Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The New Lang & Heyne Friedrich III Manufaktur Edition
Fusing classical Saxon watchmaking codes with baroque details and a hunter caseback.
The German house of Lang & Heyne has long been an advocate of the highest levels of traditional watchmaking, proudly showcasing not only the manufacture’s capabilities in every single watch, but also the refined Saxon style of watchmaking as a whole. The levels of finishing are among the very best in the industry, often mixing highly classical design codes with subtle contemporary touches here or there. Steeped in tradition, there’s no difference in the attention to detail poured into the simplest or the most complex watches. New to the collection is the Friedrich III Manufaktur Edition, a rather fine iteration of one of the brand’s most elegant dress watches.
The case is virtually identical to the Friedrich III we already know, with one major exception around the back. It’s elegantly proportioned, at 39.2mm in diameter and 10.65mm in height, and of course comes with the signature triple lug design. That makes it marginally thicker, which is due to the hunter-style caseback covering the movement, which we’ve not seen before. Crafted in steel, it’s fully polished and has a guarded onion-style crown with a black onyx cabochon on the right.
The two-part dial is crafted from white gold and features deep black champlevé enamel for a striking finish. The Roman numerals are intersected by finely printed lines and accompanied by diamond-shaped markers on the outer edge. One step further out, we find a polished rehaut, a first for Lang & Heyne. The sunken small seconds display has a similar minimalist sectored design. What stands out are the stainless steel Louis XV hands, which are entirely handcrafted. It might not be to everyone’s liking, but the craftsmanship is undeniable!
Hidden underneath that neat hunter-style hinged caseback, mirror-polished on the inside, is the in-house manually wound calibre VI. The rhodium-plated movement adheres to the typical Saxon codes in terms of construction and finishing, with solid gold gears, a hand-engraved balance cock, a diamond over the balance staff, transparent jewels, heat-annealed violet screws, gold chatons and various types of brushing. But it’s not all old school, as it incorporates an anti-magnetic, low-wear AMAflex escapement and an Ecobrass mainspring barrel. It beats at 18,000vph and can hold up to 55 hours of power reserve.
The Lang & Heyne Friedrich III Manufaktur Edition is limited to just five pieces and comes on a black alligator leather strap with a shark leather lining. You have the option of a stainless steel pin buckle or a folding clasp, and the price is set at EUR 50,000 excluding VAT.
For more information, please visit Lang-und-Heyne.de.
