Although the brand itself is a new contender in the world of watchmaking, the eponymous founder behind Marco Lang is no stranger to boutique horology. In his previous work with Lang & Heyne, Lang created some of the most distinctive and complex designs in the German watch industry from his headquarters in Dresden. After leaving the company in 2019, Lang has established a new atelier in Dresden under the Marco Lang marque, and for its first release the fledgling company has started with a bang. Meaning “Two-Face” in German, the limited edition Marco Lang Zweigesicht-1 lives up to its name quite literally with a unique dual face design and lug swapping mechanic, coupled to an exquisitely finished movement with several unique features.

Available in stainless steel, 18K rose gold, and platinum, the 40mm case of the Marco Lang Zweigesicht-1 is deceptively simple at first glance. The overall form is classic dress watch, with a simple cylindrical mid case and a mirror polished smooth bezel accented by gently sloping crown guards. While fitting into the traditional design smoothly, the unassuming downturned lugs conceal the Zweigesicht-1’s first major party trick. The entire lug assembly can be detached from the case, flipped upside down, and reattached, allowing the watch to be worn with either of its two dials facing outward. While this removable lug mechanism may seem like a structural weak point, the Zweigesicht-1 manages a respectable (for a dress watch) 50 meters of water resistance.

As the name suggests, the limited edition Marco Lang Zweigesicht-1 features a pair of dramatically different dials on opposite sides of the case. The main silver plated dial looks elegantly simple in initial images, with a handful of idiosyncratic touches. The minimal stick hands, slim printed Roman numerals, and outer railroad minutes track are all classical design staples, but the use of depth and dial surfacing elevates this elemental mixture into something unique. The outer segment of the dial is finished in a deep and even radial brushing, creating a more subdued and even alternative to the more common sunburst finish. The central section of the dial is far brighter, with a highly polished clous de Paris pattern accentuated by the applied Marco Lang emblem in rose gold. Between the two sections is a raised polished ring, which in initial images emphasizes the difference in height between the two layers for a dynamic look. The stainless steel variant also differentiates itself slightly from its stablemates with this dial, opting for blued hands where both the rose gold and platinum versions use all rose gold hardware. If there is a minor weakness to this dial, it comes with the Marco Lang logo itself, which is intended to combine the letters “M” and “L” but is easily misread as a lowercase “N” and “H” mashed together.

The second dial of the Marco Lang Zwegesicht-1 is a far more ornate affair, with an intricate skeleton design mounted directly to one of the movement’s flying bridges. The elegantly slim spear tipped blued hands and skeleton Grand Feu enameled frame with its connected circles help to emphasize the lightness of this skeleton architecture, while providing as complete a view of the manufacture movement as possible.

The in-house Caliber ML-01 handwound movement inside the Marco Lang Zweigesicht-1 is aesthetically stunning, with a unique technical development as well. The hand beveled and polished flying bridges expose nearly the entire gear train, including an ornate four legged free balance with gold excenters inspired by the shape of Gothic church windows. Like the baseplate, the twin mainspring barrels are rose gold plated, and their series connected design allows for a solid 70 hour power reserve at a 21,600 bph beat rate. The most unique component of the Caliber ML-01, however, is the optional shock indicator complication at 9 o’clock. This series of four spade hands measures the force and direction of any physical shock the movement sustains across both the X and Y axis through a set of miniaturized hand springs and forks. This allows wearers to keep track of the effects of daily wear and activity on the movement. It’s a technically fascinating and unorthodox solution to the reticence many enthusiasts feel about high-impact activities with a mechanical watch on the wrist.

Marco Lang finishes each variant of the Zweigesicht-1 with a unique alligator leather strap. For the stainless steel model, this strap is rendered in a deep desaturated midnight blue, while the rose gold version opts instead for a suitably warm mahogany brown, and the platinum variant receives the strap in classic black.

With unique case features and complications paired with a dramatic classical design, the limited edition Marco Lang Zweigesicht-1 is a bold opening salvo from this new brand. Only 18 examples of the Marco Lang Zweigesicht-1 line will be made, with each example offering buyers a host of custom options. The Marco Lang Zweigesicht-1 is available now to order through the brand’s website, with pricing beginning at €51,500. For more details, please visit Marco Lang’s website.