The Pinnacle of German High-End Watches Distinct from Swiss Timepieces

These days Switzerland is undoubtedly the country that represents luxury watches but German watches also possess remarkable expertise. In fact before watchmaking technology shifted to Switzerland the leading countries in Europe were the United Kingdom and France which were advanced in science and technology and Germany was also on par with them. Now when it comes to German watches the Glashütte region is the most well-known.
Glashütte located in the state of Saxony in eastern Germany was once famous for its silver mines. However as the mines were depleted the region sought revival through the watch industry and completely transformed into the land of German watchmaking.

The house and annexed factory of Lange in Glashütte, Germany, 1873 © Grail watch

The Beginning of the Story

A. Lange & Söhne began with the efforts of one man to revive the Glashütte region after its silver mines were depleted. Ferdinand Adolph Lange, The royal watchmaker of the Duchy of Saxony, Built a watchmaking workshop in Glashütte to employ local youths and started operations by providing watchmaking education in 1845.

Ferdinand Adolph Lange (1815-1875) © Grail watch

In the early days there were many difficulties such as poor productivity and financial struggles but the company gradually found stability. Among various factors the first application of the metric system in watchmaking in Europe played a key role. This made the measurement and calculation of watch parts simpler and reduced errors and inaccuracies. Naturally precision and work efficiency improved significantly and the quality of watches produced by A. Lange & Söhne increased. Although A. Lange & Söhne established itself as a leading high-end German company the journey was not always smooth. After two world wars Germany was divided into East and West and all watch companies in East Germany under communist rule were forced to merge under state control. High-end companies like A. Lange & Söhne could not survive under the communist regime and were integrated into a state-owned watch company losing their brilliance.

Watches announced by A. Lange & Söhne in 1994 © A.Lange & Soehne

1994

To make matters worse the A. Lange & Söhne factory was partially destroyed by bombing during the war. Walter Lange, A descendant of the Lange family, Left for West Germany but returned to Glashütte to revive the company.
At that time he met Günter Blümlein, CEO of LMH (Les Manufactures Horlogeres), The luxury division of West Germany's VDO Group, Who managed IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre, And began the reconstruction plan. However as the Cold War between the two blocs intensified and it became difficult to travel between East and West Germany Walter Lange risked his life to travel back and forth under surveillance. He was already well over 60 years old at the time.

In November 1989 history began to move rapidly. The unexpected wave of change brought down the Berlin Wall which had divided Germany into East and West. Not long after Walter Lange and Günter Blümlein saw the fruition of their life-risking plan. Walter Lange recalled the start of the reconstruction as follows. ‘At that time there was nothing. There were no watches to make and sell no employees no building no machines. The only thing I had was the desire to make the world's best watch in Saxony Germany.’ In 1994 they announced a world-class watch that was completely distinct from Swiss timepieces.

Four watches were unveiled at the launch event including the now-iconic Lange 1, Saxonia, Arkade, And Tourbillon Pour le Mérite. Thanks to the originality and detail unique to German watches and the dramatic story of revival distinct from Swiss watches the company quickly established itself as a high-end brand. The awakened German giant received praise and attention for every new watch it released. A few years later, Sadly, Günter Blümlein passed away from leukemia and A. Lange & Söhne was sold to the Richemont Group along with IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre but its beauty has never faded. This is because Walter Lange and the Lange family continued to firmly support the brand.

Collection

Lange 1, 1815, Datograph © A.Lange & Soehne

All watches featured in official photos and advertisements by A. Lange & Söhne are set to 1:52. This is completely different from Swiss watches which are usually set to around 10:08. This alone shows how much A. Lange & Söhne strives to differentiate itself as the pinnacle of German watchmaking. In fact A. Lange & Söhne has achieved a perfect revival with new attempts and unique styles.

Lange 1 (LANGE 1)

If one were to name the key model in the revival of A. Lange & Söhne it would undoubtedly be the Lange 1. It embodies the effort to distinguish itself from Swiss watches and to create a world-class timepiece.
Dresden, The capital of Saxony where Glashütte is located, Was the center of culture, Science, And technology in eastern Germany. As a result, Many historical heritages remain, And the Semper Opera House is one of them. The opera house features a digital five-minute clock designed for actors to easily check the time. Inspired by this, The big date mechanism was developed and applied to the Lange 1. The two large windows display the tens and units digits of the date in a digital format, Which influenced many Swiss companies.

Lange 1 192.032 © A.Lange & Soehne

Another distinguishing detail of the Lange 1 is the dial, Where the hour and minute hands are arranged like a frame within a frame. As the central model of the collection, The Lange 1 introduces various functions such as moon phase and world time based on its unique layout.

Lange 1 191.032

38.5mm, Silver

Lange 1 191.039

38.5mm, Silver

Saxonia (SAXONIA)

Saxony is not only the birthplace of A. Lange & Söhne but has also played a pioneering role in German technology since ancient times. The collection is named after this region.

Lange Saxonia Thin 205.086 © A.Lange & Soehne

Lange Saxonia Collection © A.Lange & Soehne

Ultra-thin watches may not seem like a showcase of technical prowess due to their simple functions but making a thin watch requires know-how and sophisticated skills. The Saxonia collection demonstrates German watchmaking expertise with complications such as the double split (a split-seconds chronograph with enhanced independent counting), Triple split (an even more advanced split-seconds chronograph), Perpetual calendar, And an ultra-long power reserve of up to 31 days.

Saxonia Thin 201.027

37mm, Silver

Saxonia Thin 201.033

37mm, Silver

1815

The 1815 collection, Named after the birth year of founder Ferdinand Adolph Lange, Prioritizes optimal legibility, Unlike the original and distinctive Lange 1 collection.

The railway minute index on the dial and the clearly hand-written style Arabic numerals are the defining features of the 1815 collection. From simple time-only models that showcase the purity of German watchmaking with just hour, Minute, And second hands, To models with a German-style C-shaped power reserve indicator, Annual calendar, Chronograph, Split-seconds chronograph, And tourbillon, The collection presents a variety of functions in a clean design.

1815 Up/Down 234.032

39mm, Silver

1815 235.026

38.5mm, Silver

The official Korean notation for A. Lange & Söhne is 'A. Lange und Söhne' but in accordance with the brand's official Korean naming it is written as 'Lange und Söhne'.

Felix

Writer

Watch columnist