Experiencing craftsmanship
The “Homo Faber Event” held in Venice puts traditional craftsmanship in the spotlight. The event, which is organised by the Michelangelo Foundation, will be held between April 10th until May 1st, 2022 on the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini. It will bring together over 350 brands, designers and masters known for their artisanship and who represent more than 30 countries. Their work will be on display at 15 different exhibitions, each of which is dedicated to a different aspect of craftsmanship. The event focuses on the theme of sustainability and is based on the anthropological concept of “creative human beings” who can influence their destiny and environment with the help of various tools. The aim is to highlight the importance of promoting craftsmanship and preserving it for future generations.
A. Lange & Söhne has been selected for its extensive expertise in precision watchmaking and will be joining the ranks of 14 high-end manufactures that participate in the “Details: Genealogies of Ornament” exhibition in the former naval college building. Our presentations will focus on the beauty of traditional finishing techniques. Visitors will have the opportunity to admire an exquisite historical pocket watch alongside our entire HANDWERKSKUNST collection.
The exhibition provides a space in which exceptional craftsmanship, which still plays a key role in the creation of top-quality products such as watches, jewellery and haute couture, can unfold. This cooperative event has been orchestrated by the renowned curator Judith Clark. Her staging of the event with high-quality wall panels and specially made floor tiles allows visitors to discover the diversity of craftsmanship on display and find out more about the development (or “genealogy”) of different techniques, each one of which with its own history that has been handed down from generation to generation.
IMPRESSIVE PRECISION
The art of engraving and its masters
Engraving has always played an important role as a finishing technique in our manufacture. The hand-engraved balance cock is one of the characteristic features that makes all our timepieces one-of-a-kind. The motif: a flower around the central screw in the middle of the bridge. It is complemented by leaves and vines that extend to each corner. The motif is outlined by a thin line that follows the contours of the balance cock. This floral pattern is worked into the material for each individual piece by our master engravers. The depth and angles of the cuts vary depending on the force applied and whether the engraver is right- or left-handed.
Visitors at the “Homo Faber Event” will be able to look over the shoulder of a master engraver from our manufacture at work on site and learn how they engrave a balance cock by hand using the flat engraving technique.
THE FINEST CRAFTSMANSHIP
A collection that takes finissage to another level
As a crowning example of artisanship in precision watchmaking, we will be presenting our HANDWERKSKUNST collection with seven limited-edition timepieces characterised by their special finissage. The movement, dial and case are adorned in this collection by our finishers, engravers and enamellers using rare and sometimes historical techniques. The first model in the series was the RICHARD LANGE TOURBILLON “Pour le Mérite” HANDWERKSKUNST presented in 2011, which is limited to just 15 pieces.
The most recent masterpiece in the collection is the CABARET TOURBILLON HANDWERKSKUNST from 2021. Its three-piece white-gold dial is elaborately finished in the manufacture: the inner area is engraved by hand with a lozenge pattern. A semi-transparent enamel layer is applied on top, which adds extra depth to the engraving. The lozenge pattern continues into the engravings on the tourbillon and intermediate-wheel cocks forming a bridge between the dial and the movement side.
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