With a staggering price tag of half a million euros (S$731.3 million) and no gemstone in sight, A. Lange & Söhne’s Zeitwerk Minute Repeater unapologetically caters to a discerning clientele. It is made for the Logan Roys of the real world, the connoisseurs (as Lange affectionately terms its most valued clients), the “if you know, you know” (IYKYK) types who eschew commonplace displays of wealth.
“There is a saying: money talks, but wealth whispers. We have a lot of collectors who appreciate beautiful things, but don’t feel the need to show off,” explains Anthony de Haas, A. Lange & Söhne’s director of product development, who is in Bangkok to officiate the regional launch of the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater in honeygold.
Photo: Hosanna Swee.
Introduced in 2015, the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater is a highly original take on the traditional minute repeater. It combines a jumping numerals display with a decimal minute repeater that chimes at 10-minute intervals instead of the quarter hours. This distinctive sound format aligns precisely with the displayed time on the dial, so “you hear what you see and see what you hear,” explains de Haas.
In its pursuit of innovation, Lange’s watchmakers developed a different operating mechanism for the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater. It relies on a pusher at 10 o’clock instead of a traditional slider mechanism to activate the repeater. With power derived from the twin mainspring barrel, intricate safety and blocking mechanisms have been seamlessly integrated into the movement to ensure flawless coordination of this complex mechanical ensemble.
To maintain harmony between the acoustic and visual time displays and prevent interference with the striking sequence, no adjustments can be made via the crown when the minute repeater is active. If the time advances during mid-chime, the acoustic change occurs instantaneously, but the digital display updates only after the chiming sequence concludes. Furthermore, the striking mechanism won’t activate if the power reserve has less than 12 hours, ensuring ample energy for chiming the time.
Over the past seven years, Lange has kept the manufacture calibre L043.5 intact, making changes solely to the case material. According to de Haas, every minute repeater produces a distinctive sound, even if they are made from the same metal. These subtle variations, however, may go unnoticed. An enthusiastic drum enthusiast who owns 17 different snare drums, he holds the belief that “there is no such thing as a good or bad sound; they all sound different.”
As for whether Lange adheres to specific parameters resulting in a distinctive acoustic signature, the audiophile responds, “No, but you’ll notice that our repeaters don’t chime quickly. Personally, I think that most repeaters on the market chime too fast. We should not forget why they were invented: to hear the time in the dark.”
The initial model was unveiled in platinum, a material relatively unpopular for an acoustic watch—a view de Haas challenges. “Platinum is very crisp and clean. Some people call it pure, others call it cold… The chimes are not loud because the material is dense, but the sound is pure and crystalline.”
In 2020, A. Lange & Söhne unveiled a 30-piece white gold version. In this particular timepiece, the chimes were “slightly louder—we’re talking about nuances—but with less finesse,” de Haas opines.
The third and latest iteration of this technical marvel is presented in honeygold, the brand’s exclusive gold alloy that features palladium, copper, zinc, and some silicon. The proprietary mixture imparts a distinctive honey-like sheen that gives the watch its name and doubles its hardness, making it more durable and lustrous than any other gold timepiece. Its distinctive material characteristics also contribute to the watch’s expressive acoustic signature. “This sounds very crisp and pure, probably because of the material’s density. It is warmer and some say the pitch sounds lower even though nothing else has changed,” says de Haas.
There is, however, one drawback to this material: it is difficult to machine. “It is the same reason we’ve maintained its exclusivity rather than introducing a honeygold variation across all product lines. Unfortunately, that’s impossible,” explains de Haas.
Platinum results in three times more tool wear than regular gold, while honeygold presents an even greater challenge with six times more tool wear. “It’s beautiful. But it’s a nasty material to work on and work with,” says de Haas.
Only 30 fortunate collectors will enjoy the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater in honeygold. Half a million euros is a hefty amount and de Haas knows it. But the appeal of the timepiece goes beyond the price tag. “This is far from rational. It’s a highly emotional business. I know collectors who already possess two Zeitwerk Minute Repeaters—one in platinum and one in white gold—and are on the list to acquire this honeygold variant. It’s the beauty of the sounds”.
