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[Manga Documentary]
The End of the Watch World: Why Men End Up with A. Lange & Söhne
Kenji (right) : A successful man who has bought a full range of Swiss watches. He's recently become bored with choosing watches.
Bartender (left) : Owner of the Ginza bar "Chronos." A man who knows the ins and outs of watches.
1. Saturated Luxury: Ginza Nightlife
He was successful in business and had all the watches he wanted: Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet...
But now, what I have on my wrist just looks like a wad of cash.
Perhaps there is an emptiness in life that we only realize once we reach it...
They're all beautiful and perfect, but... they're "as expected."
Let's take a look at German watches, which reflect the national character that is said to be somewhat " hardworking and serious ." Unlike the glamour of Swiss watches, the appeal of German watches is their " sincere craftsmanship that has made a comeback despite being tossed about by history."
2. The Case Back
First, take a look at the case back with this magnifying glass. Before you even look at the front, we want you to see the heart of the watch.
This is not the back of a watch I know. It has a warm glow... and what beautiful finish and engraving...!
Typically, Swiss watches are plated on brass, which is easy to process, but Lange deliberately uses nickel silver, which is difficult to process and prone to oxidization, in its raw form.
You can enjoy aging over time.
When you look at a Lange movement, you'll notice that most of the gears are covered by a single large plate. This is called a "three-quarter plate" and is a traditional specification from Glashütte, Germany.
Advantages: Compared to the Swiss type, which is supported by multiple small bridges, it is overwhelmingly "sturdier" and "the gear axis does not wobble (accuracy is stable)."
Cons: Very difficult to assemble. To adjust one axis, you have to remove the entire huge plate.
In other words, the design prioritizes "perfection after completion over maintainability."
3. Crazy "double team"
How do you assemble something this complicated without leaving fingerprints or scratches?
Such an inefficient thing...
So it's all taken apart, cleaned and finally reassembled for real, with the perfect decorative screws and gold chatons for "showing off".
For them, everything that reaches their customers must be 100% functional and aesthetically pleasing.
4. Experience architecture with your fingertips
It's all packed in there.
...! What is this feeling?
My fingertips are trembling with pleasure.
I feel a profound philosophy that is not found in Swiss watches.
5. Epilogue: Silent Luxury
Fewer than one in a hundred people passing by would know the value of this watch.
But behind the scenes, there is a small universe. It is not there for anyone to see.
A perfect world without compromise that only I know.
...I see. "The last one (the clock going up)."
The reason why A. Lange & Söhne is called the "rising watch" may be because it represents the "pinnacle of self-satisfaction" reached by people who have graduated from the pretense of brand recognition.
- Madness in the invisible parts: Double-assembly and finishing touches to hidden parts.
- Uniqueness: German Glashütte style, different from the Swiss style.
- Story: An indomitable story of disappearance and resurrection.
These things will surely strike a chord in the hearts of adult men who have experienced both the good and the bad.
