Wristwatches for Connoisseurs: A. Lange and Söhne

Less than a handful of wristwatch manufacturers command such a level of respect, that should you walk into a room in just about any place in the world, you will almost always be greeted by a reassuring nod from any watch enthusiast present. A. Lange & Söhne is one of these manufacturers. The company is also somewhat of a horological secret, reserved for those who appreciate the very finest finishing, without having the desire to shout about it. And this is despite the company’s illustrious history and contribution to watchmaking.

Watch from Glashütte in Germany

Founded in Glashütte, Germany, in 1845 by Ferdinand A. Lange, the German manufacturer produced world-class pocket watches during its first hundred years of existence, until the end of the Second World War resulted in a 40-year hibernation period for the company. 

Glashütte is a small town tucked away in the rolling Saxon hills near Dresden. The town is home to around 7,000 people (almost all of whom work in the watch industry). It is also home to circa ten high-end watch brands, including A. Lange & Söhne, Moritz Grossmann, Glashütte Original and Nomos. Many in the know would agree that while German watchmaking may not be as globally recognised as the Swiss, the German finishing is superior. They are truly meticulous and deeply proud of their craft.

A. Lange & Söhne

It was all the way back in 1868 when Ferdinand Lange's son Richard joined the business that it became known as A. Lange & Söhne (Lange and son). In 1924, the great-grandson Walter Lange was born in Glashütte, and, you guessed it, he trained to become a watchmaker. In 1945, on the very last day of the Second World War, the workshops of A. Lange & Söhne were hit during a bombing raid and two years later the Lange family’s company was expropriated by the German Democratic Republic (DDR) which took possession of the company.

In 1990, following Germany's reunification, Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s great-grandson Walter Lange had the courage to take the first steps in bringing the old family business back to life. He returned to Glashütte and in 1990 re-registered the global A. Lange & Söhne trademark. In 1994, the first watches were made by the rejuvenated company and presented in Dresden. Of the new collection, the showpiece was the Lange 1. It was the first wristwatch to incorporate an outsized date (inspired by the clock of the Semperoper opera house in Dresden).

In 2000, A. Lange & Söhne Uhren GmbH was bought by the Richemont Group (owners of Cartier, Panerai and IWC among others). In 2007, The first A. Lange & Söhne store opened in Dresden's Neumarkt district and since then a number of other stores have opened in places such as Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Palm Beach, Singapore and Paris.

The Iconic Lange 1 up for Auction

At our next international auction, we are very excited to offer two spectacular A. Lange & Söhne watches. The first wristwatch is the iconic Lange 1. It features an off-centre hour and minute dial, small seconds, a large date and a power-reserve indicator, it is a watch any serious collector has to have in the watch box. The Lange 1 going under the hammer is a 38.5 mm platinum Grand Lange, ref. L410010 with in-house manual mechanical movement Cal 901.0 from 2006. 

Model Saxonia Annual Calendar

The second A. Lange & Söhne wristwatch we have going to auction is a stunning 2013, 38.5 mm, 18k white gold Saxonia Annual Calendar. The Annual Calendar was launched at the SIHH (Salon International Haute Horlogerie) 2013. It features an automatic winding mechanism, a white dial with silver index and rhodium gold lancine-shaped hour and minute hands. You will notice the large date at 12 o’clock, while the annual calendar displays the day and month on its snailed subdials at 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock. The new owner will no doubt be pleased to know this annual calendar only requires adjustment once a year. The watch comes with its original box and certificate.

Remarkable Wristwatches

There are many reasons one should consider owning a wristwatch by A. Lange & Söhne, but chiefly among them is the fact that the manufacturer only produces a few thousand wristwatches in gold or platinum per year, powered exclusively by movements they have designed and developed themselves. In total, there have been over 60 manufacture calibres developed since 1994, which in anyone’s book is quite remarkable.

International Auction in Copenhagen

The international wristwatch auction takes place at Bruun Rasmussen Auctioneers at Bredgade 33 in Copenhagen on 20 September. The preview is open from 13-17 September.

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