In this hands-on video we review the Langematik perpetual in the illustrious Honey Gold. A glorious perpetual calendarPerpetual Calendar A perpetual calendar is a complication in a mechanical watch that automatically adjusts for the different lengths of the months, including February, and leap years, and (almost) never requires manual adjustments. It has a mechanism that takes into account the different number of days in each month, including leap years, and automatically adjusts the date, day, month and year accordingly [Learn More] by Germany’s finest watchmaker, in Lange’s very special alloy. Let’s find out what makes this watch so special..
If you are a car fanatic, and your friends ask you what you like so much about cars, chances are slim that you will show them a picture of a Dacia Duster. You are more likely to send a video of the latest Audi R8 for example. If your friends ask you what you like so much about watches, send them a link to this video. The Langematik Perpetual, embodies watchmaking at its finest. German watchmaking to be exact.
The Langematik Perpetual, like a true Lange & Söhne timepiece is understated from a distance, yet lavish and highly complex from up close. With a watch like this, it isn’t just about what you see, it is also about what you don’t see.
Hidden under the dial, to be seen by no-one but the watchmaker, you will find a part of what makes this watch tick. The perpetual calendar mechanism, a beauty to behold, is mounted on the dial side of the calibre. Every single piece is beautifully and painstakingly finished. Yet virtually nobody will ever get to see this. No effort is spared, no detail is too small, that is part of what makes Lange so special.
The dial is crafted from solid silver, whereas the applied indices and the hands are honey gold. Adding a pleasing texture to the silver dial, the hour track has been embossed with a guillocheGuilloche Guilloche is a decorative technique used in a.o. watchmaking, it is an engraving process that creates intricate patterns on the dials and other parts of the watch. It is done by using a rose engine, a specialized lathe with a variety of interchangeable cam-driven patterns. The patterns are created by the movement of the machine's cutting tool over the surface of the metal. Guilloche is considered to be a traditional and labor-intensive technique, it requires a high level of skill and experience to produce good consistent results. [Learn More] like pattern.
The watch houses an automatic movement with, as the name suggests, a perpetual calendar featuring month and leap year indication. At 6 o clock we see a gorgeous moon phaseMoonphase A moonphase complication is a feature found in some watches that displays the phase of the moon as it appears in the sky. It typically includes a small disc with a representation of the moon, usually with a depiction of the lunar surface, that rotates to indicate the current phase of the moon. The disc rotates once every 29.5 days, the same period of time it takes for the moon to go through its lunar cycle. [Learn More] indicator, a solid gold disc by the way, and running seconds hand featuring a zero reset function. Essentially when you pull the crownCrown The knob on the outside of the watch that you typically use to either wind the mainspring or set the time [Learn More] for setting the time, the seconds hand jumps to 0 for precise time setting. It also features the day of the week, 24 hour time, and day and night indications,. Not to forget of course, its typical out sized date and the lumed hands which add a modern touch to the dial design.
It is worth noting that the calibre features a 122 year moon phase. Meaning it only has to be adjusted every 122 years if you keep the watch running. 122,6 years to be exact. Absolutely mind-blowing.
Honey gold? It is Lange’s proprietary alloy reserved for its special editions. Lange has stated that it is very hard to machine this particular alloy, twice as hard as regular gold, and therefore not a great candidate for larger production runs. As such they have reserved this particular metal for limited runs only.
The calibre is the Saxomat calibre L922.1. It consists of 478 components, each of which is – and I insist – beautifully finished.
Power is generated by a three quarter rotor, not quite a micro rotor. The rotor is at the same level as the plate, which helps reduce the overall movement thickness. It also helps of course, with providing maximum visibility on that beautiful hand engraved balance cockBalance Cock The balance cock holds the balance spring (or hairspring) in place and allows it to be adjusted. The balance cock is attached to the main plate of the movement and sits above the balance wheel. It serves as the base for the hairspring and the mechanism that allows regulating the timekeeping of the watch. [Learn More] and the black polished swan neck regulator. The rotor is solid 21k gold, and you can also see a solid platinum peripheral weight screwed to the outer edge with 5 blued screwsBlued Screws Not all blue screws are equal. Traditionally heat-blued screws, involves... heat! The blue color is achieved by heating the screws to a high temperature in a controlled and clean environment. This process produces a thin layer of oxide on the surface of the screws, which gives them their distinctive blue color. It is not uncommon to find blue screws on a watch movement that were simply chemically treated, and not heat-blued. [Learn More] nonetheless. True to its German roots, you can not miss the three quarter plate architecture, slightly hidden below the rotor.
The case is 38.5 mm in diameter and despite the various complications it houses, it has a respectful 10.2 mm in height.
A very wearable watch indeed and while it costs a pretty penny to own one of these, it feels like a million bucks on the wrist.
Reference 310.050