WristWatch Magazine Issue 20 | Page 64

LANGE MANUFACTURE
Top Left: Caliber L043.1( Zeitwerk).
Left: The three-part regulator dial of the Richard Lange Tourbillon“ Pour le Mérite” was inspired by a precision chronometer crafted by Dresden master watchmaker Johann Heinrich Seyffert.
ing within the firm’ s high tolerances. Then each watch is again taken apart and re-cleaned to assure the watch’ s eventual owner that no scratches or dust particles worked their way into the movement or case during the initial assembly. In this second, final assembly phase, one single watchmaker is responsible for the entire movement.
Once cleaned, the components are ready to be engraved and polished. The three-quarter plate made of German silver is embellished with traditional ribbing while each caliber’ s gold chatons are manually polished and inserted in the plate. The temporary jig screws are replaced with the final heat-blued screws.
As demonstrated during a recent visit to Glashutte, watchmakers at A. Lange & Söhne decorate each component with its own specific type of finissage regardless of whether or not it is visible
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WRISTWATCH | 2017