German independent Lang & Heyne releases a new edition to their Hektor with an updated movement and refinements to the design.
Press Release information with mini review commentary in italics.
Mini review: the new Lang & Heyne Hektor Edition II
The Lang & Heyne Hektor Edition II has a recommended retail price of EUR 19,999 before taxes / SGD 33,800 inclusive of Singapore GST. Limited edition of 99 pieces.
Commentary
We have covered several Lang & Heyne watches, some in detail, others in passing over the years. We have been consistently impressed with the creativity and excellent finishing that the watches bring. From the time when Marco Lang was still running the maison, to this present day, where the company is owned by Munich based Prof. Dr. Ulrich L. Rohde in 2013. Marco stayed as watchmaker till 2019. Then Jens Schneider was appointed as Chief Watchmaker. Rohde appointed Alex Dias as the CEO in 2020. We discussed the business and technical details in our 2024 interview published here.
We have not covered the original Hektor, released in 2021. So here is a mini review of the watch. The Hektor is Lang & Heyne’s answer to the bandwagon of the steel sport(y) watch with integrated bracelet. The case is a typical sporty design with a round base and sloped lugs extending into the bracelet. The overall shape of the case may be described as tonneau of sorts. The proportions are very well selected, measuring 40mm in diameter with a height of 10.95mm. The 5 link wavy bracelet in steel remains unchanged. A handsome case, if we may opine.
What is interesting of the Hektor is dial. And of course the movement. The original Hektor has a dial with a peek-a-boo aperture opened on an exposed cock holding the center pinion. This cock is finished in a silver hue of rhodium plated brass, and contrasts with the rest of the dial. Lang describe the shape of this cock as petticoat-shaped, and it is a rather familiar shape often seen in movements from the case back. At the center a medallion with raised patterns contrast to the concentric circle of the chapter ring holding the hour indicators. This dial is black and finished in galvanic treatment but carries rings which are polished to provide contrast.
The dial carries the three hands from the center pinion, with uniquely shaped hands looking like roofs of traditional German houses. Two concentric circles allow the display of the seconds markings in the outer one, with the minutes in the inner circle. Each of the hour intervals are marked with long bar markers which are in-filled with lume in the same colour as the infilled “hats” of the hour and minute hands.
The movement is a handsome one. The architecture calls for it to be slightly offset, in order that the canon pinion aligns absolutely dead center on the dial side. The layout is magnificent. Lang & Heyne has always been known for their bridge layout, and the Caliber 33.2 does not disappoint. Construction is from brass, but magnificently rhodium plated.
Each wheel on the train is carried by its own pierced cock. Each individually finished with very nice anglage.
The center pinion is carried by a beautifully shaped bridge and the barrels are arranged in a flying configuration. Even the click does not escape attention to detail is is very nicely carried by its own bridge with superb finishings.
The pricing of just below the EUR 20k mark is rather well chosen as well. We think it is very competitive and hits right at the belly of the stainless steel sports watch with integrated bracelet bandwagon.
Release information
The story of HEKTOR continues. Four years after its debut, LANG & HEYNE proudly presents the second edition of its stainless-steel model. A timepiece that deliberately breaks from convention – and that is precisely what makes it so compelling. With the updated Caliber LH 33.2-2 and subtle refinements in design, HEKTOR Edition II stays true to its character while presenting something entirely new: modern, iconic, and a counterpoint within the classical portfolio of the Dresden-based manufacture.
A Clear View Within
The redesigned movement builds upon the proven Caliber 33.2 but has been technically enhanced and aesthetically sharpened. The more fluid bridge lines, a newly conceived central seconds bridge, and the interplay of rhodium-plated brass and untreated German silver create a sense of expressive depth. Technically, several detailed solutions have been adopted or further developed – including the dual Incafix bearing for the escape wheel, a free-sprung balance, and finely adjustable mass distribution via six eccentric weights.
Design Meets Expression
The “petticoat” design language – already a central visual element in the first edition – achieves new harmony in HEKTOR Edition II. From the bridge architecture and hands to the integrated steel bracelet, the characteristic interplay of surface, finish, and form runs throughout the watch. A nod to LANG & HEYNE’s classical lineage is evident in the three distinctively sculpted lugs, which flow seamlessly into the bracelet and reinforce the connection to the manufacture’s design DNA. The onion-shaped crown and anti-reflective sapphire crystal underline the dialogue between traditional watchmaking and modern presence.
A Modern Statement
HEKTOR Edition II is not a reissue, but rather the next chapter in the line’s evolution – technically up to date, visually matured, and imbued with the same self-assured spirit that defined it from the beginning.
A Name with Counterpoint
In music, a counterpoint is the art of adding a second voice to an existing melody – independent, yet harmonious. This is the guiding idea behind the model name HEKTOR: a timepiece that intentionally distances itself from traditional forms, while remaining in harmony with the brand’s philosophy. The name represents a second voice in the LANG & HEYNE portfolio – powerful, rhythmic, and distinctly individual.
Additional Information on the HEKTOR Model:
- The new bridge geometry and switch to a full central seconds bridge improve the structural clarity of the movement.
- Free-sprung regulation using six symmetrically positioned eccentric weights enhances isochronism and timekeeping precision.
- Dual Incafix bearing of the escape wheel reduces friction and improves rate stability – a rare feature in this form.
- Movement parts are crafted from rhodium-plated brass – technically robust, visually understated, and highly scratch-resistant. The gear train and mainspring barrel are made from untreated German silver, offering long-term stability without galvanic coating.
- The dial features applied indexes with luminous material (Super-LumiNova) for excellent legibility in low light.
- HEKTOR Edition II is aimed at collectors and individualists who value both technical substance and strong design identity.
Lang & Heyne Hektor Edition II Specifications
| Function | hour and minute indication, central second | ||
| Dial | galvanic black dial with shiny bevels, pattern in the centre, appliqués with grooves beneath, appliqués and hands filled with superluminova, Petticoat-shaped cock cutout with a view into the movement | ||
| Case | solid stainless steel diameter: 40 mm, height: 10.95 mmband lugs: 24 mm, sapphire glass on top and bottom, water-resistant up to 5 bar | ||
| Strap | Specially designed steel link bracelet with a butterfly folding clasp | ||
| Details About the Movement | |||
| Caliber | Caliber 33.2-2 | ||
| Winding | manual winding | ||
| Size | diameter: 14 ¼ lines (33 mm), height: 4.4 mm | ||
| Frequency | 21.600 semi-oscillations per hour46-hour power reserve | ||
| Parts | 22 rubies | ||
| Finesses | shock-protected free-sprung eccentric balance with six inertia weights, flat hairspring, second hand stop, gear train in German silver | ||
