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Lange vs Patek comparison
Yet more of this most excellent watch, the first gen DS, reportedly the best finishing Lange has ever done, and compared to the Patek 5170p.
This was another exercise done for a watch group I recently joined, I do hope you enjoy and would very much appreciate your thoughts and comments on what you see.
Will post the images as replies to prevent overloading the post...
This was another exercise done for a watch group I recently joined, I do hope you enjoy and would very much appreciate your thoughts and comments on what you see.
Will post the images as replies to prevent overloading the post...
Just wonderful to see these two compared to one another, thank you for posting this.
Both are absolutely wonderful and unique in their own way. I have to admit, while I find the Lange to be a more pleasing view primarily due to the use of German silver and the hand engraved balance cock, beyond that I'm in the camp that says the two are fairly similarly finished. That is to say I don't think one blows the other out of the water here, both are very well finished. With all that said my personal taste has always favored Lange over PP ever since I got into watches, so there's no doubt in my mind which one I'd enjoy owning more.
Thx for pics. Not surprised tho.
Yes, makes sense why great craftspeople are starting / joining 'smaller' independents. It truly does bring joy that impressively talented parts and watchmakers are now able to produce the quality they know is possible beyond typical 'corporate standards'.
Kari's upcoming releases should be crazy great I bet!
Amazing comparison pics, thank you! I'm still taking it all in but wondering, would a Datograph be finished to finished to a lesser level? A 5370 to a higher level?
Both are excellent! But keep in mind of the material differences!
Keep in mind, Lange movement parts are made of German Silver which is a material where a higher polish is able to be achieved, compared to the rhodium plated brass movement parts that Geneve style manufacturers use. Thus, a comparison between the two isn't entirely fair, as German Silver will generally "look better" to most eyes. It's not necessarily indicative that the team at Patek Philippe has less skill or spends less time on the equivalent polish process of that specific part.
Can't agree with you more, Patrick. Also to consider is the thickness of the bridges and parts.
Yes! You're right!
The thickness gives a special rigidity among other things. Finishing ultra-thin movement parts is exceptionally difficult, as the parts are so thin that you don't want to damage them or distort them while finishing them. Neither of these are ultra-thin movements, but thickness still plays a part.
I love (and own) both brands, and these chronos are both beautiful. In this comparison, Lange wins hands down.
But a fairer comparison would probably be 5170 vs 2nd Gen 1815 chrono. Introduced around the same time and same level of complications.
+1. The 5170 vs 1815 Chronograph would be a fairer comparison, but the Lange would still win.
Lange is a class of its own. They produce roughly 5000 pieces with a high degree of manual work. Patek 10 times more in a far more automated way.
i hadn't realized how patek so often avoids sharp inward angles until you all educated me on it
Vacheron is currently better it appears in an apples to apples comparison. Lange is of course a wonderful "orange."
there aren't many - but at least they are there
i count 2 or 4 on the lange depending on how you count.
The way Patek avoids having those sharp inward chamfers is really blatant too...
And it's not like it's a recent practice. But their most recent movements are especially egregious; see pics attached. The 31-260 is incredibly cheesy in its execution of avoiding as much as possible having internal anglage, to the point it feels like they're just taking the piss:
Such a shame when something is supposed to represent the platonic ideal
It makes you wonder how much theyre able to automate in the new facilities they’ve built.
Patek is nice but The Lange is on another level
Also, I don’t understand why Patek puts a cap on the column wheel. It’s one of the most fascinating parts of the movement. Why cover it? The cap looks like something unappealing is being hidden and there’s nothing attractive or interesting about it.
Because column wheels cannot be properly finished (the reason, previously explained, eludes me). Look at the rough surfaces of the Lange column wheels. Not pretty. In contrast, the Patek column wheel cap is nicely decorated with black polish and anglage.
If I'm recalling correctly, it's a historical artifact -- one of the requirements for the Geneva Seal
Something about column wheels having to be capped or nicely decorated in some manner, not simply left unadorned. Vacheron Constantin's chronograph column wheels aren't capped like Patek's are, yet have the Geneva Seal, though, so I'm sure there's something to do with the way the requirement for the certification is stated and interpreted. I don't remember.
Vacheron does a nice job these days utilizing their Maltese cross motif as a design for the column wheel
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Just going to throw this out there: don't see what you guys are seeing
It seems to be the internet-wide default position that Lange finishing is better than Patek's. Maybe true, maybe not. However, when I look at photos like these, I don't see any observable difference in finishing quality. Yes, the style is very different, but I don't see any evidence that execution is finer in one case over another. Would anyone mind pointing out exactly what they mean as an example of the Lange being better finished?
As a separate but related matter: note that neither movement shows many inward angles, with many plates shaped and rounded-off specifically to avoid them. Patek gets knocked for this all the time, but other large makers like Lange and VC have similar practices.
the position that Lange is better finished than Patek (at this price point) is based on a number of factors but one such example is
the position that Lange is better finished than Patek (at this price point) is based on a number of factors but one such example is Philippe Dufour asserting Lange was the best finished production watches (or some such).
I also personally see the anglage more uniformly applied.
Sub 300K USD pieces, I see Patek as more than sufficient for its general pedigree and prestige - but you wouldn't buy based on the finishing as the primary decision driver.
I also personally see the anglage more uniformly applied.
Sub 300K USD pieces, I see Patek as more than sufficient for its general pedigree and prestige - but you wouldn't buy based on the finishing as the primary decision driver.