A. Lange & Söhne

linusm
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Musings on two nice timepieces

Some months ago I asked forum members to help me with a problem I was having with my Datograph. I just got it back from Alkis after a complete overhaul (not inexpensive) and it looks like new now. Time will tell if it runs like new as well but I have no doubt it will. Over the years I have owned a few nice timepieces and now have only these two in my possession. Both are about 4-5 years old and I thoroughly enjoy both of them - I wear one or the other every day. I have a tiny wrist (6.5 inches) so I am limited as to the size of the watch I wear but here is what I have experienced.

The PP 5059 keeps phenomenal time and I would say it is more accurate than the Dato, though the Dato is no slouch. The 5059 also sits better on my wrist as it is smaller and somewhat more comfortable. It therefore sees more wrist time. It is also more unobtrusive, likely because of its size and unless I put it in a lock box, I never have to reset the time or date. The winder takes care of all that. I am finding that I actually make use of the functions, particularly the date and day. Nice feature as I get older. Talking about age, the PP is definitely harder to read and I have taken to wearing progressive eyeglasses to be able to read the time. My distance vision is fine but I'd have to hold the watch 5 feet away to read it - those apelike arms would have come in handy. I rarely look at the movement because of the hinged cover but there isn't that much to look at anyway. It does not "need" servicing yet but i suspect it will need to be sent in in the next year or so. I don't look forward to the expense as I am sure it will make me cringe.

The Dato has more heft and I still get a kick out of staring at the movement often. I wish had the photography skills of some on this forum as I would spend some time photographing this movement as well. I find that I often forget to wind it because I use the 5059 which has an automatic movement. But there is a sense of the good old days when I do wind it and it reminds me of my Dad winding his Omega. The date on the Dato is a real boon and easy to read. No eyeglasses necessary to read the time or the date on the Dato. It is much more fun handling the Dato off-wrist in comparison to the PP. In terms of quality of build, the PP seems to be more delicate and the Dato definitely gives the aura of being much sturdier. If i were lounging around looking at a watch and its movement, it would be the Dato.

Both are beautifully built and there is little to the naked eye that would say one is better than the other in this respect. I find I have a far greater tendency to accidentally bang the Dato around as compared to the 5059, largely because of its size. I think I will spring for a daily beater soon but it really is hard to stop wearing these two - they are built to be worn. Just thought I'd say my little bit about these two as I finally got around to photographing them with my little Sony camera. Some day I will learn to take professional photos but here they are anyway.