A past question from NO QUARTZ, the free daily watch quiz. The answer is highlighted below.

Grand Complication (bonus)·Multiple choice

The A. Lange & Söhne Lange 31 stores its 744-hour power reserve in two mainsprings. Roughly how long is each one?

  • A.185 mm
  • B.650 mm
  • C.1,850 mmCorrect answer
  • D.3,700 mm

The story behind it

Each of the two mainsprings is 1,850 mm long, about ten times a normal watch mainspring. At that length the torque is so high and so uneven that Lange added a patented constant-force escapement, so the balance gets the same impulse on day 30 as on day one. Winding by crown was not practical either: the watch uses a key that goes into a square socket in the sapphire caseback. It was also the first mechanical wristwatch with a 31-day power reserve.

From NO QUARTZ Ref. NQ0005, the puzzle for Sept 27, 2026. It was that day's Grand Complication, a harder bonus question for players who scored 80 or more.

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