PeterCDE
10167
In general, yes
Hi Edwin,
it´s really a surprise!
Maybe not so much the fact there are two different systems in the same base movement.
This may go back to "updates"; Lange, as much as every genuine manufacture, does keep a close eye on possible improvements and "real life" experience. Thus i´d not be surprised to see movements undergo changes after initial release. That´s usual practice and i´d guess for the most time we will not even notice.
KIF and Incabloc are quite similar, but the springs/mountings can´t be exchanged easily once installed.
Both are very well established (KIF was and still is in use by f.e. Rolex and JLC, Incabloc by most) and did proof to be highly functional over the past 70 years. This makes me believe Lange does not prefer one of the constructions, but more the specific application for the balance/hairspring/escapement it is fitted to. Simply put, i´d guess for the specific movement one may offer advantages, while the other may do better with a different movement.
And this may have changed once there´s a fact base due to the watches coming back to Lange for service after years of daily rides. In fact i´d expect Lange to look for possible improvements and this may have caused some changes for the production.
But there may be a very simple reason as well.
As with ANY watch part not produced in-house, it needs to order such things LONG time in advance.
Frankly i can´t refer to KIF and Incabloc, but for many (most) parts suppliers now are proposing delivery times/wait lists of more than a year. And Lange can´t do them on their own, because even shock protection devices tailored to custom-orders based on movement specifics remain to be patented constructions of the supplier.
Naturally big quantities come first, which is an aspect where Lange probably can´t score that much - imagine the some hundred or few thousands of KIF pieces needed and Rolex submitting an order 100 times larger in quantity. So possible delays may be a reason to choose one or the other before having piles of incomplete pieces in the production.
Definetely Lange is not alone here. All brands (at least all brands entertaining a noteworthy production of some kind) have to face this these days. It is basically the same situation with every single watch component supplied by others, just ordering times differ and can be a lot longer.
Looking through the line-up, i´m a bit under the impression there´s a preference
- for Incabloc springs for use in free-sprung watches (Datograph, Double Split, Richard Lange)
- for KIF springs for use in regulator-fitted watches (basically, all other than above).
But there may be a different reason and hopefully there´s more input shortly.
Cheers,
Peter
Edwin´s observations on shock resistance
