This was, and is, less important than the fact that it’s a statement about Lange’s philosophy, which is not just about pure technical superiority, but also about a kind of theater of tradition, and the elevation of tradition to a way to connect with the history of both Saxon watchmaking in particular, and watchmaking in general. Miniaturizing the fusée and chain for a wristwatch means making a very minute, very strong (for its size) chain, and also miniaturizing the mechanism inside the fusee that keeps power flowing to the balance even while the watch is being wound. (Remember, a fusée chain is wound onto the fusée when you wind the watch, and unwound off the fusée onto the mainspring barrel during winding). So-called “maintaining power” was invented by John Harrison, and the much tinier descendant of this invention is inside the fusée cone of all Pour le Mérite watches.
Introducing The A. Lange & Söhne Tourbograph Perpetual ‘Pour Le Mérite,’ The First Lange PLM With A Perpetual Calendar
