Resurrecting a Dynasty: The Rich Heritage and Modern Mastery of A. Lange & Söhne

In the world of horology, the pursuit of perfection is an odyssey fueled by passion, drive, and a bottomless well of pure talent. For the legendary maison A. Lange & Söhne, this journey began all the way back in 1845, when Ferdinand Adolph Lange first established his watchmaking workshop in Glashütte, Saxony. 

Having completed an apprenticeship with famed watchmaker Johann Friedrich Gutkaes, Lange was determined to establish a name for himself. His time with Gutkaes had already seen him make something of a splash for his part in developing the Five-Minute Clock for the Semperoper, Dresden’s grand opera house. After parting ways with his mentor, he travelled through France, England, and Switzerland before bringing his accrued knowledge to bear within his modest Glashütte workshop. 

There, he set out to build pocket watches that could be counted among the world’s finest. Before long, his efforts drew international attention as heads of state began to present them as prestigious gifts.

A Family Affair

The workshop flourished, and in 1868, Lange’s son Richard became an official partner in his father’s company. It was at this point that the maison adopted the name it bears to this day: A. Lange & Söhne. Richard’s younger brother would follow in his stead in 1871, with the brothers jointly taking over the operation in the wake of their father’s death in 1875. 

The brothers proved a perfectly complementary pair. Richard came to be regarded as an outstanding and innovative watch designer, contributing to 27 patents, some of which are still used in mechanical watches today. Emil, on the other hand, had a flair for salesmanship and an elevated sense of aesthetics, which enabled him to better understand what contemporary watch lovers wanted. 

The brothers’ combined efforts saw A. Lange & Söhne continue to grow in size and stature, producing some exceptionally complicated pieces and receiving numerous international awards. Put simply, the maison’s output consisted of some of the most inventive and beautiful timepieces in the world, ensuring the dream and name of Ferdinand Adolph Lange would live on. 

The Masterpiece Makers

The level of craftsmanship and artistry possessed by the maison throughout this time proved nothing short of legendary and remains so to this day. From the technical wizardry of movements to the intricate detailing of decorative flourishes, A. Lange & Söhne set the standard of the time. For proof of this, read on to discover a trio of landmark timepieces created during the brothers’ stewardship of this iconic company.

The Sultan’s Watch

This sumptuously decorated timepiece was commissioned in 1898 by the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, Kaiser Wilhelm II. It can today be viewed as part of the Topkapi Palace Museum collection. On his first trip east, the Kaiser gifted the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire this gilded pocket watch, featuring an enamel portrait of himself set with diamonds on the case front and an imperial crown and diamond-set ‘W’ on the reverse. It’s a piece that speaks to the mastery of materials and sheer craftsmanship long synonymous with A. Lange & Söhne.

The Centennial Tourbillon

In 2022, this exquisite pocket watch (one of the most renowned and precious in the world) found its way to the Museum Bautzen, having been lost in the chaos and confusion of World War II and its aftermath. Boasting gold construction and a miniature enamel painting of the goddess Minerva, it’s one of an extremely limited number of tourbillons A. Lange & Söhne produced during the late 19th and early 20th centuries (records suggest just 12 tourbillons were made between 1892 and 1925) and was introduced by Emil Lange himself at the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris.

The Grande Complication No. 42500

This stunning one-off piece was produced in 1902, and, as its name would suggest, it remains the most complex the maison has ever produced. The clock boasts a chiming movement with a grande and petite sonnerie, a minute repeater, and a split-seconds chronograph with flying seconds (seconde foudroyante), as well as a 60-minute counter, and a perpetual calendar with a moon-phase display. This extraordinary collection of complications is housed in an intricately chiselled and hand-engraved gold savonette case with classic Graff engraving — it’s nothing less than a horological triumph.

Rebuilding a Legacy

Following the passing of Emil in 1921 and Richard in 1932, as well as the catastrophic devastation of the Second World War, many decades would pass before the next key phase for A. Lange & Söhne could commence. However, it would be worth the wait.

The watchmaker (along with all other Glashütte watch companies) was nationalised and ceased to operate in 1948. But in 1990, following the fall of the Berlin Wall, Walter Lange, the great-grandson of Ferdinand Adolph Lange, saw an opportunity to reclaim his family’s legacy. Precisely 145 years after his great-grandfather established what would become the jewel in the crown of German fine watchmaking, Walter re-founded the A. Lange & Söhne brand.

The reincarnated maison wasted no time, filing its first patent, the outsize date, as early as 1992. Two years later, it was used in three of A. Lange & Söhne’s first four watches, and would go on to become a signature feature for the watchmaker.

Now, drawing inspiration from the man who established the brand 180 years ago, every timepiece sees the maison continue its relentless pursuit of absolute horological perfection. With that in mind, read on for a snapshot of A. Lange & Söhne’s iconic contemporary watch families.

LANGE 1

Unmistakable due to its asymmetrical yet perfectly balanced dial configuration and outsize date complication, the LANGE 1 watch family is a potent expression of individuality and imagination, showcasing several facets of German horological artistry. Born of a desire to forge new paths in watchmaking, the LANGE 1 collection is the acute embodiment of Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s commitment to elevating his craft.

SAXONIA

Named for the German state of Saxony—long at the cutting edge of horology’s technical progress—the purpose of the SAXONIA watch family is to always find the best conceivable mechanical solution, meaning each timepiece must be both technically optimised and aesthetically perfect. Regardless of whether the model in question offers simple functionality or something more complicated, the SAXONIA collection is A. Lange & Söhne’s esteemed home for micromechanical innovation.

1815

Showcasing the maison’s dedication to traditional values, discreet elegance, and constancy as interpreted through a contemporary lens, the 1815 watch family is crafted to embody a graceful lack of pretension while allowing for a bold sense of ambition. The collection derives its name from the year of founder Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s birth and features elements typically found in A. Lange & Söhne’s historic pocket watches. These new timepieces reimagine the designs of yesteryear through modern technical know-how, creating something simultaneously classic and contemporary.

RICHARD LANGE

The RICHARD LANGE watch family is an exercise in precision and legibility, optimising both while producing objects of absolute beauty. One detail distinguishes these models from their historical forebears, which is the use of elevated materials like white, pink, and yellow gold, while the intricate perfection of each timepiece’s movement secures their status as a wonder of modern horology.

ZEITWERK

A perfect collection for those with a fondness for the unconventional, the ZEITWERK family pairs a mechanical heart with a digital display, the large jumping numerals of which strikingly switch from one minute to the next in a fraction of a second. This is all powered by an ingenious movement boasting some of A. Lange & Söhne’s most sophisticated mechanisms, setting the ZEITWERK collection apart while maintaining the maison’s commitment to elegance and innovation.

ODYSSEUS

As A. Lange & Söhne’s newest collection, the ODYSSEUS is something of an outlier for the maison, representing its first sporty-elegant effort. Developed for those whose passion for the active lifestyle is only matched by their passion for watchmaking artistry, the collection’s special construction and water resistance ensure these timepieces are wonderfully robust companions for those adventurous in spirit.

Discover the Art of Watchmaking

Interested in experiencing the world of precision watchmaking firsthand? Book your appointment at the A. Lange & Söhne Sydney Watchmaker Activation today.