A. Lange & Söhne

On December 7, 1990, Walter Lange – the great grandson of the historical founder of the company – announced that A. Lange & Söhne would be restored in his hometown of Glashütte. On that day, 145 years had passed since the founding of the company when Ferdinand Adolph Lange built his workshop with a loan from the Saxony government. Today, the name represents a prestigious watch manufacturer that is known to create one of the best high-end timepieces worldwide.

In 1845, the visionary Ferdinand Adolph Lange received a loan of 7,800 Thaler – a silver coin used throughout Europe for almost 100 years – in order to establish his watch manufactory. Ferdinand A. Lange was able to receive financial aid from the Royal Saxon Ministry of the Interior and was then able to hire 15 apprentices of whom he could train under his careful watch. As a result, Lange introduced the art of watchmaking to the region of Glashütte and sparked the development of a new industry in the area. The apprentices hired by Lange were locals from the Ore Mountains of Glashütte that were previously trained as stonemasons, woodcarvers, or straw braiders. They did not know anything about technical instruments and it took a great amount of patience and perseverance to properly train the apprentices in meticulous watchmaking techniques. With hard work and dedication, the company eventually flourished and established a new trade sector for the individuals residing in Glashütte.

The two eldest sons of Lange, Richard and Emil, took over the management of the company following their father's death in 1875. Under the leadership of Richard and Emil, A. Lange & Söhne thrived. While Emil Lange utilised his savvy business skills, Richard Lange focused on his horological talent. In 1930, Richard discovered a new alloy for balance springs and patented his new breakthrough. While reading a paper published by Siemens engineers, the idea of adding a small percentage of beryllium to improve the elasticity of the balance spring came to him. The technique is still utilised in most high-quality mechanical timepieces today.

A difficult time ensued for not only the company but also the Lange family following the Second World War. The owners were expropriated and the company was nationalized under the name Lange VEB. After the reunification of Germany, Walter Lange, the great-grandson of Ferdinand ventured out to revive the company in 1990. The next steps he took were anything but easy. The company no longer had any watches that they could sell or any employees to help create them. They also no longer owned any watchmaking equipment or machines. The company reached out to the talented Gunter Blumlein, an entrepreneur who aided the company back onto the path of success. In 1994, four new A. Lange & Söhne timepieces were introduced – the Lange 1, Arkade, Saxonia, and the Lange Tourbillon. The watches were an absolute sensation to the watchmaking industry and the name A. Lange & Söhne was once again recognised as a top manufacturer among watch experts and aficionados.

It is not only the exterior design elements of a watch that transform it into a piece of art. Equally if not more important are the sophisticated and individual mechanical components of a timepiece that lift it into the ranks of Haute Horlogerie. The watches from A. Lange & Söhne demonstrate an especially disciplined craftsmanship and attention to detail. The brand proves that high-quality wristwatches and chronographs are not only produced in Switzerland but wherever passionate watchmakers may practice the trade that they love. A. Lange & Söhne creations speak for themselves and continually set new standards for exquisite watchmaking capabilities in the 21st century.

A. Lange & Söhne timepieces are solely equipped with mechanical manufactory calibres, which are either manual or automatic depending on the watch model. Another hallmark of Lange watches is the large patented outsize date. While standard date displays are relatively small and often fitted with a magnifying glass, the Lange double-aperture outsize date is three times the standard size. The mechanism utilises two separate date discs instead of one, allowing for the numbers displayed on the dial of the watch to be relatively larger than those presented through a typical date display. The outsize date feature once belonged to the mentor of Ferdinand A. Lange – Frederick Gutkaes.

A. Lange & Söhne continued to develop their timepieces and launched a watch equipped with the newly established in-house automatic calibre SAX-O-MAT in 1997. The Langematik is equipped with an outsize date that resets when the crown is pulled. Furthermore, it incorporates a seconds hand that can be stopped when setting the time.

Quality is the focus of the company philosophy at A. Lange & Söhne. Since its foundation at the start of the 19th century, the traditional German company has convinced with watches that constitute the top league of watchmaking. Unparalleled precision and sophisticated style make for and exquisite pairing in A. Lange & Söhne timepieces.

Since the reestablishment of the company, A. Lange & Söhne has been continuously developing and improving their timeless watches. The collection that was launched in 1994 together with co-founder Günter Blümlein, all incorporated trademark elements of the A. Lange & Söhne brand. These models consisted of the Tourbillion Pour le Mérite, the Lange 1, Saxonia and the Arkade. All timepieces aside from the Tourbillon Pour le Mérite were equipped with the brand's patented outsize date. Today, the symbiosis of traditional elements and innovative craftsmanship characterise the new creations from the brand.

Timepieces from A. Lange & Söhne are not only popular among experts in the watch industry; they also adorn the wrists of the prominent. Among famous clientele of the brand include actors Brad Pitt, who can be seen sporting the Lange 1, and Clint Eastwood. The Indian actor and Bollywood film director Farhan Akhtar is an avid fan of A. Lange & Söhne and can be seen wearing an elegant Datograph on his wrist.

The German actor and entertainer Harald Schmidt also owns a luxurious Datograph. When it comes to the economic sector, the German manager and CEO of Volkswagen AG and Porsche Automobil Holding SE, Martin Winterkorn, trusts in the reliability of an A. Lange & Söhne timepiece. On the wrist of the former German football player and World Champion Rudi Völler is the Datograph, one of the most expensive watches from A. Lange & Söhne.

At CHRONEXT you can not only buy new, used and vintage A. Lange & Söhne watches, but also sell them. If you are interested in selling, or would like to take advantage of the trade-in option when buying a new model, contact our experienced team by phone or email. We will be happy to assist you with our many years of experience and help you get the best possible price. Alternatively, you can simply fill out our online form.