A. LANGE & SÖHNE ZEITWERK
While it might be a bit late to focus on jumping hour functions, let’s take a look at the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk watch, a quintessential example of a modern jumping hour “digital” wristwatch. Ferdinand Adolph Lange founded this German brand in 1845, but the factory was completely destroyed and closed during World War II. The founder’s great-grandson, Walter Lange, revived the brand in 1994, launching four haute horlogerie pieces, including the Lange 1 and Saxonia. Zeitwerk watches didn’t debut until 2009, but their iconic horizontal pointer/numerical combination has made them a classic of the brand. Today, Zeitwerk watches are available in various styles, such as time-only displays (all models feature a power reserve indicator), peripheral date displays, and dial-side minute repeaters. All models use the same horizontal window layout: the left side displays the jumping hour, and the right side displays the minutes. Like the IWC Pallweber, the minute display is achieved through two discs, but its horizontal layout mimics modern LCD digital watches, unlike the traditional vertical Pallweber.
Models such as the honey gold “Lumen” (model 142.055) feature a sapphire crystal dial that clearly displays the entire disc structure beneath. The constant force escapement (constant force escapement) is equipped with a second mainspring (replenished by the mainspring), maintaining a stable energy output regardless of the mainspring’s winding state and periodically releasing energy. It drives the discs to rotate instantaneously while protecting/isolating the balance wheel from the energy shock required to drive the discs. The winged regulator absorbs this energy, acting as a buffer to keep the disc’s “braking” action smooth. Like IWC, this watch features a small seconds dial with traditional hands at 6 o’clock and a power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock. Adhering to the tradition of A. Lange & Söhne, the movement’s hand-finishing is superb; if it weren’t a German watchmaker, it might even deserve the Geneva Seal (Poinçon de Genève)!
The Zeitwerk isn’t the only watch with a horizontal mechanical digital display, but it is one of the very few, and also the most famous. The De Grisogono Meccanico DG is more like an electronic digital watch, featuring a traditional dial and hour hand, and offering a dual time zone display (it was also the first mechanical watch to simultaneously feature a traditional dial and a digital dial). The watch’s digital display is composed of micro-segments, with an extremely complex structure; the movement contains over 650 parts, operated synchronously by 23 cams and gears. All these exquisite details naturally come with its high price tag; this watch was launched in 2008 to celebrate the brand’s 15th anniversary.
Modern Jumping Hour Displays
Today, jumping hour watches are ubiquitous, and brands are countless. To keep this article concise, we’ll only introduce a few of the more interesting and easy-to-understand models. The independent Swiss brand Hautlence, founded in 2004, has never disappointed with its distinctive dial designs. The Sphere Series 1 (model BA80-ST00), following the limited-edition HL Sphere 01 in 2019, is another masterpiece. It uses a three-dimensional sphere on the left side instead of a flat disc to achieve jumping hours, a true marvel of watchmaking craftsmanship. Four beveled gears drive the jumping sphere to rotate along three axes, instantly jumping to the next hour. This reminds me of the old IBM Selectric typewriter, whose spherical “typeballs” could instantly jump to the correct letter, replacing traditional rows of text. The right side of the dial features a retrograde minute display, thus presenting two different display modes simultaneously.
The Czapek Time Jumper is another distinctive timepiece, despite its relatively simple structure. It features a central double-disc jumping hour display, below which is a narrow, curved minute display window. These windows are concealed within a beautifully guilloché case back, which opens like a hunter’s watch to reveal its inner workings. While the Swiss watchmaker Czapek was founded in the mid-19th century, its modern version was born in 2012. The Time Jumper’s design is undeniably futuristic, and even compared to the Hautlence, its clean lines transcend the limitations of traditional watches. https://thepincodeindia.com/
