A. Lange & Söhne

The luxury watch manufacturer A. Lange & Söhne has over 170 years of history to look back on. Ferdinand Adolph Lange founded his pocket watch business in the eastern German town of Glashütte back in 1845.

One of the brand's trademarks is the outsize date, which A. Lange & Söhne had patented in 1992. This display perfectly exemplifies the company's dedication to producing functional timepieces. Other common design features include tempered blue screws, the Glashütte sunburst finish, swan-neck fine adjustment, the three-quarter plate (developed by Ferdinand Adolph Lange himself), and intricately engraved balance cocks. Few manufacturers put as much time and effort into decorating their movements as A. Lange & Söhne.

The Saxonia, Zeitwerk, and Lange 1 are among this German company's most popular collections. However, you will find interesting models in the 1815, Grand Lange 1, Datograph, and Richard Lange collections as well. Furthermore, A. Lange & Söhne celebrated 25 years since its reestablishment by releasing their first steel watch in series production in the Odysseus collection.

In addition to the steel watch, the manufacturer marked their 25th anniversary with three limited-edition Lange 1 anniversary models. One is a classic Lange 1, the second is a Daymatic, and the third is a Lange 1 with a moon phase indicator.

A. Lange & Söhne's entry-level timepieces belong to the Saxonia collection. For example, you can purchase a rose gold Saxonia Thin ref. 211.032 for around 19,500 USD. Top Saxonia models with an annual calendar and platinum case cost roughly 53,500 USD.

A mint-condition Lange 1 in yellow gold, such as the ref. 191.021, will set you back about 40,500 USD. The white gold variant tends to be slightly less expensive. If the Lange 1's 38.5-mm case is too small for your wrist, you may prefer the 41-mm Grand Lange 1. Be prepared to spend around 44,000 USD on a platinum Grand Lange 1 with a moon phase display.

The Datograph with a flyback chronograph is yet another interesting option. First introduced in 1999, this watch is available in platinum or rose gold. Prices for a never-worn Datograph ref. 403.035 come in at roughly 54,500 USD.

The Odysseus collection is still relatively young and is comprised of three models. Each watch comes with central hour and minute hands, an outsize date, and a small seconds. The ref. 363.068 requires an investment of about 48,500 USD.

A. Lange & Söhne launched the Zeitwerk collection in 2009. These watches stand out with their digital hour and minute displays, meaning they use discs with numbers to display the time in windows – much like a date display. The small seconds has a traditional hand and sits at 6 o'clock. You can call a new Zeitwerk timepiece your own for around 74,500 USD.

The Lange 1 has been a huge success ever since its introduction in 1994. Its outsize date and off-center dial make it a distinctive timepiece. Even its !{powerreserve,power reserve indicator} is characteristic of the series. The watch is available with either a 38.5-mm or 41-mm case. In terms of material, you can choose from 18-karat white, yellow, or rose gold or platinum. The manual in-house caliber L121.1 powers the timepiece and has a power reserve of 72 hours. A classic Lange 1 like the ref. 191.021 can be yours for approximately 40,500 USD.

Frequent travelers should take a closer look at the Lange 1 Time Zone. This watch shows the time in all 24 standard time zones while simultaneously displaying your home time. A ring around the dial labeled with the names of cities indicates which time zone is currently selected. You can easily set the second time zone at the push of a button. The manual caliber L031.1, which has a power reserve of 72 hours, powers this watch. The white gold Lange 1 Time Zone ref. 136.029 changes hands for roughly 51,000 USD.

Highlights from the Lange 1 collection are the models featuring a tourbillon and perpetual calendar. The unusual dial design enables A. Lange & Söhne to display the perpetual calendar in a completely new way: The months appear on a large subsidiary ring instead of the more common subdial. Since the ring borders the dial, it doesn't overlap with any of the subdials. This allows the classic Lange 1 design to otherwise remain the same. You can view the tourbillon through the sapphire crystal case back. The Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar ref. 720.032 demands around 253,000 USD.

A. Lange & Söhne celebrated 25 years since its refounding in 2019. The manufacturer marked the occasion with three limited-edition Lange 1 models. Each features a white gold case, silver dial, tempered blue hands, and a blue alligator leather strap.

The Lange 1 "25th Anniversary" gets its power from the in-house caliber L121.1. This watch comes with a hinged case back engraved with an image of the company's headquarters and the inscription "25 Jahre Lange 1" ("25 years Lange 1"). Limited to a run of 250 pieces, this model had a list price of 47,900 USD at release.

A. Lange & Söhne equips the Lange 1 Daymatic "25th Anniversary" with the automatic caliber L021.1. You can easily recognize watches with this movement thanks to the flipped position of their displays compared to models with a manual caliber. The hour and minute subdial sits on the right-hand side, while the small seconds rests at 7 o'clock. A date display at 11 and a power reserve indicator between 8 and 10 o'clock completes the dial. If you turn the watch over, you can view the elaborately decorated movement through the sapphire crystal case back. A. Lange & Söhne only produced 25 copies of this timepiece, selling each at a price of 44,200 EUR (approx. 49,000 USD).

The third and final model in this series is the Lange 1 Moon Phase "25th Anniversary." Its beautiful moon phase display sits within the small seconds at 5 o'clock and also serves as a day/night indicator. During the day, the Moon appears on a light blue background, while at night, it shines against a dark night sky with 383 stars. You can observe the in-house caliber L121.3 at work through the sapphire crystal case back. Also limited to a run of 25 pieces, this stunning timepiece had a recommended retail value of 43,300 EUR (approx. 48,500 USD) at its introduction.

A. Lange & Söhne presented two new versions of the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar at Watches & Wonders 2021. Both get their power from the new caliber L021.3. As long as it keeps running, this movement's date and month displays will require no manual correction until 2100. The movement has a 50-hour power reserve and, like all Lange calibers, boasts intricate decoration, including an engraved balance and a Glashütte finish on the nickel silver plates and bridges.

The rose gold edition is part of the manufacturer's main catalog and demands 104,500 USD. On the other hand, the white gold model is a limited edition and officially sells for 116,000 USD.

A Lange & Söhne set their sights on a younger audience with the release of the classic yet sporty Odysseus collection in 2019. Perhaps the most notable aspect of this collection is that it contains the manufacturer's first series-production watch in stainless steel. As of summer 2021, there are three models available: two in white gold and one in stainless steel. The brand-new in-house caliber L155.1 powers each timepiece. Its dial features central hour and minute hands, an outsize date at 3, a small seconds at 6, and a large day display at 9 o'clock.

Both white gold editions come with a gray dial. The real difference is the band. You can choose between a brown leather strap with white stitching or a black rubber strap. The latter bears the reference number 363.068 and costs around 60,500 USD new. The version on a leather strap sells for similar prices. If you'd prefer a stainless steel watch with a blue dial, you should look for the ref. 363.179. Even though it is "only" made of stainless steel, it actually demands more than the white gold models. More specifically, this timepiece changes hands for about 72,000 USD. Even so, the Odysseus is still a relatively affordable alternative to icons like the Patek Philippe Nautilus and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.

The Grand Complication is the most complicated A Lange. & Söhne wristwatch to date. It debuted in 2013, and with a price tag of almost 2 million EUR (approx. 2.6 million USD), it's one of the world's most expensive watches. It takes an entire year to produce just one of these timepieces. Among its complications are a perpetual calendar, a moon phase display, and a split-seconds chronograph (also known as a "double" or "rattrapante" chronograph). "Split-seconds chronograph" means the watch has two chronograph second hands so that you can measure intervals. Another special feature is the flying seconds, a second hand which makes a complete rotation once per second.

The Grand Complication watch boasts yet another technical highlight: a grande sonnerie, an independent chiming complication. It chimes on the hour and quarter-hour automatically, unlike minute repeaters, which function manually. The Grand Complication also has a minute repeater. To date, A. Lange & Söhne has only produced six of these watches

Ferdinand Adolph Lange was born in 1815 in Dresden, Germany. At the age of 15, he started a watchmaking apprenticeship with master watchmaker Christian Friedrich Gutkaes. Gutkaes served as the watchmaker for Dresden's royal court from 1842 to 1845. After his apprenticeship, Lange spent several years traveling through Europe and learning from the best watchmakers, eventually ending up in Paris. He returned to Dresden in 1841, where he completed the Semperoper's famous Five-Minute Clock together with Gutkaes. The clock had a digital (i.e., numeric) display and could be read from all seats.

Russian Czar Alexander II belonged to Ferdinand Adolph Lange's exclusive clientele. The czar was so enthusiastic about Lange's pocket watches that he gifted Lange a diamond scarf pin. Lange was flattered and had a photograph taken of himself with the gift to send to the czar.

Lange founded his pocket watch company in 1845 in Glashütte, Germany – a town about 12 miles south of Dresden. The area prospered in the early 19th century thanks to the discovery of silver ore deposits. After all the ore was mined, there wasn't much work left for people in the region. Therefore, the government called on businesses to come and settle in the area. Lange proposed establishing a German watchmaking industry similar to Switzerland's in Germany's Ore Mountains. He sought to hire 15 former miners and basket makers and train them as watchmakers. After completing training, they had the option of working independently as suppliers. This method was used in the Swiss Vallée de Joux and had worked well. The government selected Glashütte as the perfect location for Lange's proposal and gave him a loan to start his business.

Lange's plan was successful. After a few years, his apprentices had founded supply companies, and watchmakers were flocking to Glashütte. A watchmaking school was even established in the town. Glashütte flourished and developed into the center of German watchmaking where only high-quality watches were produced. Regular, everyday watches came from the Black Forest or Switzerland at the time.

After the Second World War, A. Lange & Söhne ceased to exist as an independent company. German reunification gave A. Lange & Söhne the chance to reestablish themselves. Walter Lange, the great-grandson of Ferdinand Adolph Lange and a master watchmaker, founded Lange Uhren GmbH in December 1990. Four years later, the company presented its first collection consisting of four wristwatches: the legendary Lange 1, the Saxonia, the Arkade, and the Tourbillion "Pour le Mérite."