House of Lange

The commitment to “Never Stand Still”.

The awakening of this legendary Saxony brand, and the its stories past, present and to come.

173 years of history, in 10 points. What you must know, about A.Lange & Söhne:

1. This legacy brand with a storied and horological accolade annotated past traces its humble beginnings in Glashütte, Germany.
2. Founded in 1845, Dresden watchmaker Ferdinand A.Lange staffed his first production workshop for pocket watches with 15 apprentices who were former coal miners and straw weavers.
3. Forward thinking Lange innovated the craft of watch-making with the introduction of the metric system (for accuracy of calculation and manufacture of movement components), and the three-quarter base plate – now famed as a distinct feature of Lange watches – for improved stability of the movement.
4. With the involvement of the second Lange generation, the company took on the name A.Lange & Söhne (for A.Lange & Sons).
5. Lange presented the Grand Complication No. 42500 in 1902, the most complicated pocket watch ever built by the manufactory.
6. For generations, A.Lange & Söhne was the favourite watch brand of the Court of Saxony, and serviced the most prestigious of clientele, to include German Emperor William II and King Ludwig II of Bavaria.
7. Second Lange generation Richard Lange discovered that the addition of beryllium to nickel and steel alloys improved the quality of balance springs. To this day, this enhancement to the heart of every technical movement is key to the house. A.Lange & Söhne has been operating their own state-of-the-art production facilities for the propriety spring for their in-house movements since 2003.
8. After 40 years of involuntary cessation of business (due to nationalisation by the communist regime from 1948 to 1989), master watch-maker Walter Lange, great-grand son of Ferdinand A.Lange moved to revive the sleeping legendary brand, and registered the A.Lange & Söhne trademark worldwide, in 1990 following the re-unification of Germany.
9. After four years of development, Walter Lange and business partner Günter Blümlein presented the A.Lange & Söhne inaugural collection comprising four styles: Lange 1, Arkade, Saxonia, and Lange Tourbillon, to tremendous positive response from press and trade in 1994. The Lange 1, featuring its distinctive off-centre dial layout and 1992 patented outsize date remains today, a standout iconic reference of the house.
10. The house has since presented remarkable innovations to the world of precision watchmaking, and annually crafts exclusively only a few thousand wristwatches in precious metals, fitted exclusively with Lange proprietary movements, assembled and completed by hand. The Triple Split Chronograph presented at SIHH 2018 is testament to the house’s core philosophy, to “Never Stand Still”.

The following are quick access links to some of our recent Lange stories, and we invite you to watch this space as we add more conversations about this house of inimitable style.