Welcome to Watch Guy Watches, GQ’s monthly curation of high-end timepieces for the true watch nerds among us. This July, Blancpain adds a super high-tech diver to its regular lineup, Chopard hits us with a gorgeous anniversary edition, Parmigiani Fleurier stuns with a beautiful “sandstone” dial, and Lange’s Zeitwerk date gets a pink gold and grey makeover.
For true watch guys, a new release from German brand A. Lange & Söhne can make any day feel like a holiday. Since its revival in 1994, the brand has carved out its own path with pocket watch-inspired cases, jumping numerical displays, elegant typeface, superbly finished movements, and nods to their native Germany (most notably in the big date display inspired by the clock at the Semper Opera House.) 2009 was another major year for Lange—it’s when the manufacturer rolled out the Zeitwerk, which is now well known for its “digital” time readout, large power reserve indicator, and running seconds subdial. Over the years, Lange has added more mechanical wizardry to the Zeitwerk and experimented with some radical aesthetic executions, like the glowing Lumen Honeygold variation. Lange continues that tradition with another handsome brand-new version of the Zeitwerk.
In 2019, Lange followed up the original Zeitwerk with the Zeitwerk Date, which added an outer track on the dial containing a month’s worth of indices. As the month progresses, a colored segment fitted to a ring beneath this track illuminates the given day of the month in red. And while on a smaller watch, this system might’ve caused dial crowding, the Zeitwerk Date’s larger 44.2-mm white gold case provided plenty of real estate to house both the display and the complicated mechanics necessary to power the complication.
For 2025, Lange has iterated upon the 2019 version with a new execution in pink gold. And while 44.2 mm might seem large for a dress watch in precious metal, a case height of 12.3mm keeps things manageable, if not svelte. And once you flip the watch over to check out the hand-wound caliber L043.8 via the sapphire caseback, you’ll undoubtedly be more understanding: Consisting of 516 components and 70 jewels, the 37-mm-wide movement Lange’s signature three-quarter plate manufactured from German silver, a hand-engraved balance cock, a constant-force escapement, and mesmerizing hand finishing.
Adjusted to five positions, this engine controls the watch’s readout, which is machined from silver and finished in grey: The time is indicated via a jumping hour display at 9 o’clock and a jumping minutes display at 3 o’clock, the latter of which switches its numerical discs 1,440 times per day. The outer date display, meanwhile, switches over precisely at midnight, while the “UP/DOWN” power reserve indicator below 12 o’clock displays 72 hours’ worth of running time when the watch is fully wound. Finally, the look is completed by a large running seconds display above 6 o’clock.
