THE FINGERPRINT OF A LANGE WATCH. AND ITS AUTHORS.

One small element transforms each A. Lange & Söhne watch into a one-of-a-kind treasure: the balance cock, which today, as more than 160 years ago, is lovingly engraved by masters of the craft using freehand techniques. Just as fingerprints are unique, the personal signature of each master engraver, the curl of the lines, and the varying depth of the incisions makes every bal-ance cock different and singular.
Engraving of a balance cock

THE WORK OF AN ARTIST.

Lange’s master engravers are true artists of their discipline. Their key talents are dexterity and keen vision. With intuitive agility, they guide each of their twenty or so tools just like painters flourish their brushes – except that they create their unrepeatable engravings with different types of burins rather than pigments. What is more, they customise their tools to fit their hands, to chisel specific incision widths, to deal with different material hardnesses, and to accommodate their per-sonal styles.

MORE ABOUT UNIQUE ENGRAVINGS
Engraving of a balance cock

THE PRECISION OF A WATCHMAKER.

The work of an engraver takes place on a surface that typically measures half a square centimetre. Understandably, the engraving of the balance cock takes place under a microscope. The precision of the engraver’s tools is eminently important, so the artist carefully ob-serves not only the balance cock but also the tips of the burin. It is not uncommon for fractions of a millimetre of steel to break away from the cutting edge. That is why an engraver frequently regrinds his tools – at least once every time a balance cock has been adorned with his signature.

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