Happy Birthday! Four Anniversaries In Watchmaking
2019 is a special year for quite a few brands, as it marks for them important events in their history. For some, it was the launch of an iconic model or important movement, while for others it was an event at which one of their watches became legendary. That makes it that these four brands have something to celebrate:
A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1
Twenty-five years ago A. Lange & Söhne launched the Lange 1. With its asymmetrical dial lay-out and powered by an exceptional movement, in which the glory days of German watchmaking was revived, it quickly became one of the high-end watches you simply got to have. The brand is celebrating the anniversary by bringing out ten special editions, each highlighting a specific version of the model. All feature a white gold case and a silver dial on which blued hands are matched by the deep blue print . It is a subtle way to celebrate, yet therefor so fitting for one of the pinnacles of German watchmaking.
Zenith El Primero
The El Primero was launched in 1969 as the first Swiss-made automatic chronograph movement. Its development started as early as 1962, and what makes the El Primero so special is that it is a fully integrated chronograph with a column wheel as aswell as a date function. It is also a so-called ‘high-frequency’ movement, as it beats at 36,000 vibrations per hour, which allows the chronograph to measure the passing of time with a 1/10th of a second interval. Today the legend of the El Primero lives on stronger than ever, as Zenith continues to develop the movement further, often adding exciting complications, or do precisely the opposite and present it in its purest form.
Omega Speedmaster Professional
This year it is also fifty years ago since humankind set foot on the moon. An important event in general, yet especially for Omega, who provided NASA with Speedmasters for all their manned space missions. While it was Neil Armstrong who first set foot on the moon, he was not wearing his Speedmaster. That watch was left behind in the moon lander where it replaced a malfunctioning electric timer. So it was Buzz Aldrin who was the first man to set foot on the moon with a watch around his wrist. Omega has highlighted its legacy in space exploration over the years by releasing various limited editions, and this time they do that with the Speedmaster Apollo 11 Moonshine™ Gold 50th Anniversary Limited Edition. It takes after the gold Speedmaster that the brand launched in 1969 to celebrate the success of the mission, yet in an updated form.
TAG Heuer Monaco
In 1969 did Jack Heuer introduce the Monaco with its distinct square case. It was a very important watch for the brand, as it was fitted with an automatic chronograph movement. This was the very first of its kind, and therefore a direct competitor of the Zenith El Primero. However, in terms of style, the Monaco choose a different path with its distinct square case. Quite extraordinary was that Heuer has been able to make it water-resistant, which is not the easiest thing to do with this shape. The Monaco would already achieve a cult-status two years later when it was worn by Steve McQueen in the 1971 movie, Le Mans. This further cemented the position of the Monaco, as one of the most distinct and desirable chronographs available.
