A. Lange & Sohne Cabaret 107.035 Luxury Watch Review

http://www.thewatchbox.com

Patek Philippe. Vacheron Constantin. Audemars Piguet.

A. Lange & Sohne. Yes, it belongs. Since 1994, the top-shelf manufacture from Saxony has forced its way into the ranks of the luxury watch industry's haut-de-gamme, and products like this A. Lange & Sohne Cabaret are tip of the battering ram.

Originally launched in 1997, the Lange Cabaret debuted only four years after the reborn A. Lange & Sohne manufacture. Having survived over five decades of war, occupation, and collective oppression under the Soviet yolk, Glashutte's watchmakers were eager to recover their heritage from the glory days of Saxon watchmaking.

The A. Lange & Sohne Cabaret pays tribute to the last great era of free Saxon horology: the Art Deco years of the 1920s and 30s. Each rectilinear line and perpendicular angle of the Cabaret's platinum case and matte black dial recalls the Machine Age glory of Art Deco at its peak.

The Cabaret looks like a time capsule survivor from the wrist of a trans-Atlantic Zeppelin passenger or the set of Fritz Lang's 1927 Art Deco epic "Metropolis." Each step of the case, bezel, and segmented dial is taut, tense, and purposeful. Consider it Lange's answer to the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso.

The A. Lange & Sohne Cabaret measures 36.3mm from lug-to-lug and 25.5mm across, and it wears like a 40mm round watch. On the wrist, its 9.1mm thickness means the Cabaret falls just short of "ultra thin" status - but not by much. It's the ultimate companion to formal attire, the the stunning combination of white metal and a black dial is surprisingly versatile, and the Cabaret works as well with short sleeves as with long ones.

Inside this imposing platinum package is Lange's signature: a manufacture caliber L931.3. Scrutinizing this movement, which combines all iconic elements of a German watch, is a euphoric experience to those who thrive on fine finish and a revelation to those who imagined Geneva had a monopoly on such virtuosity. Written details fall short... see it to believe it.

See this A. Lange & Sohne Cabaret 107.035 in high-resolution images on www.thewatchbox.com Video and content by Tim Mosso.