Richard Lange 'Referenzuhr'

With its ZERO-RESTART function, an innovative seconds hand resetting mechanism, the limited-edition RICHARD LANGE “Referenzuhr” enriches the line of observation watches dedicated entirely to precise time measurement. Just like its famous namesake, the RICHARD LANGE watch family is fully devoted to the scientific facets of horology with a focus on the utmost degree of precision. It has its origins in the understanding that the accuracy of a timepiece reflects the competence of the master. At A. Lange & Söhne, this insight dates back far into the 19th century. With its resettable subsidiary seconds, the RICHARD LANGE “Referenzuhr” continues this tradition. The actuation of a push piece above the crown causes its seconds hand to jump to zero and wait there as long as the push piece is depressed. During that time, a vertical disc clutch assures that the ongoing measurement of time is not interrupted – the movement keeps running. When the push piece is released, the seconds hand restarts instantaneously.  

This ZERO-RESTART function is very useful for stopping events of short durations. It is also ideal for synchronising watches and clocks at different locations: the actuation of the push piece synchronises the seconds hand of the instrument with that of a refer- ence clock exactly when its hand passes the 60-seconds mark (“zero”). This action “stores” the time of the reference clock and allows it to be transferred to other time-keeping instruments. The RICHARD LANGE “Referenzuhr” pays homage to a strong-hold of time measurement that played in important role in 19th-century Dresden: the timekeeping service of the Mathematics and Physics Salon. As the “keeper of time”, this scientific institution was responsible for precisely determining the local time and making it available to the city’s population. So in a sense, it was the predecessor of present-day atomic clocks and time signal transmitters. But in those days, the correct time had to be calculated on the basis of astronomical observations. The result was then transferred to a high-precision pendulum clock in the salon. Thereafter, this refer- ence time was saved with especially accurate pocket chronometers and then “carried” to the public clocks. It was also communicated to persons and authorities who needed to know the precise time. Subscribers of the timekeeping service included astronomers and watchmakers as well as officials of the nascent railway system.  

With its off-centre subsidiary seconds, the dial of the RICHARD LANGE “Referenzuhr” is reminiscent of a historic precursor made in 1811 – a pocket chronometer known to have been used for synchronisation purposes by the timekeeping service. It was crafted by Johann Heinrich Seyffert who did more to promote precision horology in Dresden than any other watchmaker. His most prominent customer, naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt, purchased one of Seyffert’s chronometers for his now acclaimed Latin American expedition.  

The RICHARD LANGE “Referenzuhr” features a large balance wheel with eccentric poising weights and a Lange balance spring developed and manufactured in-house. Beating at a frequency of six semi-oscillations per second, it delivers the precision that can be legitimately expected of an instrument designed to serve the sciences. A glance through the sapphire-crystal caseback is a feast for the eyes of those who delight in technical finesse: both the ZERO-RESTART lever mechanism and the winding train are visibly arranged above the three-quarter plate. The strictly limited edition – 50 watches in platinum and 75 in pink gold – underscores the exclusivity of this coveted collector’s item.