Vintage Archives - Revolution Watch

Early Passion, Long Journey: The search for a 1994 Lange 1

Thomas Brechtel — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 08:12:33 +0000

Early Passion, Long Journey: The search for a 1994 Lange 1

The story of one collector’s search for his grail watch, a 1994 Lange 1 on a Wellendorf bracelet.

Vintage

Sep 7, 2023

It was a long road for me to the most classic A. Lange & Söhne watch — more than 20 years, to be precise. And I am not talking about a Lange 1 in stainless steel, as some of you might think, but the Lange 1 in 18K yellow gold with a solid caseback and matching gold bracelet from Wellendorff. In my view, this is the most classic, beautiful and important watch of the modern era from the Glashütte watch brand.

Right from the start, the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 was one of the most exclusive watches par excellence. Then a newly resurrected brand in 1994, A. Lange & Söhne stood for the highest luxury. The watches were unmistakably very expensive, and the brand was — and still is — a brand for the few. Personally, the high price tag of Lange watches always frustrated me, because, as an enthusiast, you quickly had to get used to the idea that you couldn’t own the things you really liked and found beautiful.

Rebirth in Dresden, Germany

The story of A. Lange & Söhne’s comeback in watchmaking is well known. Nationalized during the Soviet occupation of East Germany, the family-run Lange company ceased to exist. Its revival after the Cold War was led by watch industry luminary Günter Blümlein and Walter Lange, great-grandson of the brand’s founder, Ferdinand Adolph Lange.

1991: On the left, Günter Blümlein, the man who singlehandedly revived IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre, in the post Quartz Crisis period and, later, A. Lange & Söhne and Walter Lange

The date chosen for the rebirth of A. Lange & Söhne and the presentation of its first four watches was October 24, 1994. The historic event took place in Saxony’s capital city, Dresden, Germany, in the Royal Palace or “Residenzschloss,” near the Semper Opera House and the Dresden Zwinger. The presentation showcased the all-new Lange collection and, when the curtain was raised, the audience saw four attractive wristwatches all made in yellow gold: the very classic Saxonia, the small and beautiful Arkade, the amazing Tourbillon Pour le Mérite and the astonishing Lange 1.

Günter Blümlein at the 24 October 1994 press conference for the launch of A. Lange & Söhne

The watches were large, heavy and remarkably designed, and three out of the four models featured a never before seen complication — the A. Lange & Söhne outsize date or, in German language, “Das Lange Großdatum.” Overall, 123 watches were made initially for the 1994 launch, all in yellow gold cases, which happened to be the favorite material of Walter Lange. The Lange outsize date itself was hailed as a groundbreaking and sophisticated complication; it would soon be adapted and used by many other watch companies.

A. Lange & Söhne 1994 Lange 1 on a Wellendorf bracelet

With the rebirth of A. Lange & Söhne, the entire mechanical watch industry also received a completely new standard in terms of the finishing of movements produced in larger series. Each component of Lange’s movement, regardless of whether it is visible on the outside, is decorated with its own specific type of finishing — including Glashütte stripes, perlage, straight graining, circular graining and chamfering — achieving perfection right down to the last detail.

The underrated early Lange 1

Despite acclaim for the immaculate finishing of their movements, for many years after the rebirth of the brand, the watches of A. Lange & Söhne remained a niche product. This might be due to how expensive the watches were, and the fact that A. Lange & Söhne had to reestablish its credibility among a new generation of collectors and enthusiasts; the company’s hiatus during the Soviet era meant that many were not familiar with the brand. For almost two decades, the value of Lange watches on the secondary market were lower compared to the retail prices.

Take the early Lange 1 ref. 101.002. For a long time, this was a watch that gave collectors many reasons to ignore it. It was priced exceedingly high, and its case was made of yellow gold — a material that had fallen out of fashion. You also couldn’t see what many people would consider the most beautiful thing about an A. Lange & Söhne watch, namely its movement, because this Lange 1 has a closed, solid caseback like many watches of the first series. For these reasons, and the fact that the brand simply didn’t have too long a tradition in modern times, it was often a dilemma for collectors when deciding whether to purchase an early Lange 1.

Much has already been written about the distinctive — some say peculiar — design of the Lange 1. There is no need to repeat it at length here. The off-center dial design, the separated indications and the outsize date of the Lange 1 was — and still is — fascinatingly offbeat yet beautiful at the same time. A comparison with a classic and exclusive dress watch of the same era from Switzerland, the Patek Philippe Calatrava reference 3919, shows how aesthetically different the Lange 1 is. The Calatrava ref. 3919 is the epitome of minimalistic elegance with a refined slim case and a clean, legible dial, whereas the Lange 1’s striking asymmetrical dial with carefully proportioned time displays and brand-new outsize date is a study in Saxon precision watchmaking.

Most of my friends were unenthusiastic about the style of the Lange watches, but for me, it was the start of a long journey to acquire one of the earliest Lange 1 models.

My love affair with the early Lange 1

I was a student in 1994 when A. Lange & Söhne returned to the watchmaking world. Collectors and friends had expected the rebirth of traditional pocket watches or chronometers from A. Lange & Söhne, but the brand came back with wristwatches only. And what’s more, each Lange wristwatch easily cost four to five times more than a Rolex.

Back in the day, it was totally impossible — even in my wildest dreams — to blow out 27,000 Deutsche marks on a watch. That was the price of the Lange 1 at launch; it was also the money for three to four average student cars or the earnings of a student in two years. I resigned myself to the fact that I was not able to purchase one yet, and resolved to save up. At the same time, I started to collect images of this watch generation from magazines and auction catalogs, and tried to build up an archive of known owners and rare appearances of the early Langes. I followed every public move of the sale of an early Lange 1, passed by every tempting offer of any different execution of a Lange 1 (rose gold, luminous, boutique edition, moonphase, etc.) As fate would have it, I came across two closed caseback executions at German watch dealers. One of the Lange 1 watches I noticed was fitted with a Wellendorff bracelet — it was fully integrated to the case and had a Milanese-style design.

As I said earlier, as an enthusiast in a world of highly priced watches from the top brands, you just had to get used to the idea that you couldn’t own the things you found really beautiful. Basically, back then, there was only one “barrier” between me and the early Lange 1: the purchase price. Although the Lange 1 is not a rare watch — indeed, Lange 1 watches have appeared at many dealers and selling platforms and were very reasonably priced over a long period of time — I’d always wanted something very special: a watch from the first series. This was either a stainless steel Lange 1 (otherwise known as “mission impossible”) or a very early yellow gold Lange 1 with a closed caseback, full papers, all documents, the old inner and outer box, and an all-original, full length Wellendorff bracelet — now, wouldn’t that be nice!

The solid precious metal bracelets for A. Lange & Söhne were made by the famous German jeweler and family-owned company Wellendorff, located in Pforzheim, Germany. They came as an 18K yellow gold “beads of rice” design bracelet with four- and three-row elements in a regular pattern, a small folding clasp, and a hidden lock with a deep engraving of the single word “Lange“ and signed with the small Wellendorff logo.

Why Wellendorff? It is important to know that after Walter Lange’s separation from A. Lange Pforzheim, he joined the Wellendorff company in Pforzheim as a representative in the jewelry industry. This might be the reason A. Lange & Söhne decided to equip its early watches with solid bracelets made by Wellendorff in gold or platinum. Today, A. Lange & Söhne no longer provides watches with solid Wellendorff bracelets, as the demand for them has been negligible.

Delving Into the dial

In my opinion, the beauty and peculiarity of the early Lange 1 watches best define the character of the collection. After extensive research, I eventually decided to zoom in on the reference 101.002 as my grail watch. This model has a silver colored dial with blued steel hands, and it can be identified, firstly, by its use of the smaller, sans-serif typeface. The sans- serif “Made in Germany” on the dial looks very unobtrusive and quite simple for a dial created by such a luxurious brand. The use of the sans-serif font in this reference is unusual since A. Lange & Söhne is so well known for its beautiful serif typefaces. Secondly, a different spacing of the letters of “I / SA” (which stand for “In Sachsen“ or “In Saxony”) can be observed. Compared to later executions of the Lange 1, there is more space between the letters and the “ / ”. Thirdly, the German umlaut (Ü and Ö) dots sit higher on top of the letters U and O. Fourthly, the two outsize date windows are made with silver frames around the two digits (they are not made of gold).

I was particularly smitten by the full silver dial of the Lange 1 reference 101.002, which was in contrast to the champagne colored dials of other early Lange 1 models. The ref. 101.002’s dial indicators, markings, numerals and typefaces are all printed in black without any golden inlays, as compared to the ref. 101.001 and subsequent references of the Lange 1. Another aesthetic detail that I found very striking was that the reference 101.002 (and also 101.022) came equipped with blued steel hands (not gold), which made the dial very similar to the extremely rare Lange 1 ref. 101.027X with a blue-on-silver dial that served as an inspiration for the Lange 1’s 20th anniversary watches — not limited edition watches but rarely officially displayed in catalogs.

The case and movement

The case size of the original Lange 1 was 38.5mm, which was large compared to the usual 34mm or 36mm cases back in the day. The Lange 1 has always been a huge and heavy watch. Is this too German? Maybe. The early Lange 1 reference 101.002 has a closed, solid 18K yellow gold caseback. This ironically means that you cannot see the beautiful A. Lange & Söhne movement. I will come back to this later.

Not commonly known is the fact that the case of this Lange 1 model was not made in Germany as one might think, but in Geneva, Switzerland, with the inscription on the inner part of the case lid: “Case Produced in Geneva, Switzerland, for Lange, Glashütte.” The inner caseback is marked with the 18K gold Helvetia head and the two letters “CO.” This indicates that the case was produced by the casemaker Centror S.A. in Meyrin, Geneva. It is additionally marked with “18K 750,” the “Glashütte A. Lange & Söhne” company stamp and the two individual numbers to identify the watch: R 10x (this is the individual number for the movement), and 110.07x (this is the individual number for the case). The outer lid of the caseback is engraved with “A. Lange & Söhne” and “Glashütte in Sachsen“ and the individual number of the watch starting with “110.0xx.”

And yes, let’s now talk about the movement because, sorry, but nobody will buy a Lange without first asking about the best part of the watch. The movement in question here is the caliber L901.0, a manual wind with twin barrels (hence the word “Doppelfederhaus” on the dial). It has the characteristic Glashütte three-quarter plate in German silver. This caliber was later succeeded by the caliber L121.1 in 2015.

That moment in time

Even though I always knew what I wanted to own someday, the search took me a long time. After some years, I finally succeeded in finding the rare Lange 1 reference 101.002 with a solid caseback. The watch I was eyeing was by far the cheapest offer I had seen, because the dealer’s opinion about it seemed clear: “Nobody will buy such an unusual Lange 1 without even seeing the beautiful Glashütte movement. See the other executions. But for this early one, I can make you a special discount.”

Obviously, I had found the right watch, and the right place and dealer. He did not recognize the potential of the early Lange 1. So, I finally bought my grail yellow gold Lange 1. This watch was manufactured in 1994, and it was sold in January 1995. The document bears the name of the reseller — the jeweler Hellmut Wempe of Hamburg, Germany. It has a very low case and movement number, and it was sold to me on the original black leather strap with a gold A. Lange & Söhne pin buckle and the Lange retaining bar. The watch is officially registered in the A. Lange & Söhne archive in Glashütte, Saxony. Finally, the first part of my journey was complete.

Now came the search for the perfect bracelet to go with my watch. The bracelet for the early Lange 1 reference 101.002 shown here was bought later after a long period of time searching for an original Wellendorff bracelet on an early Lange 1 watch.

A 20-year quest ends in success

Finding an excellent condition early Lange 1 at the right price is not easy. But finding a Wellendorff bracelet is even more challenging, like winning a lottery. They are much rarer than early A. Lange & Söhne watches, and most of them were made in either white gold or platinum. Only a few preowned watches are sometimes equipped with the yellow gold bracelets. I remember that I saw one on a Calendar watch, and one with a smaller 19mm lug width for the Saxonia, but for years I could not find a single 20mm bracelet that would fit the case of a Lange 1. I got to know some people who had some watches on this bracelet, but no one was ready to separate the bracelet from the watch. What about auction houses? Wellendorff bracelets are extremely expensive when sold separately at auctions or dealers — more expensive than a watch alone!

Years went by. After a seemingly fruitless hunt to find a gold Wellendorff bracelet, I clicked on a dealer’s page by chance on a random day to look for “new offers” and, out of the blue, there it was: a superb Wellendorff bracelet, 20mm, obviously separated from a Lange 1. The dealer’s opinion was very similar to the argument I had heard a long time ago when I bought my solid caseback Lange 1. This time, it was exactly these words that delighted me: “Nobody will buy such kitsch in heavy gold. It is much easier for me to sell any Lange 1 on a classic leather strap. I never thought to find a buyer for these 150 grams of gold so easily. Have fun with it. It might be rare.”

I never agreed faster on a deal to buy a watch bracelet. Finally, the solid caseback Lange 1 and the original Wellendorff bracelet were united! The acquisition of this timepiece has been a long and arduous journey for me, although one could also tell the story much more briefly, as I once experienced at a Lange event. I had a brief conversation with the CEO of A. Lange & Söhne, Wilhelm Schmid, who stood next to me on the sidelines at an event. “You have a very nice watch. Great,” he said.

I replied, “Oh, thank you very much!”

To which he asked, “Open back or closed back?” “Closed back,” I answered.

He said, “Then this must be one of the very first ones we made. Never give it away!”

Early Lange 1 Model Numbers

The reference 101.001, released in 1994, was the very first execution of the Lange 1. This was the yellow gold and champagne colored dial early Lange 1. The ref. 101.001 indicated a solid caseback, while the ref. 101.021, which came a year later, marked an open caseback.

The reference 101.002, also released in 1994, featured blued steel hands, painted numerals, and a silver date frame on a silver colored dial. The open caseback version of this model was dubbed the ref. 101.022. Incidentally, for the Lange 1’s 25th anniversary in 2019, A. Lange & Söhne released the ref. 191.066, which also had blued steel hands, a silver colored dial and a silver date frame, with the addition of a blue script for the time and date indications.

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Bell & Ross x Alessandro Palazzi x Revolution & The Rake Bellytanker Chronograph "Vesper"

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Movement	Self-winding caliber BR.CAL-301; 42-hour power reserve
Functions	Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph and date
Case	41mm; CuAI7Si2 bronze; water resistant to 100m
Dial	Sunray brushed with applied, gold-plated indices
Strap	Black calfskin; satin polished bronze folding clasp
Limited Edition	Limited edition of 50 pieces

The post Early Passion, Long Journey: The search for a 1994 Lange 1 appeared first on Revolution Watch.

eBay’s National Watch Day highlights timeless, historical watches

Revolution — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 08:00:07 +0000

eBay’s National Watch Day highlights timeless, historical watches

In celebration of June 19th being designated as National Watch Day in America, eBay recognizes some of its long-standing sellers that host a collection of some of the most unique and historical watches.

Vintage

By Revolution

Jun 19, 2023

The Registrar at National Day Calendar declared June 19th to be “National Watch Day,” which has been celebrated annually since 2017. It was Nordstrom, the popular retailer, that founded National Watch Day to celebrate the history and design of watchmaking. The day recognizes an industry that has been around for more than 500 years and is steadily evolving.

In celebration of National Watch Day, eBay recognizes some of its long-standing sellers that host a collection of some of the most unique and historical watches. Amongst them, long-standing eBay storefront, Connoisseur of Time, sells some of the rarest watches on the market with everything from a 1921 Art Deco Audemars Piguet to a 1963 Omega Seamaster “Kleeback” to a 1970 Rolex Oysterdate with a hand painted Mickey Mouse.

1921 Art Deco Audemars Piguet

1963 Omega Seamaster “Kleeback”

1970 Rolex Oysterdate with a hand painted Mickey Mouse

Collector Paul Hoyt started Connoisseur of Time on eBay as a side project 15 years ago and has since made the business his full-time job with over 5,000 clients world-wide. A full overview of some of the most interesting watches from his collection included below – every watch backed by eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee service. His current selection includes watches worn by Michael Jackson, Loretta Young, and Johnny Cash. But we would like to highlight some of his historically significant watches being offered.

With a fairly unique P800 engine the case for this 1956 Jaeger-LeCoultre is wonderfully thin and unlike many of their dress watches from the era, it was originally waterproof and has a screw-down back.

1956 Jaeger-LeCoultre Vintage Large Mens "Waterproof" 18K Gold Watch

This 1963 Omega Seamaster “Kleeback” salesman’s demonstration watch from has an uncommon caliber 560 movement.

1963 Omega Seamaster “Kleeback” Very Rare “Prototype” Watch

Popularized by Ginger Roger and Fred Astaire in their award-winning musical of the same name, this 1940s era Patek Philippe “Top Hat” embraces the elegance of the 1930s and 40s.

1940's Patek Philippe Vintage Mens "Top Hat" Ref. 1450

Made for the very prestigious jeweler Betteridge, this very rare 1921 Art Deco Watch from Audemars Piguet bears the retailer’s name on the dial.

1921 Audemars Piguet Very Rare Art Deco Ladies Platinum & Diamond Watch

This 1912 Pre-World War I Era Rolex Trench Watch is one of the earliest known outwardly signed Rolex watches.

1912 Rolex Extremely Rare Ladies Pre-World War I Era Trench Watch

Unlike many of Tiffany’s ladies vintage watches made for the U.S. market, this Tiffany & Co. Ladies Backwind Miniature Bracelet watch is a true all European creation with tiny movement made by Blancpain and case and bracelet specially made in France.

1960's Tiffany & Co Ladies Backwind Miniature Bracelet Watch

This 1961 IWC Platinum Vintage Men’s Automatic Watch is a rare example made for the Japanese market encased in platinum and powered by the Albert Pellaton designed Caliber 853 movement.

1961 IWC Platinum Vintage Mens Cal. 853 Automatic Watch

This 1970 Rolex Oysterdate with a hand painted Mickey Mouse was produced from1950’s into the 1980’s, it was a strong commercial success for Rolex, winning a large following.

1970 Rolex Oysterdate Mens Vintage Steel Mickey Mouse Watch

You can visit the eBay storefront, Connoisseur of Time to discover all the historical treasures.

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Strap	Ballistic gray rubber; titanium folding clasp

The post eBay’s National Watch Day highlights timeless, historical watches appeared first on Revolution Watch.

Christie’s Rare Watches Auction with Remi Guillemin

Revolution — Thu, 11 May 2023 03:07:37 +0000

Following the success of the Geneva November Watches auctions in 2022, Christie’s came back stronger with a collection of extremely rare and desirable watches for the upcoming Geneva auction on May 13. In this video, Team Revolution and Remi Guillemin, Head of Watches for Christie’s Europe, discuss some of their favorite lots. The Christie’s Rare… Continue reading Christie’s Rare Watches Auction with Remi Guillemin

The post Christie’s Rare Watches Auction with Remi Guillemin appeared first on Revolution Watch.

The Cartier Tank Française – A Historical Overview

Sheng Lee — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 17:00:11 +0000

The Cartier Tank, a family of wristwatches defined by its simple, rectangular form, has stood as a symbol of timeless elegance and refinement for over a century. Though the Tank Louis Cartier or Tank Asymétrique may come to mind when thinking of a Tank watch, there are many more designs beyond these early-20th century models. Throughout its history, the Tank has evolved and expanded, giving birth to a dozen varied models, each with its own unique story, showcasing the fashion house’s ability to continually reinvent itself.

While classics are gold, newer models, such as the Tank Folle and Tank Française, also embody the essence of a Tank, but with a modern twist. Reflecting its contemporary origin, the characters of the newer models are interesting subjects that demonstrate the evolution of the Parisian watchmaker, especially because they are lesser known or discussed.

One of the most recent additions to the Tank family that caught my eye is the Tank Française, launched in 1996. It’s technically the first Tank with an integrated bracelet that was designed to complement the case, earlier Tank bracelets being more or less general. And importantly, the Française has an angular case and bracelet that gives it a unique look compared to the original Tank model from 1919.

And beyond its aesthetic appeal, the Cartier Tank Française boasts several notable features that make it a timepiece of great interest. Indeed, since its launch, the Française has captured the hearts of many, including royalty such as the late Princess Diana.

In this guide, we will delve into the intricate design and key characteristics of Tank Française, explore various iterations including complicated models and special editions that will interest sharp-eyes collectors, and share some interesting anecdotes of this modern icon.

Diana, Princess of Wales wearing her yellow gold Tank Française.

Origin

The Tank Française was introduced in 1996, though it was reportedly showcased in Geneva in 1995. Although a relatively new addition to the Tank family, it follows a decades-old trail laid by previous Tank models, but is infused with contemporary twists. The Tank Française sets itself apart with the angular details. While the original Tank has a straightforward case, the Française has lugs with pointed tips, as well as a bracelet with pointed links.

Despite its bolder aesthetic, the Tank Française is not meant to be rugged, as a Cartier should be sophisticated. In fact, the name “Française”, being the feminine singular of the word French, is fitting for the watch as the youthful yet elegant design makes it feel like a casual, chic accessory for ladies, perhaps thanks most to the beautifully designed integrated bracelet. As we will explore later, the Tank Française has garnered a significant following among women.

Distinguishing details

The Cartier Tank Française features a rectangular case with a shorter aspect ratio compared to the original Tank, giving it a squarish, and perhaps more, playful look.

Still, the watch preserves the quintessential Tank case style with the twin linear, parallel bezels, which extend beyond the case and double up as the lugs. These vertical bezels, referred to as brancards by Cartier, resemble the silhouette of a military tank in a bird’s-eye view.

Here the bracards have been playfully recast with angular ends, giving the watch a sporty twist. Interestingly, the end links of the bracelet are also funky; they continue tracing the trajectory of the lugs, and the result is a rectangular watch with a hexagonal flavour.

Each of the individual links of the bracelet echo the case design, which means they have pointy tips as well. Together with the case, the bracelet creates an illusion that the watch is stretching away from two ends. I’ve always thought the Tank Française has a certain cheerfulness that appeals to women, but it was difficult to put the how of it into words. After closer inspection that I came to realise that the pointy design invigorates the static case and makes it appear dynamic, giving it an interesting character that’s different from the original Tank models.

More details

After discussing the main features of the Tank Française, including the sharp lugs and links, let’s explore further details of the watch, including materials, finishing, and movements.

Since its inception, the Française has been available in a variety of materials, including steel, gold, and two-tone combinations of steel and gold. It’s worth noting that the original Française was first released in yellow gold and two-tone in 1996, with the all-steel model following a year later.

While the solid gold version is certainly striking, the steel and two-tone models also possess ample charm. Additionally, the relatively affordability of base metal options makes them accessible to a broader range of audience, particularly younger individuals who are seeking a high-quality luxury watch with a French flair.

In terms of finishing, the case can be found in either all polished or a combination of brushed and polished surfaces. I personally appreciate the version with a brushed bezel, as it gives the watch a relaxed, vintage feel reminiscent of white-metal Tanks on a bracelet.

Movement and complication

When the Française debuted in 1996, it was a full-fledged collection of diverse sizes, materials, and complications. However, over the years, the collection contracted. The original Française was available in several sizes, with the largest being a chronograph and the rest being simple time-only models.

Smaller time-only models were equipped with quartz movements, while the largest time-only model featured an automatic movement, the Cartier 120, which used the ETA 2000 as an ebauche. The ETA 2000 was essentially a smaller ETA 2892 designed for ladies watches, explaining its diameter of 19.4 mm and thickness of 3.6 mm, though it remains practical with a date, hacking seconds, and a power reserve of 40 hours.

But the most interesting version is arguably the chronograph, despite it being a quartz watch. The Française Chronograph has an unusual layout, with twin counters at the bottom of the dial and a date counter at 12 o’clock.

Thanks to the Piaget calibre, the Tank Française Chronograph has an unusual dial layout.

In fact, what makes the Française Chronograph particularly interesting is its movement, the Piaget cal. 212P. It’s a high-end quartz movement that incorporates several unexpected features, including some smart setting functions, a perpetual calendar, as well as a split-seconds chronograph function – qualifying it as a perpetual calendar split-second chronograph.

Setting the cal. 212P can be both confusing and fun, as it includes functions not found in standard quartz chronographs. The cal. 212P has two crown positions, with the first being a quick-set for the hour instead of the date, allowing the hour hand to advance in one-hour increments, and the second being the position to set everything at once. Notably, turning the crown quickly will activate a rapid setting function, where the hands and date advance quickly and automatically, and it only stops when the crown is pushed back in. This can also be done in the backward direction as well, eliminating the inconvenience of setting a date typically associated with a watch with a quick-set hour hand.

The coolest thing about the cal. 212P is the split-seconds chronograph function. Although it lacks the standard twin, co-axial elapsed seconds hands, the split-seconds function can be activated when the chronograph is stopped with the bottom pusher instead of the usual top. This instructs the movement to memorise the elapsed time between two events, and the second reading will be shown when the top pusher is activated again. The execution may not be as elaborate as a mechanical split-seconds watch, but it’s very cool and showcases the compelling side of quartz technology.

Special editions

Yearling

Several distinct versions of the Tank Française have been rolled out over time, and one of the most well-known is the Yearling lineup, with an extra-wide bezel and extra-large case. Once again, two different configurations were available, with the XL model being a time and date and the XXL a chronograph. Both versions were delivered with a leather strap.

The chronograph is notably different from the standard models thanks to the new octagonal chronograph registers as well as a fan-shaped date window, instead of the triple, round sub-dials. A short-livedcollection that’s practically a one-off production, the Yearling was introduced in the early 2000s and was only produced for about a year.

The Cartier Tank Française Yearling

Fun dials

While the Yearling had a standard silver dial that is classic Cartier, other special editions of the Française had playful and chic palettes. Notable examples include a pink mother-of -pearl dial matched with a pink spinel on the crown, and one with an entire landscape turned into a motif created to mark the 160th anniversary of Cartier. Another compelling dial was a chequered board pattern but consisted of unusual elements, namely a mix of Cartier’s logo and diamonds.

With these examples, collectors can appreciate both the overall design of the Française model as well as the finer details of the dial, essentially doubling the fun of owning a Cartier watch.

High jewellery

Also in the vicinity, but certainly out of reach for most of us, are the high-jewellery designs: several Tank Française have been transformed with the addition of precious stones on the dial, case, and even bracelet. These watches offer a concentrated dose of Cartier’s expertise in design and jewellery.

In the high-jewellery versions, the most low-profile are those with only the bezels adorned with shiny stones such as diamonds or sapphires, while the rest of the watch remains stock. A standout in this genre is a yellow gold Française with orange sapphire bezel that bounds a matching champagne dial, creating warm and refreshing. Another noteworthy example is a white gold Française with a diamond bezel and a light grey dial filled with the brand’s name in different fonts.

Image from Christie's

One step up from the ornamented bezel Française are those with both the dial and bezel jewelled, the most interesting version has a dial set with pink sapphires of alternating light and dark hues. The pointed maximalism that reigns among the high-jewellery editions is of course the fully “iced-out” models. Some of the models had smaller, princess-cut diamonds, while others had far larger, square-cut diamonds, evocative of baguette-cut but more unusual.

Image from Christie's

Famous Française

Although it’s not terribly old, the Tank Française has several notable historical owners, including royalty and politicians. Perhaps the most famous owner of the watch is the late Princess Diana, who was often spotted wearing a yellow gold Tank Française on a bracelet. She was seen wearing the watch as early as the late 1990s, indicating that she had owned the watch since the early days of the Tank Française.

It is believed that the Française was eventually inherited by her elder son, Prince William, who later exchanged the watch with a sapphire ring with his younger brother, Harry. These royal heirloom jewellery pieces eventually found their way to the wives of the princes. Meghan Markle was spotted with an all-gold Française several times, including in the latest Harry & Meghan Netflix series. Notably, Meghan also purchased a two-tone Tank Française earlier to mark the completion of the third-season of Suits. She had it engraved with “To MM from MM” on the solid case back.

Finally, the former first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, was seen wearing a Tank Française in her first official photograph in the White House. The photo was taken in 2009 and shows that Mrs. Obama had an all-steel Tank Française to complement her modest, elegant outfit, which included a long, all-black dress and a pearl necklace.

Amidst the many notable Tank watches, some of which have reached the century mark like the Tank Cintree, there lies a treasure trove of lesser-known models waiting to be uncovered by discerning collectors, the Tank Française being a prime example.

Combining a classic Tank design with a modern twist, the Française exudes the revolutionary and timeless essence of Cartier, resulting in an allure that is uniquely its own. The Française is a true representation of Cartier’s ability to reinvent itself while staying true to its heritage.

For those who admire the Tank design but seek something different, something that belongs to our era, the Tank Française is a timepiece to be cherished.

The post The Cartier Tank Française – A Historical Overview appeared first on Revolution Watch.

Touching the Past at WatchBox

Revolution — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 23:50:03 +0000

Wei and Jeremiah pay a visit to WatchBox Singapore’s offices at Liat Towers and discover an unbelievable piece of horological history – one of the 20 “Souscription” Tourbillons that François-Paul Journe created to fund the start of his brand in 1999. François-Paul Journe is probably the greatest watchmaker of this generation. He can be considered the spiritual successor to two horological legends that came before him, Abraham-Louis Breguet and George Daniels, and his body of work closely follows in their footsteps. Join us as we look back in time at the beginnings of François-Paul’s journey to watchmaking’s hall of fame.

The post Touching the Past at WatchBox appeared first on Revolution Watch.

The Longines Serbian (Serbo)

George Pakkos — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 10:00:52 +0000

Amongst some of the most collectible Longines watches are those known as the Serbians, or Serbos as the Italian collectors refer to them. There are two known batches of these watches, and both versions of these watches were given as gifts on behalf of the Serbian king to graduate officers of the military academy or vojna akademija. We can assume that they were on special order by the retailer Milan T Stefanovich to Longines. Stefanovich was the most prominent royal retailer in Belgrade in the early 20th century, selling both jewellery and watches. We believe that they had eight shops in the region and during the 1930s, Stefanovich supplied watches to the military on behalf of the monarchy.

The flagship Mtilan T. Stefanovich store in Belgrade circa 1930

The first batch of watches, with white dials and a large caseback engraving, were given to the 62nd class of the military academy and were all invoiced in September 1937. The second batch, all of which had black dials and a smaller caseback engraving, were given to the 64th class and were all invoiced in September 1939. Both watches have snap-on backs and three-part cases. Materially, the main difference between the two versions are the caseback engravings, the dials and that the watches have different reference numbers (or cliché numbers as they are known at Longines). The early white versions have the reference 3494, with order number 19477.

First- batch white dial caseback

Second-batch caseback

A first-batch Longines Serbian with white dial. Reference 3494, order number 19477, invoiced 11 September 1937 to Stefanovich. The hands are blued steel ‘Feuille’/leaf hands, the case is a great size at 38mm diameter

According to the Longines archives regarding this first batch: “The caseback must be engraved with the Serbian coat of arms for officers, grade and year 1937. The dial must be white with the name Stefanovich and Belgrade in Cyrillic and the coat of arms.” The year 1937 would have been when the officer graduated from the academy. At the top, it says “Protect Yugoslavia”. At the bottom, it says “class 62”. These details from the archives regarding the casebacks lead me to believe that the caseback engraving was most likely done in-house by Longines rather than at the retailer Stefanovich. Both versions have fixed lug bars.

The later, second batch, black versions have the reference 2326. Longines’ archives states: “I can confirm the order number 20652. The name of Stefanovich and the emblem are on the black dial (in Cyrillic). There also is the engraving on the caseback of a ‘military coat of arms’. At the bottom, ‘class 64’.” As stated, the caseback has the symbol of Yugoslavia, a coat of arms first used by the Royal House of Karađorđević, which Serbia, along with Croatia and Slovenia, were part of during the period.

Second-batch black dial case back

Reference 2326

For some context, here is a brief history of the region prior to the existence of these wristwatches. The Kingdom of Serbia went through quite a few changes during the early period of the 20th century. Most notably, at the end of World War I (November 1918), Serbia united with Vojvodina and the Kingdom of Montenegro. Then a month later, Serbia merged with the newly created state of Slovenes and Croats, which in turn eventually became known as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929.

Fast forward to 1939 and the arrival of World War II. Yugoslavia was surrounded by countries that had become allies with the Nazis. Prince Paul, who was temporary King Regent, decided to enter into a non-aggression pact with Germany. This did not bode well with the people of Serbia or the future King Peter II. As a result, there were riots and, eventually, a coup supported by the British. Following these events, King Peter II was proclaimed of age, and Prince Paul’s regency was ended. There was a deep sense of pride and national unity in Serbia at the time, but they were forced to surrender to the Nazis on April 17, 1941.

The dials

On the dial, the coat of arms, the Saint Lazarus emblem and retailer signature “Milan T. Stefanovich Beograd” are placed directly under the Longines font in Cyrillic, hence the nickname “The Serbian” or “Serbo”. Both the black and white dials were made by dial maker Flückiger & Fils for Longines. Both were located in Saint-Imier, and Flückiger & Fils was one of the most prominent dial makers along with Stern Frères in Geneva. The typography on both the white and black dials was also used in other time-only Longines pieces from the period.

The coat of arms and Longines with retailer Milan T.Stefanovich Belgrade

As previously stated, these watches were gifts awarded to the lieutenants who finished the military academy top of the class. The second batch with black dials have a serial range of 5,7xx,xxx, with case size 37.5mm. The white dial versions, the first batch, have a serial range of 3,3xx,xxx, with case size 38mm. The earlier white dial version also has a faceted bezel as opposed to the flat bezel on the later black version. A combination of a large case at 37.5mm, coin edge flat bezel, military connection, a very distinctive dial with the coat of arms and retailer signature, along with the caseback engraving, makes the Serbo a very desirable and interesting watch for collectors. Interestingly, most of the examples that have appeared seem to have aged in a similar fashion. Most have an almost puffy-looking patina, as can be seen in the various pictures of the watch in this article. This is probably due to the process of how these galvanised dials were originally made and in turn have aged and, in my view, adds to the charm of the watch.

The movement

The calibre 15.26 was first produced in 1911, it’s a 15½ ligne movement with a “hunter lever winding mechanism”, more or less it used the same ébauche as the calibres 15.25, 14.25, 17.26 and 21.25. Many have suggested that this was in order to retain the production costs and this was a goal regarding production of the movements in the early 20th century. But it should be emphasised that by 1937, these “old” calibres represented just 10 percent of production and were generally used mainly for special order watches, as the costs of finishing the movements were higher than that of making the new calibres. The 15.26 proved to be a sturdy calibre and, as a result, was used in other military Longines from the period, most notably the “Tartaruga” (ref. 3582). The movement proved reliable. It was gilt-finished, 34.7mm in diameter and 5.65mm in height, with a bi- metallic balance and steel Breguet overcoil.

A nice pocket watch reference 3450 invoiced in April 1936

George’s find

I was lucky enough to find a wonderful example of a second batch watch with black galvanic dial, coat of arms on the dial and Yugoslavian crest on the caseback. The caseback engraving is very clear and shows no sign of previously being polished (often, the case with some of these watches is that the engraving would be faded or polished off completely). It didn’t have the correct crown when I found it, but I was very lucky to get one straight out of Longines’ drawers on a recent trip to Saint-Imier.

Here is the official information from the Longines archives on the watch: “The original serial number 5,778,665 identifies a wristwatch in stainless steel bearing the reference 2326 (this is also known as the cliché). It is fitted with a Longines manually wound mechanical movement, calibre 15.26, and was invoiced on 15 Sep 1939 to the company Stefanovich Milan T, which was at that time our agent in Belgrade. Also from the archives, I can confirm the order number 20652. The name of Stefanovich and the emblem are on the black dial (in Cyrillic). There also is the engraving on the caseback of a ‘military coat of arms’.”

Reference 2326

In recent years, a number of other examples of Stefanovich retailer stamped watches have come to light, and not just Longines, although the Longines versions are undoubtedly among the most collectible. We have also seen pieces from some other brands as well, including Rolex, Leonidas, Pavel Bure, Marvin, Laco, Silvana and earlier railroad pocket watches. Many of these watches have the coat of arms on the dials, casebacks, inner case and, sometimes, even stamped on the movements. My passion is Longines, however, and I am fascinated by the details of these very rare and interesting military watches, and I hope you are now too!

Credits and thanks

I would like to thank all of my friends who have helped me with the research for this watch especially:
• Jennifer Bochud, friend and Longines Museum curator;
• Srdjan, friend and top collector and authority on Stefanovich watches based in Belgrade;
• Oliver Hartmann, friend and great collector of Stefanovich watches, based in Colonge Germany;
• Big thanks to my dear friend Roberto Randazzo supplying the majority of the images.

The post The Longines Serbian (Serbo) appeared first on Revolution Watch.

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Origin

Distinguishing details

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Movement and complication

Special editions

Yearling

Fun dials

High jewellery

Famous Française

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The Longines Serbian (Serbo)

The dials

The movement

George’s find

Credits and thanks

Vintage Archives - Revolution Watch

Early Passion, Long Journey: The search for a 1994 Lange 1

Early Passion, Long Journey: The search for a 1994 Lange 1

Rebirth in Dresden, Germany

The underrated early Lange 1

My love affair with the early Lange 1

Delving Into the dial

The case and movement

That moment in time

A 20-year quest ends in success

Early Lange 1 Model Numbers

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eBay’s National Watch Day highlights timeless, historical watches

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READ THIS NEXT

Christie’s Rare Watches Auction with Remi Guillemin

The Cartier Tank Française – A Historical Overview

Origin

Distinguishing details

More details

Movement and complication

Special editions

Yearling

Fun dials

High jewellery

Famous Française

Touching the Past at WatchBox

The Longines Serbian (Serbo)

The dials

The movement

George’s find

Credits and thanks