Flyback Chronograph enters the room. I know that this is supposed to be one of the most difficult complications to engineer, and admire that. But what really makes me understand this obsession is, like with many other Langes, the way it looks from behind. Front and back, I will let the pictures speak for themselves. I'm sorry for the limitations of my phone camera, but I've done what I can to show the sheer depth and intricacy of this machine. You get the picture, I'm sure.









I'm not sure there's much commentary I need to add after that. Just a final shot of the three beauties together: forgive the perspective distortion, the double split is 43mm, not 73 as it appears - it's just resting on its deployant clasp; the others stay traditional on a tang, allegedly to make viewing of the movements easier. I guess with this one, they thought you'd make the effort to view from any angle and sideways is best. And given the weight and intricacy, you'd best not drop it while putting it on. I'm sold.



All that's left to say is that I still love Lange, I just feel more justified in it! Next time I must visit VC too, but for now at least this is certainly my number one. And I'm one of few men who can say the words "Svetlana, Shen-Shen, thank you for a great time in Dubai", with a clear conscience. Pure in mind and body, my love will be consummated another day!

 

[RogerP]

Mimo - great posts my man.

 

[no frills]

Thanks, gentlemen. The Seamaster 1948 is 39mm. Subtle for a watch with sporty origins, but also slightly thicker than the average dress watch. For me it's just a perfect size for every day use.

Now, talking of what I love and what I don't...OK, maybe just what I love:

Love this lengthy, erudite and honest post. Lange's movements certainly (at the very least) rival comparable Patek models, at least from what I've seen. And you saw a double split too - that must have been special. Now, given the "choice" you had to make about the perpetual and the chrono, and your love for the split seconds complication, the next goal ought to be to see, touch and explore the elusive 1815 rattrapante perpetual - which I have yet to see in the flesh too!

Pics from foversta at PuristS:





As for your comment about purists (no relation to PuristSPro, I assume) preferring a manual, I dunno. I certainly do not mind the convenience of a self-winding mechanism! But then again I might not qualify as a purist!

 

[NonServiam]

Mimo, I thoroughly enjoy your tyre-kicking posts! Excellent! Moar, please

It's Patek Friday here

 

[TheTukker]



stitchy - suit is bespoke so fit better be pretty perfect, right? Tailor is Taji on 675 Madison Av - his stuff certainly works for me. Here's a full body shot from today:

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Left sleeve is hitched up a bit, I think, but otherwise the rumpled look is because the fabric is Zegna Trofeo's linen/wool/silk blend (mostly linen). Plus I've obviously worn it several times ahaha. Silk knit tie is from Hermes. It's the first time I gave the venerable house a try and this specific tie caught my fancy. Really nice play on red (obviously my preferred color - love burgundy/red shades) and blue, and the texture is deep and rich. ....

Hate to say it, you post some great watches here, but I am not a fan of how that suit fits you.

 

[wurger]

You mean the sleeves and armhole too tight?

 

[in stitches]

NS - lovely as always.

mimo - i think that was my fave installment. great write up and pics. no one does backs like lange. did they have the zeitwerk on display? that is my fave lange and top 5 in my grail list.

 

[Dino944]

Thanks, gentlemen. The Seamaster 1948 is 39mm. Subtle for a watch with sporty origins, but also slightly thicker than the average dress watch. For me it's just a perfect size for every day use.

Now, talking of what I love and what I don't...OK, maybe just what I love:



A year ago I knew nothing at all about this maker. Several years back I knew a guy who collected watches, and now recall that Lange was a favourite of his. At the time I didn't really have much of an interest, and just thought he was rich and bored. Which might well be true. Anyway, having stumbled across SF while trying to sell a pair of shoes (did anyone buy a wide pair of blue Allen Edmonds double monks on eBay last summer?!), I in turn stumbled across TWAT, posted a pic of my Dad's old watch that I'd just fixed up, everyone was very welcoming, and now here I am. Completely hooked. And one thing that really hooked me is A Lange & Soehne.

It's far from the only watch I like. Off the top of my head I can think of a dozen makers and fifty watches I would be delighted to have, and none of them Lange's. But if I were to pick one maker that touches me deeply, one that I see as a special pinnacle of class and distinction, one holy grail for my dream watches, it's Lange. Explaining why is difficult. I've not seen or handled that many, and bar that former colleague whom I've not seen in years, I don't even know anyone who owns one. Lange's most iconic and TWAT-friendly design, the Lange 1 is something I like, but most models appeal to me less than other makers' pieces, So it's not a blind love. Some I love, some I don't, like any maker. But those I love I really love. Why? I can't say they are always more beautiful than a Patek Philippe, or more original than a Vacheron Constantin (another maker that touches my heart for some reason). So of all the unofficial "big five" and beyond, why this one?

I admire a lot of things German, and in the watch world definitely. From Stowa to Nomos to Glashuette Original to Lange, there are design elements, standards and in my mind, relative good value, that stand out. There's also something about Germans that makes you feel a watch made there will not have cut any corners. It will be thoughtfully designed, perfectly engineered, carefully finished. And it will work. That's what I imagine when I think of German products, and that the designs of the watches are so distinctively German just reinforces this positive prejudice in my subconscious. So maybe that's part of it: Lange is the best of the Germans, therefore it must be excellent.

There are a few other endearing themes that I can identify: the beauty of the movements, and that they are invariably on display, makes Lange's watches feel complete - perfectly finished in exquisite detail, entirely in-house, and even though the technical distinctions might still be beyond my comprehension, I believe that many are very original. From whichever angle, I can see that nothing has been missed or skipped over, back or front, in or out. I love that feeling of comprehensive perfection. Also, I do think they feel different to their Swiss cousins - fonts, proportions, whole dial layouts, are quintessentially Glashuette, quintessentially Lange. It's nice to feel unique. Finally, they seem to be somehow immune to fashion: they have always been a little heavier than their Patek counterparts, but like that most famous of Swiss, have not felt the insecure need to inflate their cases further, or make a carbon fibre special forces black ops ninja edition in rose gold and stingray. True, they did make a larger Lange 1, but that's not entirely inconsistent with the original design. And Patek made that hideous "sports watch". Every business feels pressure to deliver what its customers want. But the best know that, in general, the customers they want, will always want what they make.

On the matter of following trends, we all like to think that we plough our own furrow, indifferent to the whims and caprices of others. I'd like to think I'm very much an individual, and the older I get, ever more enormous and irresistible grows the gravity of the **** I simply don't give. Yet that's only partially true: especially as the neophyte, the parvenue among my new TWAT friends, I am not indifferent to the trends and implicit peer pressure that run through the discussion: many things I have grown to like simply be seeing them many times here. The Royal Oak is a good example - I didn't especially like it when I first saw it, but it's grown on me immensely - all the more so since handling a few in person. That is solely a function of exposure. Funnily enough, I share things I like often with my beloved, and she also didn't like the RO to start with. As of yesterday, she's picking out the one she prefers. We are all susceptible to a little influence.

Am I then, following a herd into Lange-love: certainly I've heard a few things about the maker and their creations on TWAT, and what comments there are on Lange tend to be very positive. But actually, it is not much discussed here, and I don't read other forums like many of you. Kai bought that gorgeous Lange 1 Time Zone (probably the Lange 1 I like the most, along with the Moonphase), fairly recently. Someone else had a Richard Lange or an 1815, I forget, a while back. But in general, most of the regular contributors who I read regularly have little special connection with Lange, and none of their watches.

If peer group influence were the main driver of aspiration, I would be talking all day about Patek Philippe having been inspired by Frilly. And a Nautilus or a 3970p would be extraordinary and wonderful things, I like them very much. Yet ask me to pick one, and it's got to be a Lange, and not TWAT-approved either: Dino flat out does't like it (and in general, a policy of agreeing with Dino on most things watch-related, is pretty safe). Or rather, he said "it does nothing for him". Which I can even understand - it's not unique in its function, unusual in size or shape, and the style is a matter of personal taste. But it does plenty for me. Actually, several of them do I've posted picture before, and until this week, pictures are all I had. On Tuesday, however, I discovered that for once, everything I had imagined was true. They really are the ones for me.

So back to the A Lange und Soehne boutique. I went in there with a little trepidation, if truth be told. Of all the boutiques, it was somehow the most intimidating. Bright white, cool, and laid out in a way that was almost unfriendly - a pillar of shelves in the centre in front of the door, breaking up the room from a raised section at the rear that housed the top pieces, giving a psychological barrier that says "no entry without invitation". The other reason for a twinge of self doubt was my high expectations. This was the one I had been saving, looking forward to, and would it live up to my imagination?

Two of my favourites were on display and I noticed them quickly. And I didn't ask for them. I asked instead about one I thought I'd like that is relatively more attainable (not for me yet, but potentially at least!): the 1815 up/down. They didn't have it. So I looked for another starting point, and saw this:




As you can see, it was certainly worth trying on. It's a solid 40mm piece of platinum, so certainly a dress watch with confidence. It's heavy, and although it's comfortable it has real presence. You know you're wearing this watch. I liked it a lot. I chatted about it with the first of my new friends at Lange, a lovely lady called Svetlana (you might note that all the boutiques in Dubai seem to have at least one Russian and one Mandarin speaker on staff, as well as Arabic and English). And despite her considerable charms, mostly I stared at this. Platinum is certainly special, and so is a Lange.

From a cynical point of view, this is a watch with a price heading up to $40k, that does nothing but tell the time. There is no complication, no extraordinary concept to show your friends. But this again takes me back to a reason I love this maker: unless you tell them, or unless they happen to know a thing or two about watches, nobody you meet will know that this is an expensive watch. They might, if observant, see that it's very nice. The finish and detail are perfect - the care, the microscopic fineness of the lettering, and the almost imperceptible detail of the red numbers at 6 and 12 - not so you'd notice, yet somehow they lift the black and white dial and make it alive without your noticing how. But this is not a watch for show-offs. It's a watch to make you feel that YOU know. That's a powerful feeling.

I looked at it, cradled it, cherished it for a while. I enjoyed my conversation with Svetlana, gave my details for the mailing list, left the other watched unmolested, and departed with yet another Lange on my mind. But that was Monday.

Tuesday I had more time and did the bulk of my tyre-kicking. I had unfinished business with Lange, and towards the end of the day, went back. This time, Russia was out and China was in, and thank you to Ms Shen Shen (I hope I remembered that right) for making me just as welcome, even though this time, I was aiming even further beyond my means. I explained how I'd been looking at the Richard Lange and how I'd liked it. But it wasn't the one. Although I was sure they were beyond me for the forseeable future, there were two watches I wanted to handle to know the truth: to know if my adoration from afar was justified. My new friend did not disappoint, and in the silent boutique, chatted with me happily for half an hour, openly appreciating the conversation with a Lange fan who knew a little about the maker, cheerfully taking pictures, sharing thoughts and passing the time. And here's the one I had to see first, the one I'd pick for reasons of my own that I don't entirely understand. Here's my number one:




This is the Langematik Perpetual. It is an automatic, when the purists would say hand-wound is top. It has incomplete roman indices when I generally prefer sticks. It's not, empirically, the most interesting or spectacular watch in the world. Or even in this price range. Or even that I'd handled that day. But it's the one for me. The size is right, the proportions are right, the way it sits on my writs, the weight, the intricacy, that micro rotor, the hand-engraved details of the movement, the very deliberate, functional elements of the complication manifested on the dial. I just love it. And it looks absolutely perfect on me. Whether you think so or not.

What else can I say about that watch? It's just how I feel!

And here's another. Perhaps a more difficult choice in that there are similar styles that I also love from other makers i.e. the Vacheron Constantin Les Historiques Chronograph. We compared them a few weeks back, along with the Patek equivalent. The former is considerably cheaper, too, and easily found used. But both the VC and PP use the same movement they've adapted, and although the PP in particular is beautifully decorated, this Lange is original. A rarity in that it's a new chronograph movement (or was when it was launched) rather than a development of someone else's old standard.

The original Datograph had a jumble of indices that left Dino discombobulated. That I can understand. But this one is very tidy. It also has that power reserve indicator at the bottom of the dial that for some reason I adore. Again, like the Langematik, it's a great size and weight, a little more chunky but not self-consciously so. The contrasting subdials make it almost loud for a Lange, and definitely a little sporty. Not too much, just enough to tell you there's power on the inside. And just take a look at the back. I would contest that none of its peers from other makers have a movement that looks this good.




I think it's fantastic. It's my second love. Maybe logically it should be first, given its engineering and design purity. But that's not how it works, is it? I would love to wear this watch. But I'd love to live with the Langematik always. Ideally of course, the standard TWAT refrain is "have both". Certainly, given the means, that would be a serious temptation.





They do make a lovely couple, don't they?

Essentially, that was me satisfied, bar one thing: I'd noticed one more watch in pride of place. Not in any way the most exotic thing I'd seen that day, and honestly, priced half as much again as the Datograph Up/Down, really one that you'd have to be obsessive about to think of buying, even if you were very wealthy. Gentlemen, the Datograph Double Split Flyback Chronograph enters the room. I know that this is supposed to be one of the most difficult complications to engineer, and admire that. But what really makes me understand this obsession is, like with many other Langes, the way it looks from behind. Front and back, I will let the pictures speak for themselves. I'm sorry for the limitations of my phone camera, but I've done what I can to show the sheer depth and intricacy of this machine. You get the picture, I'm sure.









I'm not sure there's much commentary I need to add after that. Just a final shot of the three beauties together: forgive the perspective distortion, the double split is 43mm, not 73 as it appears - it's just resting on its deployant clasp; the others stay traditional on a tang, allegedly to make viewing of the movements easier. I guess with this one, they thought you'd make the effort to view from any angle and sideways is best. And given the weight and intricacy, you'd best not drop it while putting it on. I'm sold.



All that's left to say is that I still love Lange, I just feel more justified in it! Next time I must visit VC too, but for now at least this is certainly my number one. And I'm one of few men who can say the words "Svetlana, Shen-Shen, thank you for a great time in Dubai", with a clear conscience. Pure in mind and body, my love will be consummated another day!

Mimo, another great write up. I really enjoyed reading your thought process as you tried on the various Langes. I will say, it too actually seeing them in person and handling them for me to appreciate them. Prior to that, I thought the dial design of the Lange 1 was interesting, but that is was a lot of money relative to Patek's and VC's, which were a bit more classic in design and far more established back in the early 1990s, when the Lange 1 was released.

However, after seeing and handling them several times, I have come to appreciate their movements, finishing, and what seem like far more solid/hefty cases compared to Patek and VC . They have definitely earned their reputation as being one of the best.

While $40,000 is a pretty steep sum for a time only watch like the Richard Lange in Platinum, its not necessarily the worst value. I am a huge fan of non round watches, so the VC 1921 really appeals to me, but its a time only watch that is also about $40,000, and its case is rose gold...not platinum.

I far prefer the new Datograph's dial to the old one. IMHO, the dial is more harmonious now that it uses only stick markers and Arabic numerals. I just find sticks, Arabics, and Romans too much...its one of my pet peeves with some chronographs such as the meteor dial Daytonas.

As for manual wind vs. automatics for purists...to me it really depends on the watch. Sometimes its nice to be able to view the entire movement at once and not have part of it covered by a rotor...but if a watch has a nicely finished rotor (gold or platinum) and the movement is equally beautiful...then I could be happy with a watch being a manual or automatic.

I still think my favorite Lange is the L1, but I wouldn't kick a Datograph, 1815, or Richard Lange to the curb if I got one as a gift.