There is a bit of a coincidence between him and me.
In early March 1998, I became the first Japanese watch magazine to visit the A. Lange & Söhne workshop in Glashütte, Germany. On that day, which marked the beginning of many subsequent visits to Glashütte, I was first shown around the prototype atelier, a treasure trove of confidential information.
It's hard to imagine now, but at the time, this idyllic atmosphere permeated the atelier. Why the prototype atelier? The reason was simple: I had requested a filming demonstration of the assembly of the chain pulley used in the Tourbillon "Pour le Mérite," one of the new Lange's first models. The person in charge of the atelier, assembling the tourbillon, was Jens Schneider, the subject of this article. Heedless of the advice of those around him who said, "It's just a demonstration, so take it easy," he demonstrated, with a detached look in his eyes, the task of connecting the conical pulley to the planetary gear—considered the most difficult part of assembling a movement. Just looking at the photographs taken at the time vividly brings back the tension of the planetary gear, firmly positioned about 30 mm below the range, and the planetary gear landing on the conical pulley. He was truly the master of the workshop, with the famous Günter Blümlein saying, "I feel a sense of philosophy in his attitude towards watchmaking."
However, despite his strict demeanor toward his work, Schneider had no sense of confidentiality. In the most conspicuous spot on his desk, he had a prototype chronograph movement, completely naked. Perhaps he was overconfident that a young Japanese journalist like me could never know the movement's true nature, or perhaps it was his inherent optimism that led him to do so. However, thanks to this, I was able to become the first media outlet to learn about the Datograph, the pinnacle of manual-winding chronographs, released the following year in 99, a timepiece worthy of marking the end of the 20th century. Naturally, I was fortunate enough to return to Glashütte before the Basel Fair in 99 and be one of the first to photograph the completed Caliber L951.1. Needless to say, the man in the photo holding the Caliber L951.1 on its mounting is none other than Jens Schneider himself.
He has now left his old company and is fully utilizing his abilities as chief designer at the newly formed Moritz Grossmann. Meanwhile, since he left Lange in 2009, I have unfortunately not been able to sneak up on another coincidence. I miss that personality, where solemnity and gentleness coexisted. (Naomasa Furukawa, webChronos Editor-in-Chief)
