# Lange Durability



## Sergio25

I have written a comment on youtube, to which some gentleman has responded that he had a few A Lange watches and to his opinion that had bad durability - they would break often, and apparently he had heard the same about Journe from people who owned them. He stated however that Gashutte Original, was a differnt story somehow. Not sure if the person really had an experience with all 3 brands, or just talking out of rumors.

So a questions to you guys, that actually had or have Lange and Fourne, do these watches perform as well as they look in terms of many years going without having major issues ? Are they reliable ? So if anybody could mention gernally speaking the durability and reliability aspects. Many thanks in advance and have a great winter.


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## Kuttermax

Poor durability is not something that I've heard much chatter about when it comes to Lange, but others on this forum have owned Lange's a lot longer than I have. While I wouldn't wear my Lange's playing sports or doing other activities where they might receive a lot of impact, I have no concerns wearing them for anything else.

One very positive aspect to Lange is that when you do get your watch serviced, it comes back from the factory like new. To me this is hugely appealing and makes me less concerned with wearing my Lange's regularly, knowing that when I do send it in for service and other minor scratches or issues will be addressed while they have.


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## weisscomposer

I think people who own Langes will tell you a different story than some random YouTube commenter. Hopefully some posters with more extensive Lange ownership experience will chime in (or direct you to some earlier responses).

As for me, I've had my Lange for a year now. While it's not one of Lange's complicated models, it has had no problems and keeps nearly perfect time.


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## WatchEater666

I've had preowned Langes that were 10+ years old with zero issues - same with GO. Zero issues with my brand new Zeitwerk as well (almost 1 year old)

I have heard of issues with FPJ.


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## CFR

I have owned many Langes and 3 Journes. I have had very few problems with the Langes. In contrast, I have had many, many problems with 2 of the 3 Journes. They are the older Octa calendar models: Octa Calendrier Ruthenium (annual) and Octa Perpetuelle Ruthenium (perpetual). Many, many others have had similar experiences. A lot of collectors won't go near FPJ again because of the reliability issues they experienced with them (before prices skyrocketed). This is too bad, because so many of FPJ's older pieces were so beautiful.

To the best of my knowledge, no Lange movement has had systemic problems -- known issues that multiple owners report. The same cannot be said with Journe -- which makes sense, since FPJ is a much smaller operation with a different philosophy.


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## Ced Craig

I‘ve never heard that about Lange. I haven‘t seen any threads related to that, nor remember any post replies with any negative comments, other than things like „Wish I could afford a Lange.“ Likewise with GO. CFR‘s post is the first I‘ve heard about FPJ issues, but I don‘t really follow the brand that much, though I do like the designs.

The Green Coronet, on the other hand . . .


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## CFR

Ced Craig said:


> I've never heard that about Lange. I haven't seen any threads related to that, nor remember any post replies with any negative comments, other than things like „Wish I could afford a Lange." Likewise with GO. CFR's post is the first I've heard about FPJ issues, but I don't really follow the brand that much, though I do like the designs.
> 
> The Green Coronet, on the other hand . . .


Yeah, FPJ's simpler pieces (such as the CB) don't have issues. It's hit or miss with some of the more complicated pieces, especially the older ones. I sent my Octa Calendrier back 7 (seven) times in 18 months for the same issue. And sometimes the retrograde date on my Octa Perpetuelle gets hung up on "7" when it's supposed to snap back from 30/31 to 1 at the end of the month -- but if I hit it with the palm of my hand, it releases and goes back to "1," and I'd rather just live with that "idiosyncrasy" than send it in for servicing. When I was talking with a preowned dealer about how little time I actually spent with my Octa Calendrier (vs. how often it was being sent back to FPJ), he said this to me, which I thought was both funny and spot-on: "Think of owning a Journe like owning a condo in Florida: You get to use it for a few months every year, and you should look forward to that -- just be happy with that."

A few years ago, I ran into a friend who was in the middle of buying an older Resonance at a local preowned dealer's shop. As I was leaving, I wished him luck and joked with him that I hope the two time displays actually stay synced, since I heard that was a problem for some owners. Within a few days, he emailed me to say the dealer was sending it back to FPJ for servicing because -- you guessed it -- the movements/displays weren't staying in sync.

When the quartz Elegante first came out, I really liked the looks and concept and seriously considered getting one. I figured nothing could possibly go wrong with THIS model, since it was quartz. What could possibly go wrong with quartz? But given my past experience with unreliability, I decided to ask around just in case. So I emailed a guy who posted on one of the forums that he recently bought one, and he told me that he had actually bought 2 of them but ended up giving them both away(!) because they didn't reset to the correct time when they awakened from their "sleep" -- an issue that I learned other early Elegante buyers experienced but that FPJ subsequently fixed (I spoke with folks at the FPJ boutique about that several years later).

Most recently (maybe 18-24 months ago), another friend was about to buy a brand new Optimum (a beautiful watch), but it stopped working while he was looking at it in the shop (boutique/AD) and so the dealer had to send it back. My friend changed his mind 

All that being said, most people don't have problems with their FPJs, and the whole FPJ staff (at least in the US) is always extremely kind and understanding.

[People asked me why I didn't just sell the piece that I had to send back time after time. My answer was twofold: First, I've come to regard it more as art than as a mechanical device that's supposed to function reliably. That perspective helps me live with it. Second, I would feel slightly slimy selling a watch that had been so problematic even though I'd disclose the history and it seems to work better since the last (7th) repair effort.]


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## MrBlahBlah

Rumor mill suggests that Journe watches are prone to issues, particularly the more complicated ones, but I haven’t heard that complaint about Lange. I think they are built with longevity in mind.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## immerschnell

CFR said:


> Yeah, FPJ's simpler pieces (such as the CB) don't have issues. It's hit or miss with some of the more complicated pieces, especially the older ones. I sent my Octa Calendrier back 7 (seven) times in 18 months for the same issue. And sometimes the retrograde date on my Octa Perpetuelle gets hung up on "7" when it's supposed to snap back from 30/31 to 1 at the end of the month -- but if I hit it with the palm of my hand, it releases and goes back to "1," and I'd rather just live with that "idiosyncrasy" than send it in for servicing. When I was talking with a preowned dealer about how little time I actually spent with my Octa Calendrier (vs. how often it was being sent back to FPJ), he said this to me, which I thought was both funny and spot-on: "Think of owning a Journe like owning a condo in Florida: You get to use it for a few months every year, and you should look forward to that -- just be happy with that."
> 
> A few years ago, I ran into a friend who was in the middle of buying an older Resonance at a local preowned dealer's shop. As I was leaving, I wished him luck and joked with him that I hope the two time displays actually stay synced, since I heard that was a problem for some owners. Within a few days, he emailed me to say the dealer was sending it back to FPJ for servicing because -- you guessed it -- the movements/displays weren't staying in sync.
> 
> When the quartz Elegante first came out, I really liked the looks and concept and seriously considered getting one. I figured nothing could possibly go wrong with THIS model, since it was quartz. What could possibly go wrong with quartz? But given my past experience with unreliability, I decided to ask around just in case. So I emailed a guy who posted on one of the forums that he recently bought one, and he told me that he had actually bought 2 of them but ended up giving them both away(!) because they didn't reset to the correct time when they awakened from their "sleep" -- an issue that I learned other early Elegante buyers experienced but that FPJ subsequently fixed (I spoke with folks at the FPJ boutique about that several years later).
> 
> Most recently (maybe 18-24 months ago), another friend was about to buy a brand new Optimum (a beautiful watch), but it stopped working while he was looking at it in the shop (boutique/AD) and so the dealer had to send it back. My friend changed his mind
> 
> All that being said, most people don't have problems with their FPJs, and the whole FPJ staff (at least in the US) is always extremely kind and understanding.
> 
> [People asked me why I didn't just sell the piece that I had to send back time after time. My answer was twofold: First, I've come to regard it more as art than as a mechanical device that's supposed to function reliably. That perspective helps me live with it. Second, I would feel slightly slimy selling a watch that had been so problematic even though I'd disclose the history and it seems to work better since the last (7th) repair effort.]


Thanks for your comments here. To be honest it's surprising to hear that you should have to live with the idiosyncrasy of that issue for what you bought. I would find that totally unacceptable and while that is perhaps rare (though some apparently have reported similar issues with the FPJ brand) I think the idea of having to accept hitting it with your hand is tantamount to getting out a rubber mallet to hit the starter on your supercar. Just doesn't add up and is inexcusable. Not trying to knock the brand. Just reminds me of another supercar brand that while they don't make a very small number of cars, is understood to have quality control issues on a number of production aspects.


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## CFR

immerschnell said:


> Thanks for your comments here. To be honest it's surprising to hear that you should have to live with the idiosyncrasy of that issue for what you bought. I would find that totally unacceptable and while that is perhaps rare (though some apparently have reported similar issues with the FPJ brand) I think the idea of having to accept hitting it with your hand is tantamount to getting out a rubber mallet to hit the starter on your supercar. Just doesn't add up and is inexcusable. Not trying to knock the brand. Just reminds me of another supercar brand that while they don't make a very small number of cars, is understood to have quality control issues on a number of production aspects.


Thanks for this. I definitely know what you mean! Of course, living with it is my choice, and I could choose a different path. The way I see it, I have two other options: (1) send the malfunctioning watch back for repair again (and again and again) or (2) sell it. If the watch were less beautiful to me, I'd sell it. And I get really irritated dealing with the hassle of repeatedly sending it back for repair. That's the worst. So I decided the best choice for me is to live with intermittent calendar malfunctions, especially since I don't wear the watch very often.


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## Cincy2

I have not had any maintenance or performance issues with my ALS collection. They are built to last.

Cincy


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## MrBlahBlah

Cincy2 said:


> I have not had any maintenance or performance issues with my ALS collection. They are built to last.
> 
> Cincy
> 
> View attachment 15644328


Zeitwerk date!! Amazing.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Sergio25

Cincy2 said:


> I have not had any maintenance or performance issues with my ALS collection. They are built to last.
> 
> Cincy
> 
> View attachment 15644328


***** chirst! what a collection. you must be a an extremely successful individual.


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## sieglo

German engineering FTW.


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## Ford GT

I have owned 3 Lange watches with no issues at all. Conversely I owned a FPJ Chrono Bleu which was a mess. I didnt get much satisfaction from the factory and no longer owned the watch ( which was beautiful).


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## CFR

Ford GT said:


> I have owned 3 Lange watches with no issues at all. Conversely I owned a FPJ Chrono Bleu which was a mess. I didnt get much satisfaction from the factory and no longer owned the watch ( which was beautiful).


I'm curious, what was the issue(s) with your CB?

[As an aside, my big aesthetic pet peeve with FPJ is the lack of AR-coated crystals. His dials are beautiful but are compromised by glare/reflections. When I visited FPJ's Miami service center several years ago, I was lucky to see a wide variety of FPJ dials that had been uncased because the movements were being serviced. All were gorgeous without the crystal glare/reflections.]


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## Ford GT

CFR said:


> I'm curious, what was the issue(s) with your CB?
> 
> [As an aside, my big aesthetic pet peeve with FPJ is the lack of AR-coated crystals. His dials are beautiful but are compromised by glare/reflections. When I visited FPJ's Miami service center several years ago, I was lucky to see a wide variety of FPJ dials that had been uncased because the movements were being serviced. All were gorgeous without the crystal glare/reflections.]





CFR said:


> I'm curious, what was the issue(s) with your CB?
> 
> [As an aside, my big aesthetic pet peeve with FPJ is the lack of AR-coated crystals. His dials are beautiful but are compromised by glare/reflections. When I visited FPJ's Miami service center several years ago, I was lucky to see a wide variety of FPJ dials that had been uncased because the movements were being serviced. All were gorgeous without the crystal glare/reflections.]


 To be clear; it is a wonderful watch. But one day it wouldnt wind ( after only a few months of ownership). I sent it to Journe under warranty, and they said I broke it and wouldnt honor the warranty. This may be an isolated incident, but I am leary of doingbusiness with them again.


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## SLWoodster

🤦‍♂️ Just got on a list for an elegante. The time doesn’t reset right?! Ugh


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## listorene12

Generally are they more durable than Patek?


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## CFR

SLWoodster said:


> ?‍♂ Just got on a list for an elegante. The time doesn't reset right?! Ugh


You should be fine! I think this was a problem after the first ones were released but it has long since been corrected.


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## DonLuis

Cincy2 said:


> I have not had any maintenance or performance issues with my ALS collection. They are built to last.
> 
> Cincy
> 
> View attachment 15644328




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Sergio25

Ford GT said:


> To be clear; it is a wonderful watch. But one day it wouldnt wind ( after only a few months of ownership). I sent it to Journe under warranty, and they said I broke it and wouldnt honor the warranty. This may be an isolated incident, but I am leary of doingbusiness with them again.


i also had a problem with journe. they have a saloon in kiev... i called them a few times, they were extremly rude and tried to charge me more.. i have asked them to send them a written proposal for their prices and they have strarted making up stories like small criminals... then I have called in Geneve to complain they told me "omg this is not acceptable bla bla bla " we will se what we can do for you to maybe get you on the list for the CB. but in the end they have also done nothing. just terrible service and extremely fake behavior. i didnt even ask them to give me anything extra but they have never even called me back. so much about journe exprience.


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## watchdanny

Sergio25 said:


> I have written a comment on youtube, to which some gentleman has responded that he had a few A Lange watches and to his opinion that had bad durability - they would break often, and apparently he had heard the same about Journe from people who owned them. He stated however that Gashutte Original, was a differnt story somehow. Not sure if the person really had an experience with all 3 brands, or just talking out of rumors.
> 
> So a questions to you guys, that actually had or have Lange and Fourne, do these watches perform as well as they look in terms of many years going without having major issues ? Are they reliable ? So if anybody could mention gernally speaking the durability and reliability aspects. Many thanks in advance and have a great winter.


The germans don't know how to do it like the swiss. A lange will not give you the best durability but it will give you a kick ass dress watch for the money. If you want durability go with a ROLEX.


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## Sergio25

Kuttermax said:


> Poor durability is not something that I've heard much chatter about when it comes to Lange, but others on this forum have owned Lange's a lot longer than I have. While I wouldn't wear my Lange's playing sports or doing other activities where they might receive a lot of impact, I have no concerns wearing them for anything else.
> 
> One very positive aspect to Lange is that when you do get your watch serviced, it comes back from the factory like new. To me this is hugely appealing and makes me less concerned with wearing my Lange's regularly, knowing that when I do send it in for service and other minor scratches or issues will be addressed while they have.





watchdanny said:


> The germans don't know how to do it like the swiss. A lange will not give you the best durability but it will give you a kick ass dress watch for the money. If you want durability go with a ROLEX.


and glashutte ? and i really wonder why in yur opinion lange is less durable than rolex...thanks


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## MrBlahBlah

I don’t think it’s controversial that Rolex is way more durable than a high horology watch. Rolexes are built like tanks. For one thing they have a full balance bridge on the balance wheel and take shocks better


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## Sergio25

MrBlahBlah said:


> I don't think it's controversial that Rolex is way more durable than a high horology watch. Rolexes are built like tanks. For one thing they have a full balance bridge on the balance wheel and take shocks better
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


they are def. more shock resistant ... but i am sure lange will also serve 100 years.. or am i wrong here ?


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## MrBlahBlah

For sure, I just wouldn’t go spelunking in my Lange 


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## jeeeeefff

I'm definitely interested in using a "simple" Lange as an everyday watch. Not for sports / wet activities, but for everything else, akin to how one might wear a Nomos or any other simple 3-hand watch (JLC Ultrathin, Zenith Elite etc.).
Living in a warm state (California) worries me a bit about summer wearability, but there's a ton of Lange owners in places like Singapore or Hong Kong, so I'm assuming that other than the strap, it should be fine.
WDYT?


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## CFR

jeeeeefff said:


> I'm definitely interested in using a "simple" Lange as an everyday watch. Not for sports / wet activities, but for everything else, akin to how one might wear a Nomos or any other simple 3-hand watch (JLC Ultrathin, Zenith Elite etc.).
> Living in a warm state (California) worries me a bit about summer wearability, but there's a ton of Lange owners in places like Singapore or Hong Kong, so I'm assuming that other than the strap, it should be fine.
> WDYT?


It's a non-issue when it comes to the functioning of the watch. The bigger concern is that sometimes people in warmer climates have issues with croc or gator straps and prefer something more breathable. That concern is brand-independent, though.


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## Michael Maddan

Cincy2 said:


> I have not had any maintenance or performance issues with my ALS collection. They are built to last.
> 
> Cincy
> 
> View attachment 15644328


In addition to collecting ( very nice ) watches, are you also a Chess player?

Michael.


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## Cincy2

Michael Maddan said:


> In addition to collecting ( very nice ) watches, are you also a Chess player?
> 
> Michael.


 Michael,

I played a lot in my youth. Now that I'm recently retired, I'm trying to invigorate my game. My chess board is a better backdrop for watch pictures than it is a battleground for epic matches. 

Cincy


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## weisscomposer

Off-topic, I know, but: @Cincy2, where is your watch roll from?


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## Cincy2

weisscomposer said:


> Off-topic, I know, but: @Cincy2, where is your watch roll from?


Hi,

Everest. The four slot version has been out of stock for quite some time. I like their product the best of all that I have tried. The slide in "keeper" is very efficient. The leather is quite thick and of very good quality. Very pricey but very well made.

Regards,
Cincy


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## wintershade

CFR said:


> time I actually spent with my Octa Calendrier (vs. how often it was being sent back to FPJ), he said this to me, which I thought was both funny and spot-on: "Think of owning a Journe like owning a condo in Florida: You get to use it for a few months every year, and you should look forward to that -- just be happy with that."


Haha. This just might be my favorite quote on this forum. About a 18 months or so ago I almost bought a Ruthenium Octa Calendrier from SCL (I think it may have been yours?) but it sounds like I dodged a bullet there.

My Langes have been problem free, but I had a lot of issues with my FPJ Monopusher Rattrapante right out of the gate (bracelet not movement related).


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## CFR

wintershade said:


> About a 18 months or so ago I almost bought a Ruthenium Octa Calendrier from SCL (I think it may have been yours?) but it sounds like I dodged a bullet there.


Sorry to hear about your FPJ issues. Nope, the Ruthenium Octa Calendrier wasn't mine. I've had mine since 2015.


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## DowningB

Sergio25 said:


> ... but i am sure lange will also serve 100 years.. or am i wrong here ?


Not wrong, My 1902 Lange runs like a top.


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## WatchEater666

Langes are also assembled twice, which is something no other brand does AFAIK. Pretty cool!


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## The_Darter1987

weisscomposer said:


> I think people who own Langes will tell you a different story than some random YouTube commenter. Hopefully some posters with more extensive Lange ownership experience will chime in (or direct you to some earlier responses).
> 
> As for me, I've had my Lange for a year now. While it's not one of Lange's complicated models, it has had no problems and keeps nearly perfect time.


May I ask what's the variation of seconds gained per day etc...? Or how do u place it when not wearing?

I realized mine gains +7 seconds a day dial up. When dial down it's +1 second a day. Also does keeping it dial down affect wear long term? Just wondering.


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## weisscomposer

The_Darter1987 said:


> May I ask what's the variation of seconds gained per day etc...? Or how do u place it when not wearing?


I have a Saxonia Thin, so there's no seconds hand or even a minutes track. Not the best watch if you want to track seconds-per-day accuracy with an app, haha. Based on (very) un-scientific tracking, it appears that my watch loses approximately one minute every nine weeks. I don't know what that works out to as seconds-per-day, but it must be good! When the watch isn't being worn, it always rests dial side up.


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## justcruisin

Here is a question and I’m pretty sure the answer will be affirmative...but I have trips coming up, usually to very warm destinations (tropical). Plan is to bring the Lange 1 and the future DJ on the trip. I just have to be very observant with going through security, but that is about it. When swimming/in desert, plan to leave watches in safe deposit box. Wear for meals and shopping. Anyone’s lessons learned or feedback?


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## TimMossoFan

jeeeeefff said:


> I'm definitely interested in using a "simple" Lange as an everyday watch. Not for sports / wet activities, but for everything else, akin to how one might wear a Nomos or any other simple 3-hand watch (JLC Ultrathin, Zenith Elite etc.).
> Living in a warm state (California) worries me a bit about summer wearability, but there's a ton of Lange owners in places like Singapore or Hong Kong, so I'm assuming that other than the strap, it should be fine.
> WDYT?


I wear my Langematik Sax-O-Mat as a regular part of my rotation in SoCal without any issues. The second hand resets like a charm every time  It's gone through a regular service by Lange, but without any notable durability issues noted.


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## chatty1

I have not experienced any issues with my Langes.


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## Thadeust

TimMossoFan said:


> I wear my Langematik Sax-O-Mat as a regular part of my rotation in SoCal without any issues. The second hand resets like a charm every time  It's gone through a regular service by Lange, but without any notable durability issues noted.


+1 on this, I also live in SoCal and wear my Sax-0-Mat multiple times a week. No issues with reliability and love that it's such an inconspicuous and low-key watch when seen from a distance.


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## JLittle

Cincy2 said:


> I have not had any maintenance or performance issues with my ALS collection. They are built to last.
> 
> Cincy
> 
> View attachment 15644328


Wow!!!


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