Recap on the latest watch releases from the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie
Despite the cancellation of the 2020 trade show (formerly Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie), the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH), together with its participating watch brands, presses on with the online launch of their novelties. August M
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is characterised by the interplay of brushed surfaces and polished chamfers. Integrated straps are available in hand-stitched leather or black rubber, the latter featuring air ducts on the inside for superb wearing comfort.
The watch is powered by the L155.1 DATOMATIC manufacture calibre, developed exclusively for the Odysseus. A combination of a date mechanism and automatic winding (hence the name), the movement guarantees high rate accuracy regardless of external factors with a balance that operates at a frequency of 28,800 semi-oscillations per hour. Meanwhile, recessed screws are used to minimise air turbulence that could affect the rate. The movement has a maximum power reserve of 50 hours. The skeletonised and partially black-rhodiumed central rotor with a centrifugal mass in platinum assures dependable energy delivery.
In keeping with Lange’s tradition, all parts are lavishly hand-finished and the movement is assembled twice. Many artisanal details can be discovered with a glance through the sapphire-crystal caseback. They include the German silver plate decorated with Glashütte ribbing, the wave pattern engraved on the balance bridge, and the screwed gold chaton above the escape wheel.
The Lange outsize date in the classic double ape ure on the right is complemented with an equally large day display on the le , both of which feature the typical Lange font. The mechanism is powered by the hour wheel that rotates once every 12 hours, which transfers its motion to the 24hour wheel that requires exactly one day to pe orm a full revolution. The day display is switched directly by the 24-hour wheel. At the same time, a program wheel controls the correct switching action of the units ring and the tens disc.
To obtain the largest possible display area, the date display is divided into a units ring and a tens disc. Driven by the program wheel, the wheel train of the units ring is advanced once a day. The transition from the 31st day of a month to the 1st day of the next month is an exception: a recess in the program wheel causes the units switching action to be skipped once. The program wheel also advances the wheel train of the tens disc every 10 days. When the 3 is displayed, the switching sequence to the blank field takes only 2 days.
“IN KEEPING WITH LANGE’S TRADITION, ALL PARTS ARE LAVISHLY HAND-FINISHED AND
THE MOVEMENT IS ASSEMBLED TWICE. MANY ARTISANAL DETAILS CAN BE DISCOVERED WITH A GLANCE THROUGH THE SAPPHIRE-CRYSTAL CASEBACK”