When it comes to planetarium wristwatches, Christiaan van der Klaauw (CvdK) has little competition, since it owns much of the intellectual property behind the complication. But that hasn’t stopped the brand from competing with itself, and the result the Grand Planetarium Eccentric Meteorite, the most complete model of the solar system ever put in a wristwatch. It’s a maximalist approach to the planetarium concept that’s almost overwhelming in look and feel, thanks to the rich texture of its solid 44 mm meteorite case and busy dial.

Building on the Grand Planetarium Eccentric from 2024, the Eccentric Meteorite manages to squeeze in the astroid belt, which is itself embellished with chunks of meteorite that originated on Mars. Intended to be a limited edition of three pieces, it’s possible that just two will be made given the limited quantity of meteorite on hand.

The sun at the center of the dial functions as a running indicator, rotating once per minute.

Initial thoughts

The planetarium is among the most romantic of all complications due to its inherent uselessness; unlike a minute repeater or perpetual calendar, there’s not much action that can be taken with the information provided. But mankind has sought to understand its place in the universe for millennia, and the planetarium offers an intuitive way to visualise our real-time location relative to the sun and the other planets in our solar system.

There’s also a strange appeal to the glacially slow speed of some of the orbits. One could wear the Eccentric Meteorite for 20 years and Neptune, at the outer edge of the dial, will have barely moved. This cosmic time scale puts our short human lives in perspective and gives us a different way to think about the passage of time.

Naturally, the Raison d’être of the Eccentric Meteorite is its dial, which is dominated by an aventurine glass planetarium featuring all eight planets orbiting the central hand stack in realistic eccentric circular orbits. While also displaying the time, and, in a way, the date, the meteorite edition features hand-painted planets and real Martian space rocks to represent the astroid belt between Jupiter and Saturn.

The biggest difference between Eccentric Meteorite and its immediate predecessor is its impressive 44 mm meteorite case. In watchmaking, the use of meteorite is almost always restricted to the dial, which makes the opportunity to touch and feel the material a rare treat. Though not a watch intended for daily wear, it’s surprisingly comfortable on the wrist and reasonably slim at just over 14 mm. Overall I’d say the sizing feels just right for the design and concept of the watch.

The planetarium module is powered by the CKM-01, a premium automatic movement produced in Sirnach by Andreas Strehler. Though we’ve seen this same 3 Hz platform used before by other independent watchmakers, it’s nonetheless a competent and well-made movement with a 60-hour power reserve. In the past, CvdK has always relied on third-party movement to power its complications, regularly using workhorse calibres like the ETA 2824-2. In this context, the presence of a movement sourced from Mr Strehler is an appealing upgrade that adds to the Eccentric Meteorite’s bone fides.

Unfortunately the new case and the addition of the astroid belt increase the price dramatically. At approximately US$725,000, the meteorite edition is about three times the cost of its 18k rose gold counterpart. It seems hard to justify this premium on rational grounds, but given the strictly limited supply the market will probably accept it.

The complete solar system for the wrist

An early member of the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI), Christiaan van der Klaauw presented his first wristwatches in the mid 1990s. But it was the 1999 introduction of the Planetarium 2000, the smallest mechanical planetarium ever created, that established the brand’s current reputation. Early models tracked the real-time positions of the six planets closest to the sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.

The Christiaan van der Klaauw Planetarium 2000. Image – Sotheby’s

This mechanism was later adapted by Van Cleef & Arpels (VC&A) for the Midnight Planetarium introduced in 2014, which features an enlarged version of the concentric six-planet planetarium mechanism that covers the entire dial, relegating the time display to a tiny shooting star that orbits once per day. Built atop a Roger Dubuis RD821 base calibre signed by VC&A, the module itself was developed by CvdK.

The Van Cleef & Arpels Midnight Planetarium.

Though exceptionally beautiful and ingenious, these models displayed just six planets. The orbits of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, which was listed as an official planet until its demotion in 2006, were excluded. The rationale was obvious since these planets take so long to orbit the sun. For example, the orbit of Uranus takes 84 years, while Neptune takes almost twice as long at nearly 165 years; practically speaking, they hardly move at all.

But this left room for further development, which resulted in the Grand Planetarium Eccentric released last year. Not only did this model display the real-time orbits of all eight current planets, it went further to display their eccentric orbits, another first. This doesn’t show the planets’ exact elliptical orbits; rather, it presents each planet on a circular orbit, realistically offset relative to the sun. There’s even a

The Eccentric Meteorite takes the concept even further by adding Earth’s moon and showing the position of the asteroid belt, indicated with real fragments of Martian nakhlite meteorite, correctly located relative to the planetary orbits, though obviously not to scale.

As for the planets themselves, they are hand-painted using a brush comprised of a single squirrel hair. This is a different technique than earlier planetarium watches that used anodised metal, in the case of CvdK’s own pieces, and semi-precious stones in the case of the Midnight Planetarium.

Considering their minute size, the painted planets are rendered extremely well. Though Earth is the star of the show, metaphorically speaking, Saturn is especially well painted and even features the planet’s signature rings.

All of this is set against a backdrop of sparkling aventurine glass, with the exception of the astroid belt which is mounted on a ring made of meteorite. Aventurine glass is a common material for astronomic watches, used by both CvdK and VC&A in the past due to its stellar appearance that mimics the night sky.

Of course, the Eccentric Meteorite is still a watch, and manages to present both the time as well as a general idea of the date. The hour and minutes are displayed in the conventional way and read against Roman numerals engraved on the underside of the sapphire crystal. To cap things off, the sun at the center of the dial, shaped like the brand’s logo, rotates once per minute in lieu of a central seconds hand.

Reading the date is a little more ambiguous, requiring the user to judge the position of Earth against the scale at the outer edge of the dial. To make things slightly easier, at least for date setting, a red arrow opposite Earth lines up with painted indexes that mark the beginning of each sign of the zodiac, on approximately the 21st day of each month. All told, this strikes me as a reasonably effective solution for a very challenging problem and the lack of resolution detracts very little from the overall functionality.

A timeless case

The case of the Eccentric Meteorite is quite literally out of this world, crafted from a solid block of meteorite. It total, the case weighs 47 g, and the brand has so far made two pieces (of a planned series of three) from a 1.09 kg meteorite acquired for this purpose. In terms of composition, the meteorite is approximately 92% iron, 7.6% nickel, and a touch of cobalt.

Meteorite is not uncommon in watchmaking, and has been regularly used for dials by big brands like Rolex and Jaeger-LeCoultre. California-based independent J.N. Shapiro even did a small series of watches with meteorite guilloché dials. It’s less commonly used for watch cases, though it’s not unheard of.

The 44 mm meteorite case is finely shaped and extremely satisfying to the touch. Like most other meteorite used in watchmaking, the material has been etched with acid to emphasise what is known as its Widmanstätten pattern. This pattern reveals the material’s crystalline structure, which formed over millennia as it slowly cooled on its transit through space.

Upgraded internals

As a business, CvdK has always focused its efforts on its astronomic modules and left the base movement to supplier. The original Planetarium 2000 was built on a Glashütte Original cal. 39 base movement, and the humble ETA 2824-2 has appeared regularly over the years.

Commensurate with its ambition and price point, the Eccentric Meteorite does one better and uses a base movement produced by UhrTeil AG, the movement supplier operated by Andreas Strehler. As a result, the automatic CKM-01 has a lot in common with the movement in the Strehler Sirna.

On a technical level, the 3 Hz beat rate is a step down from the more rugged base movements used in the past, but the CKM-01 is an upgrade in every other way. For example, the 60-hour power reserve will result in less-frequent time and date setting, and the level of craft on display is finally a match for the ingenuity of the planetarium module.

The spokes of the gold winding mass reveal sharp inner angles at their tips.

The movement is striking in appearance, which is dominated by a solid gold rotor in the shape of the brand’s logo (or half of it, at least). Underneath the rotor, the movement bridges have been embossed with a pattern of stars, while each of the major jewels is embellished with its own five-pointed star. It’s more finishing than we’re used to seeing from CvdK, and it feels sufficient for the aims of the watch.

Closing thoughts

The Grand Planetarium Eccentric Meteorite is a watch that only Christiaan van der Klaauw could make. It takes the brand’s signature complication and elevates it, on both technical and artistic grounds. The maximalist look may be too much for some, but in every other way its a fitting capstone at the top of the brand’s collection.

Key facts and price

Christiaan van der Klaauw Grand Planetarium Eccentric Meteorite

Diameter: 44 mm
Height: 14.3 mm
Material: Meteorite
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: CKM-01
Functions: Hours, minutes, date, month, and eight-planet eccentric planetarium
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 60 hours

Strap: Leather with platinum folding clasp

Limited edition: Yes, 3 pieces maximum but only 2 have been made
Availability: Direct from Christiaan van der Klaauw
Price: 930,000 Singapore dollars including taxes (equivalent to US$724,669)

For more, visit Klaauw.com.

In a surprise launch from a brand best known for its dive watches, Tudor just rolled out the 1926 Luna. It’s a thinnish, 39 mm dress watch with a moon phase – a first for Tudor – as well as a date, though in the typical Tudor style the case is still rated to 100 m and fitted to a solidly constructed steel bracelet. And unusually for a new launch from Tudor, the 1926 Luna is equipped with an ETA (or Sellita) calibre, which means lower specs than models powered by Tudor’s in-house movements, but also substantially more affordable at just US$2,800 or CHF2,400.

The 1926 Luna debuts in three dial colours, including a champagne iteration that was conceived with the help of Jay Chou, a Taiwanese singer who’s one of the most famous musicians in the Mandarin-speaking world.

Initial thoughts

Tudor has long excelled at sports watches with high specs and low prices – making them some of the best value propositions out there – but dress watches have always been a weakness. The brand has made several attempts at dress watches with mixed results.

The 1926 Luna, on the other hand, is much more promising. The design is classical, even a little conservative, but the look is appealing. The brushed dial in metallic colours give this a much more modern look than the rest of the 1926 line, which appears a little dated.

Purists will complain about the date window, and it probably looks better on a leather strap than a bracelet, but the 1926 Luna is a strong proposition in its price segment.

Priced around US$1,500 less than a Tudor dive watch with an in-house movement and steel bracelet, the 1926 Luna is one of the most affordable watches in the brand’s catalogue. Granted, the ETA equivalent movement inside is far from the industrial sophistication of Tudor’s Kenissi manufacture movements, but the price easily justifies it.

Lunar launch

Tudor has employed very, very few complications in its offerings over the years, and the 1926 Luna is its first moon phase-equipped model.

The watch sticks to the design language of the 1926 line, but streamlines the aesthetic for a more contemporary look. Gone is the pattern dial, which is replaced by a simple radially brushed finish in metallic colours with contrasting markers and print. One of the three launch models is a champagne dial with a black moon phase indicator that was the brainchild of Mr Chou, a longtime Tudor ambassador.

At 39 mm in diameter and 10.1 mm high, the polished steel case has relatively compact proportions, suiting the dress watch-type aesthetic. But it’s still robust and rated to 100 m of water resistance.

Finishing with alternating brushed and polished surfaces, the seven-link bracelet with a safety-lock clasp might be too much metal for a dress watch, but replacing it with a strap is easy.

The movement inside is the T607-9. Though unspecified, the movement is likely an ETA 2892 with moon phase or its Sellita equivalent, hence the relatively short 38-hour power reserve.

Key facts and price

Tudor 1926 Luna
Ref. 91560-67050

Diameter: 39 mm
Height: 10.1 mm
Material: Steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 100 m

Movement: Cal. T607-9
Features: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, and moon phase
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 38 hours

Strap: Steel bracelet

Limited edition: Regular production
Availability: Now at Tudor boutiques and retailers
Price: US$2,800; CHF2,400; or 3,700 Singapore dollars

For more information, visit Tudorwatch.com.

Founded by a crypto billionaire, Vast is developing the first-ever commercial space station, and IWC is now its official timekeeper. The IWC-Vast partnership continues the watchmaker’s recent involvement with commercial and civilian space travel, which included a series of special watches for the first all-civilian space flight in 2021.

The Vast control centre

Vast was founded in 2021 by Jed McCaleb, an entrepreneur who set up the now defunct crypto exchange Mt. Gox and later helped develop Ripple, a crypto platform. With a ten-figure fortune from his crypto ventures, Mr McCaleb has funded Vast and its ambition of creating artificial gravity space stations.

Inside Haven-1

Sometime in 2026, Vast is planning to launch Haven-1, a small space station in low Earth orbit. Over the next two decades, Vast aims to build larger stations and eventually a fleet of them.

Haven-1 under construction

What can we expect from IWC partnership?

According to IWC, the tie-up will “enable IWC to… develop spaceflight-ready watches. At Vast headquarters, Vast engineers will test prototypes… in a similar way to some of the hardware that will fly on Haven Demo and Haven-1 – a testament to the authenticity of IWC’s aerospace lineage.”

Grand Seiko unveils a second model in its Ultra Fine Accuracy (UFA) collection, the Evolution 9 Spring Drive UFA SLGB005. Featuring a violet-black dial inspired by Shinshu winter sunrises and powered by the latest generation spring drive technology, it represents everything Grand Seiko does best.

Limited to 1,300 pieces, the 37 mm SLGB005 is made from the brand’s proprietary Ever-Brilliant steel, an especially hard-wearing alloy that’s making its debut in the Evolution 9 Spring Drive line-up.

Initial thoughts

The Spring Drive UFA SLGB003 “Ice Forest” was arguably one of the most important releases of this year, finally delivering a long-awaited mid-sized Grand Seiko Spring Drive, complete with an adjustable clasp and tightened accuracy rating. The SLGB005 feels like a worthy counterpart in another metal, quantifiably excellent inside and out.

The SLGB005 retains the nearly perfect proportions of its titanium sibling at 37 mm in diameter and 11.4 mm thick, in a slightly heavier Ever-Brilliant steel case. Though Grand Seiko has used this material in the past, it’s the first time it’s been used for a Spring Drive watch in Evolution 9 guise, and also the first to be made at Shiojiri.

This is a new colour of an existing dial pattern. Grand Seiko’s dial work is always excellent, especially the hands and dial furniture, which are finished to unusually high standards.

The Spring Drive movement remains the same and excellent. While not mechanical, I’d argue that Spring Drive delivers everything many buyers of mechanical watches in this segment actually want: a smooth-gliding seconds hand, ‘set it and forget it’ accuracy, and some tangible degree of craftsmanship – all of which Spring Drive handily delivers.

As a consequence of being a limited edition, the watch is quite pricey at US$11,100. That’s slightly more than the otherwise identical titanium SLGB003, and also a tad more than a 36 mm Rolex Datejust in steel. I suspect we will see non-limited stainless steel cal. 9RB2 (or cal. 9RB1) powered models fairly soon, which helps stave off the “FOMO”.

Ever Brilliant

According to Grand Seiko, this deep red-violet gradient dial evokes a winter sunrise over the hoar-frosted forests of Mount Kirigamine, which looms over both Suwa and the nearby town of Shiojiri – from which all Spring Drive watches hail. After careful examination of Nagano nature photography, I’d say it is a reasonable likeness.

The texture is identical to the previous UFA models, SLGB001 in platinum and SLGB003 in titanium, which capture the same vista during the day.

Grand Seiko’s case finishing proficiency is as obvious in 37 mm as it is in 40 mm, and further emphasised by the Evolution 9 design language. The case is Ever-Brilliant steel, an unspecified alloy that surpasses even 904L stainless steel in corrosion resistance and is typically the domain of mechanical Grand Seikos – this is only the second Ever-Brilliant Spring Drive.

It also has superior polishability compared to titanium, which helps the SLGB005 shine, literally and otherwise. Like its titanium sibling, the watch is ready for anything with a screw-down crown and case back, and a 100 m water resistance rating.

The bracelet, also Ever-Brilliant steel to match the case, but does not include the brand’s new tool-free adjustment system, though the clasp does carry an 18k rose gold Grand Seiko medallion – a substitute for traditional gold case back medallions found on historical models with closed case backs.

High-tech and high-spec

Naturally, the SLGB005 is powered by the same cal. 9RB2 movement found in the SLGB003, which is rated to +/- 20 seconds per year. This distinguishes the movement from other Spring Drive calibres, earning it the UFA designation.

Like the cal. 9RA Spring Drive movements, the cal. 9RB2 uses both passive thermal insulation, with a vacuum-sealed quartz timing package, and active temperature compensation, which takes numerous temperature readings throughout the day and self-adjusts accordingly.

But unlike the cal. 9RA movements, Seiko officially specs the cal. 9RB2 to run within 20 seconds per year, hence the UFA distinction, which is an homage to the legendary VFA line.

Despite effectively being the smallest automatic Spring Drive yet made, the cal. 9RB2 is larger than most mainstream Swiss automatic calibres at 30 mm in diameter, easily filling the display case back.

In fact, it is the same diameter as the older cal. 9R65 inside the “Snowflake” and “Shunbun”, but can fit into smaller cases as the movement is inherently antimagnetic, while the cal. 9R65 requires extra space for a soft-iron ring around the movement.

When fully wound, the watch will run for almost exactly 72 hours, as tracked by an up/down indication on the case back with a fluted scale, which also adds visual interest to the single-plate calibre.

Key facts and price

Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Spring Drive UFA
Ref. SLGB005

Diameter: 37 mm
Height: 11.4 mm
Material: “Ever-Brilliant” Steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 100 m

Movement: 9RB2
Features: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, and power reserve on the movement side
Frequency: 32,768 Hz
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 72 hours

Strap: Steel bracelet with folding clasp and 18k rose gold medallion

Limited edition: Limited to 1,300 pieces
Availability: At Grand Seiko boutiques and retailers starting November 2025
Price: US$11,100

For more, visit Grand-seiko.com.

Since its rebirth in 1994, A. Lange & Söhne has built an enviable reputation among collectors, based in large part on its rich portfolio of movements. Visiting the manufacture in Glashütte, it’s easy to see why; nearly all of the roughly 650 staff are engaged in some aspect of movement production. As a result, in little more than 30 years, Lange has commercialised 75 distinct calibers and has the manpower to apply a consistent level of finishing across the entire range, from the simple to the sublime.

Historically, this single-minded focus on movements has meant that dials have often taken a back seat. Though uniformly high quality and made of noble materials like sterling silver and solid 18k gold, the brand’s dials tend to be simple, classical, and austere. An obvious exception that springs to mind is the sapphire crystal-dialed Lumen series, but sapphire crystal is a common material in watchmaking and these dials tend to be produced in a relatively industrial manner.

Despite its focus on movements, Lange began to stretch its wings with artisanal dials as far back as the year 2000, first with enamel and later with mother-of-pearl, guilloché, tremblage, free-hand engraving, aventurine glass, and onyx. Most of these dials were produced by suppliers, but the brand has quietly built an immensely talented team of engravers and enamellists since launching the Handwerkskunst editions in 2011, and now crafts some of the industry’s most extraordinary dials within its own four walls.

Champlevé enamel

To get a feel what what Lange is capable of, one need look no further than the recently launched 1815 Tourbillon Black Enamel, a limited edition of 50 watches with the dials all made in house.

Unassuming at first glance, the glossy piano-black dial is produced using the champlevé technique. The term translates roughly as ‘raised field’ and means the dial markings, like the logo and large Arabic numerals, are not printed on the surface of the enamel, but are instead raised up from dial base to sit flush with the enamel surface.

When done well, and the dial of the 1815 is done very well, the effect is almost magical. In the case of the 1815, the dial begins life as a solid disc of 18k white gold, which is precisely milled to create the logo, numerals, and minute and seconds tracks in relief. An enamellist then grinds enamel frit into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle. The powder is mixed with distilled water and painted into the recesses of the dial by hand.

Painting the enamel by hand. Image – A. Lange & Söhne

When exposed to heat, the water evaporates leaving a thin layer of enamel frit on the dial surface. Repeated firings cause the enamel to melt, filling the milled cavities in the dial base.

Firing to set the enamel. Image – A. Lange & Söhne

Note that at this stage of production, the hole for the tourbillon has not yet been drilled, and even this section of the dial is enameled to equalise the pressure across the dial and prevent deformation during repeated firings in the oven.

The mirror-flat dial after polishing. Image – A. Lange & Söhne

The dial is then polished by hand against a grinding wheel, using progressively finer polishing wheels, as observed at Émailleurs de la Cité. The polishing stages are critical for achieving a perfectly flat surface. Polishing is especially crucial when it comes to champlevé, and is the secret to getting the surface of the dial perfectly flush with the raised dial markings.

The resulting look is ethereal. Since the lettering is raised from underneath, there’s no paint bleed; the edges of all of the dial markings are perfectly crisp and will remain so permanently. Due to the dial’s extreme flatness, the play of light is extraordinary, with the polished gold markings completely disappearing into the inky black surface at some angles, while practically glowing at others.

The Lange 1 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst

The new 1815 Tourbillon Black Enamel is not the brand’s first foray into champlevé in its in-house dial workshop. That honour goes to the Lange 1 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst edition from 2014, arguably the most desirable Lange 1 reference yet made. Like its sibling, the dial of the Lange 1 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst is enamelled across its entire surface before the hole is cut for the tourbillon and its black polished bridge.

Given the effort Lange has taken to develop this competency in-house, I’m hopeful we’ll see more of this in the years to come.

Traditional grand feu enamel

Lange’s experience with enamel isn’t confined to champlevé, and extends to traditional grand feu enamel dials as well. The first was the Langematik Anniversary introduced in 2000, which was followed by the Richard Lange Pour le Merite in 2009.

At this stage in its development, the brand was reliant on suppliers for these dials, which exhibit a degree of variability from one to the next. For this reason Langepedia sagely recommends examining any specific example prior to purchase. I’ve also observed at least one Richard Lange Pour le Merite dial that exhibited an orange peel-like texture when viewed at an angle; a sign of incomplete polishing.

The Langematik Anniversary was the brand’s first watch with an enamel dial. Image – Langepedia

But since bringing this skill set in-house, the quality appears to have improved and become more uniform. A good outcome like this is by no means certain; specialists exist for a reason and often have experience that’s difficult to replicate. That Lange has pulled it off is a testament to the dexterity of its artisans and what must be a thorough training programme.

The three-piece enamel dial of the Richard Lange Minute Repeater.

Lange often applies different skillsets within a single dial, and even when producing a traditional enamel dial with printed markings the brand sometimes can’t help but go a little further.

In the case of the Minute Repeater Perpetual Calendar, the black enamel dial features four separate white gold rings set into the dial to help define the chapter ring and each of the three sub-dials. But unlike the flush-fit champlevé numerals of the 1815 Tourbillon Black Enamel, the Roman hour markers on the Minute Repeater Perpetual are applied to the dial surface.

Natural stone dials

Stone dials have become something of a trend over the past couple of years, up and down the price spectrum. Evidently this trend reached eastern Germany earlier this year when the brand launched the 30th Anniversary edition of the Lange 1 featuring a glossy black onyx stone dial.

Though used once before about two decades ago, stone dials represent new territory for Lange. Naturally, the brand approached its recent development with characteristic attention to detail, affixing a thin wafer of onyx to a solid silver dial base to enhance longevity. Onyx is surprisingly similar to black fired enamel visually, but while the enamel dials are now made in house, Lange taps specialist suppliers for its stone dials.

The Lange 1 30th Anniversary Limited Edition features a wafer-thin disc of natural black onyx affixed to a sterling silver dial base. Image – A. Lange & Söhne

While stone dials feel increasingly common across the industry, most makers seem to be sticking with eye-catching minerals like malachite, turquoise, and tiger iron. In contrast, Lange’s choice of black onyx, which could easily pass for enamel, suits the brand’s austere aesthetic.

I expect we’ll see more onyx dials in the future, but the brand has shown enough restraint with its unusual dials in the past that I doubt we’ll see it often enough for it to lose its novelty.

The glossy black onyx dial of the Lange 1 30th Anniversary Limited Edition could almost pass for black enamel. Image – A. Lange & Söhne

Tremblage

Tremblage is a type of engraving that involves thousands of mostly random scratches created free-hand using a sharp handheld tool called a burin. When done well, it results in a uniform frosted surface designed to contrast with raised, polished borders and dial markers.

Lange deserves credit for popularising the use of tremblage in contemporary watchmaking. While quite popular today, the technique was almost unheard of when the brand launched the Richard Lange Tourbillon Pour le Mérite Handwerkskunst in 2011. Since then Lange has used the technique sparingly, only on pieces within the Handwerkskunst series.

The extraordinary dial of the Zeitwerk Handwerkskunst.

At first glance, the tremblage dial of the 1815 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst is remarkably similar to the machined dial base of the 1815 Tourbillon Black Enamel examined above.

The 18k pink gold dial base begins life in much the same way, and manages to be both simpler and more labour-intensive than its glossy black counterpart. The railroad tracks around the main chapter ring and tourbillon cage are pad printed, but the recessed surfaces are given a matte finish through several thousand short cuts of the burin, giving it an indestructible, almost medallion-like look and feel.

Whether tremblage looks good or bad depends in large part on the size of the indentations and their uniformity. The best dials require a close look to see any individual marks, and appear evenly frosted at a distance.

Free-hand engraving

Free-hand engraving is another strength of Lange, which is famous for its hand-engraved balance cocks. But the brand’s in-house engravers havealso used this technique dial side on select Handwerkskunst pieces including the Cabaret Tourbillon and Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar.

The free-hand engraved dial of the Cabaret Tourbillon Handwerkskunst. Image – A. Lange & Söhne

The dial of the former appears far too uniform to be the result of handwork, but close examination reveals indelible traces of the human hand. Straight lines and geometric patterns are dangerous in watchmaking because they tend to reveal imperfections more easily than more organic designs. This is why Clous de Paris, among the simplest of all guilloché patterns, is one of the most challenging to execute perfectly since the slightest misstep will stand out vividly.

Free-hand engraving the geometric pattern on the dial of the Cabaret Tourbillon Handwerkskunst. Image – A. Lange & Söhne

This is what makes the dial of the Cabaret Tourbillon Handwerkskunst so impressive; the center of the dial is decorated with a geometric diamond pattern cut entirely free-hand. As discussed previously, Lange likes to mix decorative techniques so when the engraver was finished the pattern was further embellished with a layer of clear enamel, on which the logo was pad-printed. The process of applying transparent enamel over an engraved surface is known as flinqué.

The flinqué enamel layer on the dial of the Cabaret Tourbillon Handwerkskunst. Image – A. Lange & Söhne

Another Handwerkskunst edition that blends enamelling with engraving is the 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar, which gets the full champlevé treatment on both its dial and hinged case back.

The latter features a show-stopping engraving of Luna, the Roman goddess of the moon, while the surrounding night sky is rendered in translucent blue enamel to match the dial.

The mixed methods continue on the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar, which features free-hand engraved florals against a tremblage background. With a combination of methods like this, there’s one simple rule: don’t slip up. I can only imagine the engraver’s sigh of relief when the final stroke has been made.

Aventurine glass

A few years ago Lange got bitten by the bug for aventurine glass dials, which were already becoming somewhat common. Aventurine glass, which the brand terms ‘gold flux,’ is a man-made material that first emerged in Venice about 400 years ago. It is produced by adding metal oxides to molten glass; as the mixture cools, the oxides crystallise into reflective particles that create the material’s characteristic sparkle.

The Saxonia Thin was the brand’s first model to feature a dial made from aventurine glass. Image – A. Lange & Söhne

The brand debuted this material on the Saxonia Thin, before later expanding it to the Little Lange 1. The material suits Lange’s refined, formal aesthetic; it’s subtle at a distance but reveals a shimmering personality up close.

Mother-of-pearl

Though Lange does not have any mother-of-pearl dials in its current line-up, the brand has used this material, with and without guilloché, to give certain limited edition models a distinct personality over the years. Though naturally occurring, mother-of-pearl, also known as nacre, is not a mineral stone like onyx, and is instead produced by certain mollusks inside their shells by the same organic processes that produce pearls. Due to its natural translucency and iridescence, mother-of-pearl has been prized as decorative element in jewelry for thousands of years.

The Grand Lange One Limited Edition for Dubail, ref. 117.040. Image – Phillips

As a dial material, mother-of-pearl is appealing for several reasons. Chief among them is the fact that since the material is organic, no two dials are exactly alike. Each dial will have a different degree of translucency and the naturally occurring patterns, which often resemble clouds, will also vary from dial to dial even within the same series.

Mother-of-pearl wafers can also be set atop coloured plates, changing their characteristics and enabling dial makers to bring out specific textures present in the material to suit the theme of a particular watch. Even aside from variations in the nacre material itself, this helps explain the numerous colours on offer across the industry.

Though mother-of-pearl is most commonly used for women’s watches, I find the material quite appealing and would not hesistate to wear one personally if the overall colour and design were to my liking.

Guilloché

Historically, engine-turning never really caught on in Germany in the same way that it did in France, England, and Switzerland, but Lange has employed the technique selectively over the years to good effect. The most significant example is probably the Lange 1A from 1998, but the technique has also been applied to other models, including some with mother-of-pearl dials.

Lange makes no secret of the fact that its guilloché dials are engraved using CNC rather than a hand-operated rose engine. This takes away some of the romance, but the outcome is nearly indistinguishable.

Guilloché by CNC is a happy medium between engine turning and stamping, since the former is extremely labour-intensive and the latter loses the crisp edges of the real thing. CNC milling also opens up new possibilities for patterns that would be especially difficult or even impossible with a traditional rose or straight-line engine.

The guilloché pattern similar to that used for the Lange 1A has also been featured on the mother-of-pearl Lange 1 Soirée ref. 110.030 and a few Little Lange 1 references as well. It’s a fussy, baroque affair that is somewhat at odds with the typically austere Lange look.

To my eye, guilloché somehow feels more Lange-like with a simpler pattern, like that used for the 165th Anniversary Homage set from 2011, which confines the engraved pattern to just the central portion of the time display.

Concluding thoughts

For a brand known primarily for its movements, Lange has produced a diverse range of exceptional dials in a short period of time. While some are produced with the help of elite suppliers, a growing number are fabricated in-house. Looking at the brand’s history, a couple of themes emerge.

First, Lange is disciplined. With exceptions so rare they prove the rule, the brand has reserved hand-engraved dials for its Handwerkskunst series and has used materials like onyx, mother-of-pearl, and enamel selectively for limited editions. This discipline helps the brand stay focused on movements and prevents fatigue among its customers.

The second theme is the remarkable quality of these dials. Though the brand experienced some irregularity in the enamel dials it sourced externally in its early years, it learned that if you need something done right, sometimes you have to do it yourself, and later developed the in-house skill to do so.