Lang & Heyne and Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo and The Lavish Attic
LANG & HEYNE
Lang & Heyne was founded in the historical German city of Dresden in 2001, guided by the philosophy of creating hand-made timepieces of the highest quality in the purest of Saxon tradition. With an estimated output of no more than 80 timepieces a year, Lange & Henye creates exclusive and innovative timepieces for watch aficionados.
LANG & HEYNE stands for perfect craftsmanship - honest handmade watches of the highest quality, created in small exclusive series. For the very first time in its history, LANG & HEYNE has developed and manufactured a unique timepiece in collaboration with PHILLIPS and long-term partner THE LAVISH ATTIC.
The FRIEDRICH II - Remontoir 'Prototype 00' movement has challenged the master watchmakers of LANG & HEYNE in many ways, requiring a complete rethinking of traditional movement-crafting skills, including the intricate remontoir complication, to achieve the brand's high standards.
Friedrich II Remontoir Prototype 00 - LOT 933
The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XIV Hong Watch 27-28 May 2022
Manufacturer: Lang & Heyne
Year: Circa 2021
Movement No: Prototype 00
Model Name: Friedrich II Remontoir Prototype 00 – Unique Piece
Material: Stainless Steel
Calibre: Manual, cal. V-I, 24 jewels, 1 brilliant
Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Lang & Heyne bracelet, max length 190mm
Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Lang & Heyne concealed folding clasp
Dimensions: 39mm diameter
Signed: Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed
Accessories: Accompanied by Lang & Heyne certificate & rating report, portfolio, instruction manual, product literature, framed Remontoir artwork, fitted presentation box and outer packaging
THE REMONTOIR
Lang & Heyne developed an entirely new movement in-house for this special project, choosing their exquisite Friedrich II as the model. It is for the first time, Lang & Heyne integrated a Remontoir mechanism into the movement, but with a slight twist, using titanium as the base material. This costly but durable material has been a popular choice of material for watch cases for a long time due to its skin-friendly characteristic - it has no allergenic effects upon skin contact.
THE MOVEMENT IN TITANIUM
Unheard of until now is movement made in titanium, a material which is hard to manufacture and process due to its hardness and other interesting properties that tend to prevent manufacturers from considering it as movement-material. With their brilliant team of watchmakers, the independent German manufacture was able to take on this challenge and create a movement almost entirely made out of titanium. Aware that the thermal conductivity is poor, which makes mechanical processing more difficult, the matte finish of the main plate was achieved by blasting the graining with ceramic beads. The polishing of the main plate, trigonal bridge, lever bridge, and balance cock are done laboriously by hand with wood and polishing paste.
The result was an impressive movement both technically and aesthetically. One will be greeted by a warm greyish, sandblasted finishing, which contrasts nicely with purple screws that achieve their beautiful color by being heated at a precise temperature. The movement is further enhanced with a tasteful engraving of ‘Prototype 00’ on the baseplate.
THE DIAL & BRACELET
The allure of Friedrich II Remontoir ‘Prototype’ model is in its subtlety. If the dial is the face of the watch, the black enamel dial and Arabic numerals are the features that give depth to its personality. The minimalistic appearance symbolizes the amusement of simplicity, without sacrificing exclusive details. Noticeably, the high-quality index 00 and second indexes are in red rhombi filled by hand with superluminova, a non-radioactive and nontoxic afterglow pigment used for illuminating markings on watch dials.
Topping it off, the bracelet was exclusively designed and produced in stainless steel for this unique piece. It is made of Milanese wrap knitted fabric and the length of the bracelet can be adjusted by the screws, which can be removed individually. The timepiece is alluring and captivating thanks to its complex mechanism, serene black enamel dial, and the innovative use of titanium for its movement (which was undeniably a quantum leap for the brand).
Phillips is honoured to present this sophisticated design and unique timepiece for the first time. Offers an enormous combination of breakthroughs for any discerning collector.