A. LANGE & SÖHNE CABARET TOURBILLON HANDWERKSKUNST

The A. Lange & Söhne Cabaret Tourbillon Handwerkskunst shares much in common with the Cabaret Tourbillon, first released in 2008. This latest creation features many mechanical details that enhance the ownership experience. However, its magnificence is not limited to its mechanical virtues, it also extends to the artistic treatment of the dial and movement.

Theo Jansen, the contemporary Dutch artist, once said ‘the walls between art and engineering exist only in our minds’. It seems very apt when looking at a Lange timepiece.

Although Bauhaus, the famous German design school, is based on the notion of ‘form follows function’, some examples of this approach can appear a tad utilitarian. In contrast, Lange surpasses the merely functional, imbuing its products with exquisite aesthetic elements. For example, virtually all models are endowed with a hand-engraved balance cock. From a functional perspective this component could have been stamped out, rhodium plated and left unadorned, however, A. Lange & Söhne would never countenance such a perfunctory approach.

While Lange could expedite the making of a watch by focussing solely on the essential, it chooses not to. Indeed, it creates wonderfully engineered watches that encompass über-refined finishing. Black polishing and hand-chamfering are not the products of haste, but rather demonstrate a mindset that always favours excellence. In my opinion, the engineering manifest with the Lange’s fine watches is conjoined with art.

In 2011, the brand from Saxony, eager to showcase even more of its artistic capabilities, unveiled its first Handwerkskunst timepiece. Its name means ‘craftsmanship’ a reference to the high quotient of artisanal input. For the inaugural model, the German marque chose to breathe upon its famous Tourbillon Pour le Mérite. This limited edition Handwerkskunst model sported a fascinating honey gold dial enriched with an extraordinary texture. This finish is achieved by using a technique called ‘tremblage’, where a small burin is lightly tapped against the dial membrane to create a myriad of dimples.

The following year, in 2012, the Zeitwerk Handwerkskunst was unveiled and enjoyed favourable coverage in many horological publications and websites. This contemporary watch featured the aforementioned artisanal technique, a form of adornment that would eventually be employed on several, but not all, Handwerkskunst models. Moreover, the luxury watch brand shrewdly chose to apply black-rhodium plate to the white gold dial, bestowing the horological vista with a sizeable dose of modernity.

Over the last 10 years, Lange has released several Handwerkskunst models. Some have featured tremblage while others encompassed grand feu enamelling. In 2017, the prestigious watch firm unveiled the 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar Handwerkskunst. The white gold dial was dressed in blue enamel and adorned with contrasting blue stars. To the rear of the watch is a hinged caseback was embellished with tremblage and relief engraving, all surrounded by a circlet of enamel.

The Handwerkskunst experience is not restricted to the dial and case, it often extends to the movement. This includes different forms of finishing to the ‘standard’ model. In addition, it can also encompass technical changes to the movement specification. For instance, the calibre L043.1, fitted to the standard Zeitwerk, features a variable-inertia balance. The balance wheel is fitted with c-shaped masellotes, set in-board. The Handwerkskunst version is equipped with the Calibre L043.4 which is also fitted with a variable-inertia balance, however, it uses traditional timing screws to adjust the rate. By using c-shaped masellotes, there is nothing protruding beyond the rim of the balance, mitigating air turbulence, thereby augmenting precision. While the screwed balance is technically inferior, many purists appreciate its traditional appearance. The Handwerkskunst movement eschews Glashütte ribbing in favour of a frosted three-quarter plate.

Now, the Manufactory has produced a new work of art, the A. Lange & Söhne Cabaret Tourbillon Handwerkskunst. The ‘standard’ Cabaret Tourbillon was first released in 2008, however, this latest version of the model still looks fresh-faced and brims with a number of additional artistic details.

The dial

There is a reason why most watches are round; they are more likely to sell. When a brand veers from this accepted wisdom it exposes itself to a greater risk of commercial failure. However, over the years, some of the most eye-catching designs have embraced lozenge, rectangular and tonneau-shaped forms. In this instance, A. Lange & Söhne has boldly chosen not to make yet another round watch but instead has conceived a rectangular-shaped timepiece. I can already say at this juncture, with just 30 pieces planned and legions of Langephiles dotted around the globe, the demand for the A. Lange & Söhne Cabaret Tourbillon Handwerkskunst is short to outstrip available supplies.

The lancine-shaped hour and minute hands are rhodiumed gold and convey meaning in a softly spoken, clear manner. Each hour is marked with matching diamond-shaped indexes, save for 3, 6, and 9 o’clock where Roman numerals denote the hours.

Disciples of the Manufactory’s work will immediately notice the power-reserve indicator at 4 o’clock. It is an indication that features on the Lange 1, arguably the brand’s most iconic model. The display on this model is snailed, employs a monochrome palette and features the German words ‘Ab’ and ‘Auf’. A small seconds display is positioned opposite the power-reserve indicator, employing much of the same design language as its aforementioned counterpart.

An aperture in the southern territory of the dial reveals the eponymous tourbillon. The purpose of this device, patented in 1801, is to counter the adverse influence of gravity on the balance. Housed within a rotating cage, the escapement and regulation organ follow a circular path, turning 360° every minute. This highly complex mechanism negates positional errors, enhancing the overall precision of the movement.

In many cases, despite being designed to augment accuracy, a tourbillon seldom allows the wearer to hack the seconds and synchronise the time with a reference clock. When the Cabaret Tourbillon was released in 2008, it allowed the wearer to instantaneously stop the balance inside the rotating cage merely by pulling out the crown. This meant the wearer could synchronise the various time indications with a reference clock and simply pushing the crown home again, set the balance running again. It is an eminently logical feature but one that continues to elude most other watch brands.

In 1990, when A. Lange & Söhne was ‘re-registered’, it released four models, one of which was the Lange 1. Its oversized date display was inspired by the Five-Minute Clock in the Semper Opera in nearby Dresden. The date indication employs two discs, one for the tens and the other for units, delivering a widescreen indication of the prevailing date. Perpetuating this tradition, the A. Lange & Söhne Cabaret Tourbillon Handwerkskunst is also endowed with a large format date display. This confers superb legibility and its proportions look perfectly at ease with the watch, delivering a harmonious mien.

Arguably the pièce de résistance is the artistic embellishment of the white gold canvas. The inner area of the dial is hand engraved with a ‘lozenge pattern’. The regular appearance of each lozenge element might fool you into thinking it has been performed using a machine. However, its uniformly geometric pattern and the absence of any flaws is the product of a deft hand and much patience. A thin line of tremblage delineates one area of the dial from another.

The dial’s epidermis is suffused with a semi-transparent enamel layer, imbuing the dialscape with a wonderful depth.

At the base of the dial, the watch’s country of origin is specified in a crisp font, while in the bottom right-hand corner, the word ‘Glashütte’ effectively signs the masterpiece.

The case

The A. Lange & Söhne Cabaret Tourbillon Handwerkskunst is housed in a 950 platinum case measuring 29.5 x 39.2 x 10.3mm. This noblest of metals is more challenging to machine than steel or gold. When platinum is milled using a CNC machine, great care is needed to avoid excessive heat generation as this can make the material even more challenging to work with. To avoid heat issues, the milling times have to be extended, thereby heightening production costs.

Nevertheless, the additional machining costs and the high price of platinum are justified by the properties it confers. Platinum, which is far rarer than gold, exhibits a becoming silvery-white hue, is reassuringly dense and delivers a wonderfully lustrous sheen.

Each of the bezel’s four sides gently slope towards the case middle. The caseband is straight for the most part, but step outwards near the lugs. Despite its obvious complexity, the watch remains elegant and tastefully understated. For example, the lugs do not unduly project from the case, but peep beyond its main body, drawing the strap close.

One of the highlights of Lange ownership is undoubtedly the movement beating within the case. The German marque indulges the wearer with sublime views of the calibre L042.1, courtesy of an exhibition caseback.

The watch is presented on a black hand-stitched leather strap paired with a deployant buckle, again in 950 platinum.

The movement

The Cabaret Tourbillon is fitted with the calibre L042.1, a hand-wound movement with a tourbillon escapement. The tourbillon features an upper and lower bridge, each fitted with a diamond endstone. As stated earlier, the purpose of the tourbillon is to enhance rate accuracy.

Beyond its functional benefits, the tourbillon provides another vehicle for the German brand to showcase its finishing skills. For example, the upper tourbillon bridge (or bar), spanning the dial aperture, is beautifully polished and secured by two screws, each with wonderfully defined slots. The wearer is indulged with a dynamic spectacle of the escape wheel, pallet lever, balance wheel and hairspring all in motion.

Lange has equipped the movement with a screwed balance, a respectful nod to traditional watchmaking. The two barrels deliver an impressive power reserve of 120 hours, assuming the watch is fully wound. As well as the two barrels delivering greater autonomy, they also contribute to rate accuracy. Indeed, by employing two barrels the power transferred via the gear train to the escapement is more consistent thereby ensuring the amplitude also remains relatively constant.

As stated earlier, the watch has the facility to stop the balance from rotating merely by pulling out the crown. This ingenious system employs an ‘arresting spring’ which cleverly preserves the potential energy of the balance spring so that the balance can restart instantly as soon as the crown is pushed home and the arresting spring is retracted.

Confusingly, the movement within the A. Lange & Söhne Cabaret Tourbillon Handwerkskunst shares the same reference as the movement within the 2008 model, despite both movements looking different.

The Glashütte-based company has respected fine watchmaking etiquette. The calibre L042.1 is rectangular shaped, emulating the shape of the case.

Whereas the movement on the ‘regular’ Cabaret Tourbillon is embellished with traditional Glashütte ribbing, the Handwerkskunst model features a frosted finish. Lange is famous for its hand-engraved balance cocks. In this instance, this exquisite demonstration of the company’s artistic prowess extends to the tourbillon and intermediate wheel cocks. Where the original model is engraved with a filigree-type pattern, the Handwerkskunst version features a ‘lozenge’ shaped motif.

Finally, the movement features 45 jewels, several of which are set in screwed gold chatons, upholding another Lange tradition.