Borna Bosniak
Some watch collectors tend to have an affinity for classic watches. Iconic models such as the Submariner, Tank, and Speedmaster are undoubtedly the best, and any of these could form the basis of a solid collection. Still others take the hobby to another level, into the realm of luxury watches, where intricately hand-decorated, pristine dials and casework are combined with in-house movements. One thing both of these types of collectors have in common is a deep respect for history. No true enthusiast would scoff at the possibility of a watch missing a watch, but there’s a reason why things like the Holy Trinity are their preference. teeth. Unlike Holy Trinity, A. Lange & Söhne had a rocky start to their eventual path to stardom, beginning with a 1994 revival ushered in by the subject of this article. A. Lange & Söhne The Lange 1 was unconventional in its appearance and has defined the brand ever since. To commemorate the 30th anniversary of its revival, we wanted to share its story.
How it all started
A. Lange & Söhne’s story begins in 1845. Ferdinand Adolf Lange founded the company in Glashütte, Germany. Born in 1815, he received technical training in watchmaking and other arts from his future father-in-law in Dresden as a young man. He then headed to Paris (then the center of fine watchmaking) for further instruction before returning to Germany. After marrying the company president’s daughter, he lobbied the Saxon state government to help him establish his own watch factory in Glashütte.
Along the way, he is credited with many innovations, including the early adoption of metric measurements in watchmaking, new tools, and new manufacturing methods. As a result, his watches became widely respected, with members of the Russian royal family becoming his biggest fans. And with the advent of railroads, accurate timekeeping became more important than ever. Eventually, his two sons, Richard and Emil, joined the family business. After his death in 1875, his sons continued to create some of the most prized watches of the era. Their masterpieces include this pocket watch given by Emperor Wilhelm II to the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
Future generations of the family continued the tradition of innovation and outstanding craftsmanship, and Richard Lange was a watchmaker par excellence among them, displaying an outstanding talent for watch design and receiving numerous patents over the years. Two of Lange’s greatest achievements during this period came in the early 20th century. These were the No. 41000 Jahrhundertourbillon (“Hundred Year Tourbillon”) and the extraordinary Grand Complication No. 42500. The former was created specifically for the 1900 Paris Universal Exhibition and was the first tourbillon exhibited internationally by A. Lange & France. Sohne, platinum case with enamel painting of the goddess Minerva and Paris. On the other hand, the grand complication isCommissioned by Heinrich Schaefer in 1902, only one was ever built and featured a grande and petite sonnerie, a minute repeater, a split-seconds chronograph, and a perpetual calendar.
However, the beginning of the 20th century also marked the beginning of a tumultuous period for the brand. As World War I loomed, demand for luxury watches in Germany plummeted, and A. Lange & Söhne became a conglomerate of Sachsen GmbH, founded by other German watchmakers, to become Deutsche Prezision Uhlenfabrik. It was no longer possible to keep up with Glashütte’s mass production. The end of the war didn’t help either, inflation was rampant in the Weimar Republic, and sales of Lange’s newly developed cost-effective calibers slowed. The family business passed from Emil and Richard’s hands to Emil’s three sons and then to Walter Lange in the 1940s. STo follow in his great-grandfather’s footsteps, Walter attended watch school in 1941. Sadly, the Lange family’s business was not destined to last as World War II ravaged Europe. Lange was one of the manufacturers chosen to produce the Luftwaffe’s B-Uhr Freesier, among other precision equipment, but a bombing raid on the last night of the war destroyed the main factory building. . With the Soviet occupation in 1948, the Glashütte watch manufacturers were unified under VEB Glashütte Uhlenbetriebe, ending the century-old Lange name.
Why Lange 1 is important
But that wasn’t the end of the Lange name. After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the unification of Germany in 1989, Walter Lange Guidance from watch industry veteran Günther Blumlein (who helped revive IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre); determined to revive his family’s business. In 1990, A. Lange & Söhne Blumlein conductor LMH Group including both IWC and JLC. A. Lange & Söhne Four prototypes were created and launched in 1994, including the Alucard, Lange Tourbillon, Saxonia, and the original Lange 1. LMH later became part of the giant Richemont Group (parent company of Cartier, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin, Panerai, etc.) in 2000.
The Lange 1 was more than just a new and innovative design. This was a stepping stone for A. Lange & Söhne to not only leverage its historical significance and know-how, but also to reintroduce German fine watchmaking to the world. Its distinctive dated complication was patented and became the basis of Lange design, now recognized as distinctly German. And the success of this initial design can only be appreciated when you realize that nothing has really changed since it was introduced, and that it really doesn’t need to. Rather, A. Lange & Söhne is more likely to be a one-trick pony brand that only sells different variations of the Lange 1, and would still likely be successful. Aesthetically, the Lange 1 is nearly identical to the 1994 original, and that’s no surprise. Other than a few minor tweaks to the text on the dial, this is one of the first examples someone has done with great accuracy.
proportionally unbalanced
The dial of the Lange 1 may seem fragmented and disjointed at first glance, but it is surprisingly balanced. In fact, the watch is based on the Golden Ratio, with its time, seconds, power reserve and distinctive outsized date arrangement forming an isosceles triangle.
Lange has also woven history into this geometric design, with the iconic date window modeled after the clock at Dresden’s Semper Opera House. Created in 1841, this five-minute clock was designed by Johann Christian Friedrich Gutkes, who happened to be Ferdinand Lange’s watchmaking instructor. Gutkaes, together with Lange and other students, created this clock in his workshop at the request of Frederick Augustus II. The Outsize Date was patented in 1992 and quickly became the Lange 1’s visual calling card, as well as adorning the dials of other Lange models.
Unlike almost all modern Lange watches you see, the first Lange 1 models were equipped with solid casebacks. That said, we couldn’t peer at the L901.0 caliber inside, but don’t think Lange didn’t bother to dress it up. This is the very caliber that gave rise to the now iconic German silver three-quarter plate found on most Lange models, dotted with blue screw-down chatons and a hand-engraved balance. The L901.0 was built by Lange and actually used a JLC 822 train, which was naturally modified to fit Lange’s needs. And these are not the only singularities associated with this movement. Despite this beautiful hand decoration, it does not have a free-sprung balance, and later models also do away with the Breguet overcoils of earlier models (for more specifics, check out the Lange 1 movement on Langepedia (explains things like) quirks, and more details).
Featured models
I already mentioned that the original Lange 1 was a game changer and it remains one of my personal favorites. The 38.5mm case remains the perfect size for the Lange 1, and there’s something undeniable about it being a first. The only potential downside I can think of is the solid caseback, which Lange fixed in a follow-up reference just a year later, but that doesn’t take away from how special this watch actually is.
The bright dial and gold case are a bit over the top, but if you want the heft of a precious metal watch on your wrist, the Lange 1 Dozen is the watch for you. It was the perfect size (38.5 mm) and came with a platinum case and, more importantly, a custom platinum beaded rice bracelet.
But when it comes to ultra-rare and special Lange 1 models, only one stands out above the rest. It’s not the Tourbillon Handwerkskunst or Lumen (both of which are pretty cool in their own right), it’s the Honey Gold Reference 101.050. This is a material usually reserved for the most exclusive Lange pieces, and although it has appeared several times in the Lange 1 collection (Ref. 116.050 Timezone and Ref. 722.050 Tourbillon), this classic 38.5 mm Lange 1 speaks to me the most. – And coincidentally, so do many other Lange 1 fans. Apart from being produced in 20 pieces and reserved for Lange’s best customers, a model with the L901 movement was also offered, even though the updated L121 was already included in the regular offering. The decoration is also different, reminiscent of the brand’s Handwerkskunst models, with brushed and hand-engraved three-quarter plates instead of the usual Glashütte ribs.
