Horological Meandering

Hi

tobias,

It depends on which criteria that you wish to compare.

Accuracy, Precision, Finishing, Robustness, Reliability, Thin-ness, Power Reserve, Production History etc.

 

A.Lange & Soehne (ALS) make all their own movements in small quantities and finish them to the highest quality. That is why they can be seen through the sapphire case back. Some even say they are "over-finished"   Their balance cocks are hand engraved and the individual crafts-person can be identified by their style. Even though the revived ALS is only 17 years old, the brand has roots dating back to 1815. They have always made their own movements.

 

Cartier is an old House originally purveyors of jewellery but later, also for clocks and watches. The watches are of exquisite beauty on the outside with or without gems. Many of the classic watch shapes can be found in Louis Cartier's old sketch-book. They used fine quality movements from outside suppliers e.g. EWC (Jaeger), F.Piguet, Piaget, C.Claret, Reynaud & Papi (AP), etc over the years. In the 20th century, the movements were marked with the supplier's names but in the last 20 years, they are decorated by Cartier and marked with their 'MC' movement reference numbers e.g. MC430. With their new massive factory (1000+ employees), Cartier now make their own movement - Calibre Cartier...yay!   By traditional definition, they are a Manufacture. For their top end watches, they also have complicated movements designed and developed by Cartier.

 

Specifically, for the two watches that you asked about, that Cartier is fitted with a nice movement based on a Frederic Piguet caliber that you cannot see behind a solid metal caseback. The point of the Ballon Bleu is the beauty of its case and not the finishing of the movement.

 

The ALS, conversely, has a beautiful hand finished movement of the highest quality and surprisingly in a (for them) thin...er.....thinner case 

German-silver three-quarter plate, Glashütte ribbing, chamfered polished edges, gold chatons, heat treated blued screws, sunray finish on wheels, indexless regulation system with the signature "free-hand" engraving on the balance cock.

 

I cannot comment on the technical details like positional accuracy, precision, and reliability as we are not privy to those after-sales information. Every watch is different based on individual adjustment.  Well adjusted, both movements can perform well.

 

So, there is your choice:  mostly based on the beauty/flatness of the outside case for the Cartier. 

If you prefer the ALS style of case and/or beauty of their movement, they give you the option to enjoy both.

 

Regards,

MTF

 

  This message has been edited by MTF on 2011-11-10 01:21:59

I am very fond of the Cartier design but am not sure how it would hold up in the "Watch World" and what the branding and marketing is aiming for.

in the Richemont Group so even if they claim to do things separately in separate countries, since all the sister brands have to make an annual pre-SIHH 'show and tell' to top management of all brands, the products are likely to be the "best they can do at the time".....about the same quality for the same price point.  The two watches you specified are at different price points.

Generally, you get what you pay for in luxury world (and I don't want to start another 'value for money' debate) so bear in mind the price difference between the products you are choosing from.

Regards,

MTF

Can you expand a bit?  Which criteria are you judgining it by?

In the recent Chronometrie 2011 competition, in the non-tourbillion category, the #1 was a $450 production watch, way ahead of the #2 (a $37k watch with a movement "in a different league"), and a $75k watch that also "in a different league" failed.

nick

see my comments in the post above - the question was more a perception question - I never had Cartier "up there" with the top brands but was really quite smitten by the Ballon Bleu when I saw it live 

I just read the reply, "where MTF mentioned;