The A. Lange & Sohne Langematik Perpetual executes of the most appreciated and timeless sets of complications - the perpetual calendar with moon phases - with an undisputedly Lange style, both in terms of aesthetics and also in terms of mechanics, for a truly exceptional timepiece perfect as an everyday watch, and equally collectible.
Aesthetically, the date windows at 12 immediately identify the watch as an unmistakable product of the hallowed Saxon manufacturer, and further inspection of the dial highlights an outstanding - and absolutely German - attention to details. From the applied numerals placed on a raised track on the outside of the dial, to the recessed subsidiary dials, the technical execution of the dial is simply flawless. The day/night indication is included inside the subsidiary counter at 9 o’ clock, but the leap year cycle features a separate counter overlapping with the subdial at 3. This layout results in a slightly asymmetric design, which grants enhanced visual flair and movement to the ensemble.
Technically, the Sax-O-Mat calibre is a joy to behold: the 21K gold rotor rimmed with platinum (for increased mass, and thus winding efficiency) is nestled inside the 3/4 plate; the balance wheel with the hand-chased balance bridge is visible on the remaining open quarter. The entire movement exudes precision, technological excellence, and sports absolute stunning finish. Furthermore, it features some extremely useful technical feats, most notably the zero-reset mechanism and the calendar correction system.
The zero-reset causes the seconds hand to jump back to zero once the crown is pulled out, thus allowing for perfect synchronization with, for example, a time signal. The calendar correction is operated via four pushers in the band. Three of them (month, day and moon phases) work as usually seen in calendar watches: one depression causes one advancement of the relative indication. The date pusher, however, causes the entire calendar (date, day, moon phases) to collectively move forward. Thus, if the watch is left unused for a few days, correcting the date via the pusher automatically ensures that the entire calendar, moon phases included, is back in sync. This is a very unusual feature: normally, with perpetual calendar watches the moon phase indication does not advance when the date is activated, only the day of the week does, thus resulting in an unsynchronized moon phase and the need for additional operations to correct it.