I've had both and prefer the symmetry of having an '0' for the first 9 days of the month even though we don't normally use an '0' in normal use for single digit numbers. I always got a hinky feeling when the ALS showed a blank date digit at the beginning of the month. Just personal preference. I also like the one plane layout out of the GO system, just a bit more elegant.
Is that your watch? That is beautiful! whether there is a 0 or not - for me it’s neither here nor there! All these pieces are awesome (and I’m not applying an unnecessary, watered-down superlative here)!.
+ 1 to a few of the comments. I really do love the mission and aesthetic and quality of ALS , however, a lot of their base movements particularly for Lange 1s, are mostly just a big 3 quarter plate across the entire movement, which I think most would find objectively far less interesting than many other movements out there. What you do see is beautiful, and maybe under a heavily-zoomed-in-loupe the edges and lines are better finished than Patek or GO or similar - BUT at that price if you're going off purely movement, I think I'd say there's a lot more visual interest outside of Lange. Patek, GO, Vacheron, the geneva seal Chopards, H Moser (probably not as nice anglage etc. but, still probably more interesting to look at!)
Worth checking out (depending what your budget is) for a similar aesthetic movement also, Moritz Grossmann. Similar ish price (or maybe a bit more expensive) to ALS. I think some of the nicest '3-quarter-plate' style movements out there on the market available! Also for the price on the cheaper end, Dornbleuth have fantastic looking movements. I'm not the biggest fan of their dials/hands though tbh, but great watches
Yes, that's my watch. I had looked at a used Lange 1 in white gold at one point, but I was underwhelmed compared to the photos I'd seen. The lack of the leading 0 on the date window, and the mullion between the digits that ALS uses to sort of hide the fact that one disk is higher than the other, were things that just bugged me too much. So I went to a dealer sometime later who carried GO, and hadn't really been over the moon about them based on photos I had seen. But when I saw the PanoReserve in person, I was done. I didn't buy it on the spot as I wanted to think about it, but I literally lost sleep over this watch. Ended up getting it a couple of weeks later (dealer is about a 2 hour drive away).
I personally tried on a GO panomaticlunar recently on the bracelet, with the blue dial (almost purple-ish). Loved it... it may very well be my next watch. I think it's hard to separate brand image from the product itself... Lange has done an excellent job at marketing themselves as a truly 'premium' brand, and rightfully so. GO on the other hand has not done so much of this. But the dial of the watch below is as interesting and cool as any watch at any pricepoint, from any brand I think TBH.
Agreed, I have been after a particular one of their older models for ages, but I guess the ppl that have them are not looking to sell. Absolutely fantastic movements with the added benefit of customizability, should you want it.
I say this quite often but the biggest reason I haven’t and likely never will buy a Grand Seiko new or used is that JLC and GO exist in a similar price bracket and if I’m going to buy from a brand that is all substance with no real marketing it’ll be those two. If GO had an actual marketing department they’d be a force to be reckoned with.
I saw an interview with the CEO, and it was pretty interesting. The guy basically said GO has very limited capacity to expand, because most of the stuff done was manual, and it takes 6 years to train someone to be proficient. If they do mass marketing, there is no way to meet the demand anyways. Apparently they get more than enough sales from word-of-mouth and enthusiasts purchasing, and they are happy to just keep it that way.