WATCH POP

ok...I cave. Here are some teasers on what's coming up for SIHH:
1. the movement has a new caliber number. Its ground up, with many significant improvements.
2. the movement has got 465 parts!
3. its big! Case is 43mm.
That's it...keep tuned for more info, when the embargo is released. Split chrono perpetual? Thanks for the teaser Peter; the new watch/movement (is it the long-awaited Dopple?) sounds very exciting but...did they really have to put it in a 43 mm case?
For me and what is probably a fair number of people in the major markets throughout Asia, I would say that the case size is not even a matter of taste: a fair number of people can't wear a 43mm watch comfortably. The lugs on a watch that big simply jut out way beyond the wrist, or at least my puny wrist...
Just sour grapes and all that, Richemont/Lange will target the segment of the market and follow the trends that make most sense from a business standpoint. At the very least, I can admire the new release from afar and save up for all those "girly man" 38-39 mm watches I've been thinking about for so long. Sounds like its going to be exciting but at 43mm it's probably too big for average wrists especially for Asian. I think at 38 0r 39mm would be perfect to fit both Asian and European and LAnge could get a better sales with this size. The Asian continent has the whole Patek collection plus most of the Lange, AP, BP and Breguet collections. Why can't we, who have larger wrists not have a Lange in our size?
:-) Sven
ARS BREVIS: There is one art, no more, no less: to do all things with art-lessness. [Piet Hein] while 43mm seems large...but so did 40mm 10 years ago...I think perphaps the moniker Asian wrists is a gross generalisation (do all Asians have small wrists?), but Asia is home to quite a few AP Royal Oak Offshores, and variants, eh? Just my personl opinion, my view on Lange is a watch for high-end dress watch. So whether its simple watch or sporty watch the perfect size should be no more than 38mm 0r 39mm. Unlike Panerai or AP offshore with 44mm, its built for truely sport watch not a dress watch. I've decided that my next watch will be a Lange. I've been addicted to Panerai, having bought two in six months.
While I own a number of 'small' watches, the 44mm Panerai's are awesome and suprising not over the top. guess we can only wait and see about the horological merits and aesthetic appeal of the final product. That being said, I would say that at least the Pre-Richemont Lange was likely conscious of some disparity in average wrist size when they released the Small Lange 1 for the Asian market. I reserve comment on the ffshores and Panerais of the world because they are simply a different type of watch; to use a over-simplified analogy, if we're discussing Ferraris and other sports cars, it doesn't much matter if Range Rover wants to make Shearman tanks and GM makes pickup trucks.
Moving beyond the wrist-size issue, I personally am concerned about the reasons for suddenly issuing a watch of that size - is it justified by the size/complexity of the movement or an actual need for more dial space, or is it yet another a Zenith-like attempt to jump on the HUGE watch bandwagon by releasing another Grosse Lange? Off the top of my head, most if of the high-complication, dressy watches that are of that size are of the grand-complication class, and their size is likely the result of factors other than the latest fashion fad. Immediate examples are the Blancpain 1735, IWC Grand Comp., AP Grand Comp., Patek Sky Moon tourbillon. On the other hand, the Patek 5070 is a fairly obvious attempt to appeal to the latest trends, and the tiny movement stuck in a 42 mm size case is a rather sad setting for perhaps the best Swiss handwound chrono movement. Hope Lange avoids the temptation...
Oh well, at the end of the day it's pretty much a matter of subjective tastes, but lots to look forward to in April... I'd just like to add as someone who has slim wrists that it is the overall height of certain makes of large case that I find irritating. I recently sold a well-known marine series because I couldn't wear a buttoned shirt cuff over it. - david Really it's a pity they produce such fashion watches. Elegant watches are in the 35-39mm range.More than 40 is OK for a fun watch (very good for the AP T3) but not for high-end watchmaking. Just my thoughts.
Regards.