I bought this watch last November. I still don't know what possessed me, but I liked the looks of it and I know A.Lange was an important German watchmaker and innovator. It is a D.U.F. grade, time only. It has been recased in a 14K B.W.C.Co
case. It has a single banking pin, a concept that Edward Howard used briefly.

The setting mechanism threw me for a loop when I first got it. The lever would not pull out, so thinking something was wrong, I took it to my local watchmaker. He wasn't sure what was wrong, so he sent it to a master watchmaker up north. While cleaning it, a pivot snapped of the escape wheel pinion. The ordered part didn't fit, so he had to get another watchmaker in St. Louis make one. Well, after 4 months, I finally got it back today.

The lever, instead of pulling out, must be pushed up towards 3 o'clock. You then set the time. To disengage the setting mechanism, you have to push in the crown and move the lever down towards 6 o'clock.

Here is the dial - signed Deutsche Uhrenfabrikation, Glashutte I/S, A-Lange & Sohne. Nice white, single sunk with no flaws.

And the movement. Again signed Deutsche Uhrenfabrikation, Glashutte, serial # 51888 which is ca. 1905. Nice blued screws that didn't show up well in the photo.

Very, very nice Mary Ann.

Nice watch Marry Ann interesting set up for setting the time.

Mary Ann
A very fine A. Lange watch and you did very well getting the problem fixed.
Could you please take a little bit more close-up
picture of the balance - lever - escape region when the watch run down.
I did a bit of find or search work on our chapter and would like to write something more on those watches and the confusion and possible pitfalls with the Glashutte(as you call them) watches and their look alikes.

btw. Glashütte ? What does your screen show here ? A u with two dots like in i ? Tell me.

Regards Gerald

Yep, a "u" with two dots....

Regards,
Jerry

Hi all. Thank you for kind words about my watch. I wound it at about 3:00 PM yesterday and it is still running now (8:50 PM)! And it is keeping excellent time. There wasn't anything wrong with the watch at first. I just couldn't figure out the setting mechanism. Now I know the lever moves up and down, not out.

I will try to get a close up of the escapement, but I am not sure if my camera is capable.

What is the significance of the two dots over the letter "u" ?

The charakters 'ä', 'ö', 'ü' are modified vowels of german language, they are pronounced different.
For example 'ü' in Glashütte is spoken like the 'u' in the french wort 'sur'. Those charakters are different on american and german keybords so not havihg it on your keys is the reason you write 'Glashutte'. With my question i wanted just make sure that something readable shows on your screens if I type the german words.

Regards Gerald

Gerald - here is a picture of the balance, etc. I can't get closer with my camera. Hope it is of help to you.

Thank you Mary Ann

Perfect shot. There was no doubt that your watch is a 'Lange' from the first pictures!

Not to keep you busy: please do me a last picture (same position) whith the balance standing still. Then I will do my explanations on the easy to spot attributes of a 'Lange' watch without mixing pictures from different watches.

Regards Gerald

Gerald - here is a shot with the balance still. The balance arm covers part of the lever. I tried to take a picture while holding the balance in a little different position with one hand and aiming the camera with the other, but am not that talented.


No matter how I wound it, the balance would always stop in the same exact position. There is probably a very good reason for that, but I don't know what it is!

Mary Ann: just perfect !

The photo could not be better. The balance arm is exact where it should be. And the very good reason: it's a 'Lange' !

Regards Gerald

Gerald,

Glad the picture is of help. Thanks for the info about why the balance always stops in the same position. And I look forward to reading your article.

Part 1

This post was started by Marie Ann telling about and showing her new A. Lange watch.
In the first part of my story I like to give a little descripon what Mary Ann has and what we see:

Movement:
3/4 plate with jewels set directly on the plate. Higher grades have gold jewel settings. The typical small separateble escape wheel jewel plate. If this small plate is removed the escape wheel can be taken out without lifting the main plate.
The typical pattern on the ratchet- and barrel-wheels;barrel-wheel on square arbor fixed with one screw.
Finish of the plates is fine grained silver with polished edges all gilded. All steel parts polished to mirror shine (even the invisible parts).All screws polished and blued.
The escapement is an improved swiss lever escapement called 'Glashütter Ankergang or Glashütter Ankerhemmung'.Balance is bimetallic cut with gold screws; Breguet hairspring; micro-regulator. The lever and the escapement-wheel are made of hammered gold alloy. The lever jewels are not visible. The lever is poised and has one banking pin moving in a small hole on the bottom plate.
One last feature can not be seen. It is shown only by the strange behavior of the balance: the impulse jewel is not on a roler. It is fixed with a small block on the balance arms. This is why a 'Lange' always stops in the shown position directing to the escape wheel with one arm of the balance.

Regards Gerald

Thank you, Gerald. Very interesting reading about the impulse jewel set up and the composition of the plates. I was not aware of that. Those special extras are why A. Lange movements are so well thought of. I consider myself fortunate to be the caretaker of this one.