The A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk with a digital display is a mechanical masterpiece that was first introduced in 2008. It became the first wristwatch in the world to feature a three-disc jumping numerals mechanism for time display. The German manufacture added a minute repeater complication to the timepiece later in 2015, creating the brand’s first dedicated striking watch. It borrowed the technology from the absolutely crazy A. Lange & Söhne Grand Complication – a $2.6 million concept watch that came out in 2013. Since then, A. Lange & Söhne has released two different versions of the timepiece, the Zeitwerk Striking Time and the Zeitwerk Decimal Strike, both offering a variation of the striking complication. However, for 2020, the watchmaker has released a new version that harks back to the original model from 2015. The latest A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater sticks to the “basic” decimal minute repeater complication and comes with a beautiful blue-coated solid silver dial. The deep blue color provides a beautiful contrast to the white-gold case and the silver bridges, along with adding legibility to the white hour and minute discs.
Underneath the solid silver dial is the incredible caliber L043.5 – a movement made of 771 components and 93 jewels. The absolutely stunning architecture of the movement can be viewed from the caseback; however, the snails, cams, and levers of the minute repeater complication remain hidden from sight because of them being located on the dial side. The decimal minute repeater is a rare complication for a wristwatch, which makes it truly special. The timepiece chimes hours, 10 minutes and minutes; for example, at 3:43, the gong hammer will chime three times in a low-pitched sound, followed four double chimes and three high strikes to tell the minutes elapsed. The case measures 44mm by 14mm and is now available in 18k white gold. Limited to only 30 examples, the official press release mentions the German pricing of the timepiece, which is 449,000 Euros (around $485,000 USD).
