A.Lange & Söhne EP.2 The Specialist

A horological masterpiece born of passion, with quintessential German obsession

Mr. Anthony de Haas, Director of Product Development

“It’s not complicated people over here, but the work that they do is very complicated” (From “Walkthrough Famous German Watchmaker A.Lange & Söhne ” on Youtube by The WATCHES.tv)

Following the craftsmen passionate about finishing components in the previous episode, those parts are passed on to the mechanism otaku. They are the master watchmakers responsible for collections such as the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon, Tourbograph Perpetual Tourbillon, or Terraluna, and other collections requiring highly complex movements.

Those obsessed with Tourbillon will only work on Tourbillons, refusing to switch to any other mechanism. Their obsession leads to a profound understanding of the movements they work on, to the point where they no longer need millisecond-precision measuring instruments—because they are too lazy to wait!!! 

Assembling and adjusting the components of the Tourbillon cage.

Adjusting the clearance between the components of the Rattrapante split-seconds mechanism.

“Fingerspitzengefühl” – experience gained from repetition, until one can sense the correct feel at their fingertips.

By repeating the process until they have mastered the mechanisms they love, their dedication results in special skills not unlike the X-Men. Wondering how incredible they are? Close your eyes and imagine: a watchmaker assembling the perpetual calendar for an A. Lange Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon knows exactly which screw to turn to tighten a gear or spring, where to file a component to ensure the calendar mechanism runs smoothly, or how to resolve a slight jitter in the chronograph hands of an A. Lange 1815 Rattrapante—a movement capable of timing two events simultaneously—simply by looking at which part needs refining. They can even adjust the balance of the chronograph gear train just by sight! Or, by listening to the sound of a button press, if it doesn’t feel soft enough, they immediately know what needs fixing without wasting time using tools!!!