One of the finest German-made watch brands, A. Lange & Sohne has a history dating back to the 19th century. Unfortunately, the brand was expropriated after World War II. However, thanks to Walter Lange (great-grandson of founder Ferdinand Adolph Lange), who brought the brand back to life in the early 1990s, it has once again become an icon. Firmly established in the Saxony region, A. Lange & Sohne has developed 66 mechanical calibers and introduced some of the most beloved collections, including the Lange 1, the Zeitwerk, and others.
Dresden watchmaker Ferdinand Adolph Lange laid the foundation for Saxony’s fine watchmaking industry in 1845 when he established his manufacture. His prized pocket watches remain highly desired among collectors all over the world. The company was confiscated after the Second World War, and the name A. Lange & Söhne nearly vanished. However, in 1990, Walter Lange, Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s great-grandson, took the decision to start over again.
Today, A. Lange & Söhne produce only a few thousand wristwatches per year in their manufacture in Glashütte, 30 kilometers south of Dresden – mainly in gold or platinum. Their movements are produced exclusively in-house. With 66 manufacture calibres developed since the launch of the first collection of the new era in October 1994, A. Lange & Söhne has once again secured a top-tier position in the world of watches. Its greatest successes include brand icons such as the LANGE 1, the first regularly produced wristwatch with an outsize date, and the ZEITWERK, with its precisely jumping numerals. Extraordinary complications such as the ZEITWERK MINUTE REPEATER, TOURBOGRAPH PERPETUAL “Pour le Mérite,” and the TRIPLE SPLIT represent what the manufactory always aims for: to drive the traditional art of watchmaking to ever-new heights. Furthermore, the sporty-elegant ODYSSEUS, introduced in 2019, marked a new chapter for A. Lange & Söhne.
During the manufacturing process of the precision watches, the Lange watchmakers decorate the timepieces by hand with the highest level of expertise and attention to every little detail. They assemble each watch twice, performing their work with the traditional craftsmanship that was once practiced at the Dresden court. With each new model, they attempt to build the watches of the future using past values in partnership with technical innovations – living up to Walter Lange’s driving motivation never to stand still.
A. Lange & Söhne is owned by the Compagnie Financière Richemont SA who also own brands like Vacheron Constantin, Cartier, and Jaeger-LeCoultre. The headquarters of A. Lange & Söhne is in the same place as they were in 1873, Glasshütte, Germany.
During the Second World War, Lange & Söhne focused on producing easy to read watches designed for military use, putting the production of their high-end timepieces on stand by. On the last night of World War II, a bomb destroyed the A. Lange & Söhne’s manufacture.