A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk

A Watch With No Hands

Mechanical watches with a digital time display are exceptional in the world of watchmaking. The Zeitwerk from A. Lange & Söhne is one of the few of its kind and, in fact, the first mechanical wristwatch from the Glashütte manufacturer to display hours and minutes with jumping numerals. Filigree hands are used for the small seconds and power reserve indicator. The famous five-minute clock at the Semperoper in Dresden is the historical model for the Zeitwerk.

Models with striking mechanisms and Zeitwerk craftsmanship are especially popular. The latter is made of platinum and limited to just 30 pieces. The case and movement are intricately engraved by hand. Each luxury watch in the Craftsmanship collection represents the watchmaking expertise of A. Lange & Söhne and is also persuasive proof of haute horlogerie. You can find more handcrafted watches in the Lange 1 and Richard Lange line.

The A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater is the most complicated model in the series. The manufacturer has been producing a platinum version of this timepiece since 2015. A limited-edition white gold version was added in 2020. It is the first mechanical watch to combine a decimal minute repeater with a jumping numerals display. This time movement acoustically reproduces the hours, tens of minutes, and minutes.

In 2022, A. Lange und Söhne presented two new Zeitwerk models. These models come in either rose gold or platinum. It houses an advanced movement with a 72-hour power reserve – twice as long as its predecessor.

Reasons to Buy an A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk

• Unique mechanical wristwatch with a digital display
• Top model with a minute repeater
• Especially rare: the Zeitwerk Handwerkskunst, limited to 30 pieces
• Gold or platinum cases
• Several rare limited editions

Prices at a Glance: A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk

How much does an A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk cost?

You can buy an A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk like ref. 140.032 in rose gold from around 75,000 USD. If you want a higher power reserve, then the successor model with the reference number 148.038 may be the watch for you. This variant is priced at approximately 104,000 USD.

The Zeitwerk Decimal Strike ref. 143.050 is equipped with a striking mechanism and will set you back about 136,000 USD. Ref. 147.025 has a minute repeater. This model changes hands for roughly 434,000 USD.

Probably the most exclusive Zeitwerk model is the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater, which is limited to just 30 pieces. The version introduced in 2020 (ref. 147.028) is made of white gold and available for around 440,000 USD.

Prices for Zeitwerk Watches With a Chiming Mechanism

If you're interested in a chiming Zeitwerk, you can choose from several models with either an automatic chiming or minute repeater mechanism. Each timepiece measures 44.2 mm in diameter – 2.3 mm larger than the standard Zeitwerk.

The Zeitwerk Minute Repeater ref. 147.025 presented in 2015 is made of platinum. The watch is powered by the in-house caliber L043.5. The watch has a solid silver dial and changes hands for roughly 436,000 USD in unworn condition.

A technically identical version in white gold with a blue dial followed in 2020. This watch is limited to just 30 pieces and is correspondingly difficult to find. At the time of writing, there was only one listing on Chrono24, priced at around 440,000 USD. The brand's official MSRP is approximately 530,000 USD.

Zeitwerk Striking Time & Decimal Strike

The Zeitwerk Striking Time and Decimal Strike are equipped with the automatic striking caliber L043.7. Like a grandfather clock, they automatically give an acoustic indication of the time when activated. With the Zeitwerk Striking Time, you can choose between white gold, rose gold, and platinum models. While the white gold watch has a black dial, the rose gold watch features a solid silver dial.

The price for a mint condition specimen in rose gold (ref. 145.032) is around 119,000 USD. The white gold variant (ref. 145.029) is about 8,000 USD more expensive. A limited edition of 50 watches in platinum and with a silver dial (.025,ref. 145.025), demands an investment of approximately 200,000 USD in mint condition.

Instead of striking the quarter of an hour, the L043.7 caliber that powers the Zeitwerk Decimal Strike strikes the tens of minutes. The case of this special watch is made of what the brand calls "honey gold." This model is limited to 100 pieces and therefore of interest to collectors. Expect to spend about 136,000 USD on one of these watches.

Zeitwerk Date & Handwerkskunst

A. Lange & Söhne presented a new Zeitwerk model with a date ring to mark the tenth anniversary of the Zeitwerk at the SIHH watch fair in 2019. The case of the Zeitwerk Date (ref. 148.038) measures 44.2 mm in diameter and is made of white gold. The dial is light gray and made of silver. The date ring at the outer edge of the dial is made of glass. It displays the date on the respective day in red. Inside, the 043.8 caliber sets the pace.

An unworn specimen will set you back about 104,000 USD.

The Zeitwerk With a Hand-Engraved White Gold Dial

Introduced in 2012, the Zeitwerk Handwerkskunst ref. 140.048 is made of platinum and limited to just 30 pieces. The anchor and escape wheel of the caliber L043.4 are made of hardened 18-karat gold. As is customary at A. Lange & Söhne, the movement is elaborately finished and visible through the watch's sapphire crystal case back. If you're lucky you can obtain a worn example of this rare luxury watch for just under 223,000 USD.

Unmistakeable Lange Design

Zeitwerk is instantly recognizable as a Lange watch. In particular, the large digits on the time display immediately remind the observer of the brand's big date. In contrast to the date display, however, the designers eliminated the bar between the first and second digits on the Zeitwerk. The seconds markers on the small seconds subdial are also familiar from other models in the Glashütte-based manufacturer's catalog. The minute scale on the 1815 series, for example, like the Zeitwerk, features markings reminiscent of railroad tracks.

The lines of the round case are also typical of A. Lange. The smallest version of the watch has a diameter of 41.9 mm. This makes it suitable as a dress watch. Incidentally, one advantage of the digital display is that the minute window is often visible under the sleeve. A quick glance is all it takes to tell the time.

FAQs

What kind of materials and finishes are used in the different models of the Zeitwerk?

A. Lange & Söhne uses only high-quality materials for its Zeitwerk watches. The cases are made of 18-karat rose gold, yellow gold, white gold, or platinum, depending on the reference. Many variants boast a beautiful, solid rhodanized silver dial. A. Lange & Söhne elaborately finishes the Zeitwerk calibers. One of the manufacturer's trademarks is a hand-engraved balance cock.

How does the Zeitwerk's complex mechanism affect power reserve and comfort?

The complex mechanics of the watch lead to higher power consumption, resulting in a rather short power reserve of 36 hours for most Zeitwerk calibers. However, the caliber L043.6 presented in 2022 has been improved and offers a power reserve of 72 hours. The complex mechanics require relatively large housings with a corresponding weight. This may affect comfort for wearers with smaller wrists.

What are the different versions of Zeitwerk and how do they differ in price?

The entire Zeitwerk collection is divided into the Zeitwerk, Zeitwerk Date, Minute Repeater, Handwerkskunst, Honeygold, and Decimal Strike Honeygold and Striking Time lines. The least expensive models are the Zeitwerk models powered by the caliber L043.5; the more complex the caliber, the higher the price. Prices for a Zeitwerk watch range from around 75,000 USD for ref. 140.032 to well over 400,000 USD for the model with the reference number 147.028.