A. Lange & Söhne

In the world of complications

Enthusiasm for precision clocks

Brand and product communication for fine watchmaking via the medium of film is an aesthetic, but above all a challenging task in terms of content. In 2013, the Saxon watch manufacturer A. Lange & Söhne asked us to develop a media image for the technical communication of their products. The look should not only stand out from the competition, but also reflect the brand itself through sophisticated and precise design.

Since then, the visual language has been continuously developed and realized in numerous projects. With in-depth technical understanding and comprehensive editorial work, we develop various creative concepts that illustrate the extraordinary mechanisms, precision and craftsmanship.

From the trade fair presentation, exhibit, social media feed or app – all projects are based on the idea of transferring the understatement of the brand and its claim to precision directly to the cinematic quality and making it tangible: Focus on the essential and purist design lead visually through the complex world of complications. Enthusiasm for horological craftsmanship is not only the message, but also the basis for our creation and design.

customer: A. Lange & Söhne

task: concept, editing and design;; creation of 3D mechanical simulation;; animation and production

The Map of Complications

In order to inspire lovers of fine watchmaking ever new, mechanisms are constantly being further developed or combined as multiple complications. These include a perpetual calendar that takes into account the real lengths of the months and even the leap year, a moon phase display that deviates from the actual moon phase by one day only after 122.6 years, or the tourbillon, originally developed to compensate for the influence of gravity on the oscillation system of a watch, which can now be stopped to set the watch to the second.

In order to illustrate the effect and interaction of such complications, we develope a 9-metre-long exhibit wall, the “Map of Complications”, for the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie Genève 2016, a voyage of discovery through the world of mechanisms. It shows the entire collection and central mechanisms, organises them into thematic areas, presents the overarching benefits and uniqueness of the solution and shows the relationships between them. Beginners receive an impressive overview, connoisseurs a technically relevant technical communication.

The process of creating this is as complex as its contents. From the editorial elaboration and technical coordination of systematics and didactics, over the detailed deepening in functionalities of the mechanisms, the conceptual translation into the media up to the precise production of animation, graphics, picture and text.

Mechanisms as storytelling

The didactic and precise technical animations run correctly in the cinematic representation. In order to be able to show the movements and sequences precisely, each mechanism is reconstructed as a fully functional 3D simulation and then animated. In addition to technical function, elegance and beauty of the mechanisms are in the foreground. Fine storytelling offers an introduction to an exciting world for every level of knowledge. Small stories and animations convey the benefits and the watchmaking performance. This sensitizes to the topic, provides a compact overview of the USP or illustrates more in-depth knowledge that also inspires the expert.

Interactive diving through 729 parts of the DATOGRAPH PERPETUAL TOURBILLON

The large exhibit shows annually at the Geneva Watch Salon offers optimal long-distance effect on the front and depth of content on the back. The DATOGRAPH PERPETUAL TOURBILLON, staged in 2016, can be controlled via an iPad. The filigree and finely implemented interaction allows the visitor to dive through the layers of the 729 movement parts and admire selected mechanism groups: Datograph, Perpetual Calendar, Tourbillon or Power Reserve.

Moon Phase Stories

The concept combines different elements, which in their interaction result in an emotional and at the same time content-relevant topic communication for the social media. Typographic-associative animations, technical detail animations and films combine to form a thematic field.