The Zeitwerk was inspired by the theater clocks that founder FA Lange was involved in creating. The Zeitwerk Date, which boasts the most practical use of the collection, has been added in a new color.
Text by Shinichi Sato
Edited by Yuto Hosoda (Chronos-Japan)
[Article published in the July 2025 issue of Kronos Japan]
New colors added to the Zeitwerk Date
This new color is added to the Zeitwerk Date, which debuted in 2019. While retaining the same dial design, the gray dial enhances the glamorous impression of the pink gold. The date ring is made of glass, with a red segment visible through it to indicate the day. Manual winding (Cal. L043.8). 70 jewels. 18,000 vph. Power reserve: approximately 72 hours. 18KPG case (44.2mm diameter, 12.3mm thick). Water resistant to 3 bar. Price upon request.
The "Zeitwerk," German for "mechanism of time," was inspired by the curtain-type five-minute clock at the Semper Opera House in Dresden. This unique display format, designed to allow clear reading of the time from any seat, was developed by A. Lange & Söhne founder Ferdinand Adolph Lange under the direction of Johann Christian Friedrich Gutkaes, watchmaker to the royal household. To commemorate the founder's achievements and appeal, the first model released in 2009 retained the iconic digital display but packaged it in a wristwatch, revising it to operate in one-minute increments.
This time, a new color has been added to the Zeitwerk Date, an advanced model with a date display. While both the silver gray dial and the 18KPG case have been available in the Zeitwerk collection, surprisingly, this combination is the first time they have been seen. While the combination of design and color is familiar, the finished product is one of the most elegant and elegant to date.
The caliber L043.8 boasts a power reserve of approximately 72 hours thanks to its twin barrels. Its operation involves repeated accumulation and release of energy, and to enhance stability, a remontoire is used to keep the transmitted torque constant. Thanks to this, at exactly midnight, the three jumping numeral discs displaying the hours and minutes and the date ring on the outer edge of the dial switch stably and simultaneously. This is the moment when you can truly appreciate the thrill of this watch, where all of the intricate mechanisms created with the company's deep knowledge of mechanics come together to realize a single function.
