A. Lange & Söhne

Part 1: Zeitwerk Minute Repeater

 

The Zeitwerk Minute Repeater is not a surprise because it was expected since the Striking Time was unveiled. Pure logic... but there is a main difference between the Striking Time and the Minute Repeater if we forget the notes which are played: the first one strikes "au passage" while the second one strikes on demand. And here lies the specificity of the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater: the way it handles the energy for the striking mechanism.

Actually, there are a lot of specificities: it is after all a decimal minute repeater what is, from my point of view, the most accurate way to "play the time". Why? Because there are only 9 units between tens while there are 14 units between quarters. Believe me, it is easier to understand that it is 11:59 with a decimal repeater than with a classic minute repeater.

Anyway, the key specificity of the Zeitwerk is that the energy of the striking movement is provided by the mainspring. You can feel it with the pusher: you don't create extra energy with it, you just launch the striking mechanism. But, in order to preserve the good chronometry and to save energy, the ratchet wheel is uncoupled from the winding train when the watch strikes. This is obviously a strong asset. But of course, it also leads to a problem. If the power reserve is too low (below the red dot displayed on the power reserve indicator so less than 12 hours left), you can not activate the striking mechanism.

Another significant detail about this watch is the consistency between the time which is played by the hammers and the time displayed. If you launched the minute repeater close to the end of the minute, the minute disk will jump only after the end of the striking period.

Aesthetically speaking, the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater looks very similar to the Striking Time.

But very quickly, the main difference between the watches becomes obvious: the shape of the gongs.

The two gongs, which are overlapping on a large part, follow the time bridge of the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater while they draw a circle with the Striking Time. The consequence is that the hammers don't have the same behaviour. They strike inward with the 2015 watch while they go outward with the Striking Time. I assume that this different shape was chosen to improve the purety and the volume of the sound.

The Striking Time:




As usual, the dial of the Zeitwerk is flawless, at the same time classic and very contemporary. The colours range is very balanced and the watch embodies a very classy atmosphere.

When we are turning the watch over, we don't find small differences with the Striking Time movement but... gaps! The reason is that the lay-out of the movement is totally different. We obviously see that the watch is a striking piece thanks to the presence of the regulator (just above my signature):

The Striking Time movement:



I love the finishings of the ratchet:

The pusher to activate the minute repeater is located at 10 o'clock and, thanks to the use of the energy of the mainspring, it is much more comfortable  than a classic lever.

The watch on the wrist:

The platinum case is well balanced despite its large size with a 44,2mm diameter and a height of 14,1mm. The watch comes with a solid platinum deployant buckle.

Now the question is to know if the watch strikes well. It faces in my point of view a large obstacle: the shape and the material of the case. For me, it doesn't vibrate enough. I would also add that I still have a question mark about the gongs shape. To speak frankly, I was not impressed by the volume of the sound when tested at the booth. But the watch was a prototype and far from being completed. So, and I have experienced this many times with Minute Repeaters or Grande Sonnerie, I prefer to test the watch when it will land at the boutiques and not before. I saw so many changes! Because it is the fate of the striking watches: two similar Minute Repeaters never strike exactly the same way and the best results are achieved when there is a special alchemy which can be reached after a lot of work at the manufacture.

On the other hand, I found the striking rhythm good.

I was about to write... wait and see... but it is better to say... wait and listen. I have an appointment in my agenda for let's say the end of the year: TEST AGAIN OF THE MINUTE REPEATER... written in upper case letters! We will have the opportunity to come back to this watch during the year to judge about the improvement of the sound quality. But the concept of this watch is very seducing. The combination of the digital time display with a minute repeater is a great idea and I hope that the final version will not disappoint us. The design of the watch and the beauty of the movement are already strong assets.

Fr.Xavier

Site Info.

Privacy Policy Cookie Policy