A. Lange & Söhne has a particularly close relationship with the Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments, dating back to the early days of Saxon precision watchmaking. With its masterfully crafted timepieces and scientific instruments, the royal collection became a source of inspiration for the young Ferdinand Adolph Lange around 1830. This hub of innovation fuelled his desire to build the finest watches in the world. When he founded his watch manufacture in Glashütte in 1845, he turned this dream into reality and established a tradition that A. Lange & Söhne continues to uphold and develop to this day.

Presentation of the first watch collection at Dresden Royal Palace

One of the most important milestones shared by the manufacture and the SKD is 24 October 1994: on this day, at the Dresden Royal Palace, the headquarters of the SKD, A. Lange & Söhne presented the first four wristwatches of its new era, including the LANGE 1. In 2006, the already close partnership was formally established with a written contract. The six-year restoration of the Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments, sponsored by A. Lange & Söhne, and its reopening in 2013 gave new visibility to the aspiration to preserve the traditional connection between watchmaking and science as cultural heritage.

Education, promoting young talent and cultural mission

In 2015, the SKD special exhibition “Simple and Perfect. Saxony’s Path into the World of International Watchmaking” offered fascinating insights into the remarkable life’s work of Ferdinand Adolph Lange. With exhibits from the world of A. Lange & Söhne, some of which had never been shown before, and historical Lange pocket watches, the exhibition shed light on the early history of Saxon watchmaking and highlighted the shared cultural mission of the manufacture and the museum association. This is also reflected in the Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments’ “Lernort” (learning centre). The funding project, which focuses on natural sciences, teaches young people about technical concepts in a visually appealing way and encourages curiosity and a spirit of inquiry – a cause to which A. Lange & Söhne is also particularly committed as a company that provides vocational training.

2026 exhibition projects: art in international dialogue

A. Lange & Söhne will continue to support the realisation of outstanding SKD projects throughout the 2026 exhibition year. In addition to the Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments’ learning centre, this also includes the exhibitions “Paula Modersohn-Becker and Edvard Munch. The Big Questions of Life” from 8 February to 31 May 2026 at the Albertinum, and “Japan on Paper in Dresden. Utamaro, Hokusai, Hiroshige and Modern Graphic Art” from 26 June to 20 September 2026 at the Kupferstich-Kabinett (Collection of Prints, Drawings and Photographs).

“For the past 20 years, A. Lange & Söhne and the SKD have enjoyed a close and vibrant partnership. We share an appreciation of the highest standards of craftsmanship, as well as a commitment to art and culture. Both institutions are dedicated to showcasing Saxon precision and a passion for excellence around the world. Against this backdrop, we are extremely grateful that this valuable collaboration will continue for another five years,” said Dr Bernd Ebert, Director General of the Dresden State Art Collections.

“Our partnership with the SKD is more than just about celebrating history and traditions,” emphasises Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of A. Lange & Söhne. “Rather, we believe it is important to make our shared cultural heritage accessible to future generations, as it offers us all inspiration and impetus in many ways. The SKD makes an outstanding contribution to this.”

A. Lange & Söhne has already been honoured several times by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Among other things, the manufacture has been awarded the title of "Excellent Training Company" five times. In 2014, 2018 and 2021, also a Lange graduate was honoured as the best watchmaker apprentice in Germany.

According to Wilhelm Schmid, successes like these are primarily due to the dedicated team of trainers: "In order to lead our art of fine watchmaking into the future, we rely on people who share our passion. It is therefore our great responsibility to invest in the recruitment and training of top talent. Since 1997, we have made it our mission to prepare dedicated young people for the profession and thus secure the next generation of skilled professionals. Since then, 263 young people have completed their training with us. The fact that most of our graduates are still working for us is testament not only to the quality of our training, but also to the future opportunities associated with our traditional craftsmanship."

In addition to watchmakers, A. Lange & Söhne also trains toolmakers, cutting machine operators, office managers, IT specialists and warehouse logistics specialists. In connection with these varied training opportunities, the manufacture offers numerous programmes and projects:

For interested parties

• Internships in all training occupations, spread over the year
• Once a year the "Open Training Day" provides an insight into the training workshops and classrooms of the “Walter Lange Training and Further Education Centre”
• Regional career guidance events at education fairs and in schools (approx. 25 events per year, with an upward trend), "Schau rein Sachsen" (Look inside, Saxony) from 18 to 20 March 2025
• Monthly offer "90 MINUTES FOR YOUR FUTURE", which informs pupils and parents after work about training opportunities; registration is possible on the Lange website

For trainees

• Training allowance above the standard pay scale and other additional benefits, including massages, health action days and online counselling on mental health, payment of sports clubs, Christmas party, membership fees, equal treatment of  permanent employees and trainees for all additional benefits
• Welcome event with parents before the official start of training and "Welcome Day" on the first day
• Excursions to Prague, Hamburg and support for a school trip organised by the educational institution (Black Forest, Switzerland), other stays abroad are also possible
• Regular insights into the Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments to discover the roots of Saxon fine watchmaking
• Going beyond the curriculum, the realisation of an own practical project such as the construction of a table clock
• Lange-supported voluntary work of two master watchmakers employed in the IHK examination system
• Support for master craftsman training for talented individuals
• Opportunity to take part in the international "Cartier Prize for Watchmaking Talents of Tomorrow" competition in the third year of the apprenticeship

Cooperations

• Intensive cooperation with the vocational school in Glashütte as part of a cooperation agreement, specifically the support of trainees in full-time school education through internships and part-time work
• Partnership with the "Dresden Palucca University of Dance" as part of the "Lebens-Zeit-lebens" exchange programme
• Long-standing exchange with the Danish watchmaking school Ringsted

Facts and figures 2025:

• Since 2022, the Lange training centre has borne the name of the company founder "Walter Lange Training and Further Education Centre".
• Lange is currently training 48 apprentices in six professions: Watchmaker, toolmaker, cutting machine operator, skilled worker for warehouse logistics, IT specialist for system integration and office managers for human resources and controlling.
• Since 1997, 263 young people have successfully learnt a trade.

Further information:
https://www.alange-soehne.com/eu-de/manufacture/company/careers/apprenticeships

Walter Lange, who was closely connected with A. Lange & Söhne as a representative and ambassador until his death on 17 January 2017, was honoured many times over for his outstanding services to the Glashütte watch industry. Despite his success, he will always be remembered for his charismatic personality, open-mindedness, warmth, modesty and down-to-earth attitude. When Walter Lange approached others, he would always treat them as equals. With his vision of responsible entrepreneurship and his commitment to the trade, for example, to the next generation of watchmakers, his influence still characterises the corporate culture of A. Lange & Söhne today.

A Sheltered Childhood and the Cruelties of War

Born in Dresden in 1924, Walter Lange was the fourth child of Rudolf and Hildegart Lange and spent a sheltered childhood in Glashütte, which was influenced by the effects of the global economic crisis. The sight of the unemployed in front of the company's headquarters was etched deep into his memory - and later became the driving force behind his actions. There was no doubt in his mind that Walter Lange would become a watchmaker. He often accompanied his father Rudolf to the manufacture to inspect the finished chronometers. After completing primary school in Glashütte and his secondary education in Dresden, in the spring of 1941 he began an apprenticeship as a watchmaker in Karlstein, Lower Austria, at the School of the Watchmaking Industry. Just one year later, in the summer of 1942, there was a sudden interruption: at the age of 18, Walter Lange was called for military service in the Second World War. As he always emphasised, the only reason he survived was because of sheer luck. On 7 May 1945, he returned home severely wounded. But his luck was short-lived: Glashütte was bombed on the last day of the war, on 8 May 1945. The "shipyard", as the main production building of A. Lange & Söhne was also called, was badly damaged. What remained was seized by the Soviet occupiers. These included watches, components and machines as well as intellectual property, such as detailed documentation of the production of the Lange marine chronometer, which Walter Lange had to produce himself.

New Hope After the War - The First Wristwatch

The people of Glashütte immediately set about rebuilding the town. "We had no other choice," explains Walter Lange in his memoirs, "When Time Came Home", which have now been updated and expanded on to commemorate his 100th birthday. "Watch production was the only way we and our town could survive." After much debate within the family, sales of the "Calibre 28" began in 1947, a wristwatch movement based on the Calibre 48 pocket watch that had been produced up until that point. But as early as 1948, the expropriation and transformation into a state-owned company (VEB) by order of the SED regime ruined the Lange family's plans for the future. After being forced to work in uranium mining, Walter Lange fled to Pforzheim in November 1948, where his efforts to set up a new watchmaking manufacture were not very successful. Walter Lange remained loyal to the watchmaking and jewellery industry as a sales representative until his retirement in 1986. He always hoped that he could bring Lange back to life in Glashütte - but he never believed he would.

“We Had to Start from Scratch Once Again”

When the historic opportunity presented itself as a result of German reunification, Walter Lange did not hesitate. "7 December 1990 was one of the most important days of my life," he said in an interview on his 90th birthday. At the age of 66, he registered Lange Uhren GmbH, "using a postal address I had borrowed from a former classmate". Despite the risk, the family tradition demanded that he return to Glashütte "to give people here work and prospects during difficult times." The unwavering vision he had of bringing A. Lange & Söhne back to life was so powerful that it took four years to come to fruition in spite of all the obstacles.

Walter Lange's most important sparring partner was the entrepreneur Günter Blümlein (1943–2001), a charismatic strategist who also firmly believed that a comeback of the historic brand was possible. With a small, dedicated team of designers, watchmakers and administrative staff, as well as financial support from VDO and LMH (Les Manufactures Horlogères), a convincing answer was finally provided to the question of what a Lange watch should look like at the end of the 20th century. "From the outset, it was important that we develop watches with a simple, classic design and an extremely modern look," said Walter Lange.

When Time Came Home
With a keen eye for quality, Lange and Blümlein, a dynamic duo, focused on preserving traditional craftsmanship and developing technical innovations. The first collection with LANGE 1, ARKADE, SAXONIA and TOURBILLON "Pour le Mérite" was launched on 24 October 1994 in the Dresden Royal Palace: Experts and connoisseurs were immediately impressed. The 123 examples produced were all sold. Many product presentations followed, and Walter Lange never hesitated to share his advice and experience. Until the very end, he would speak to customers, press representatives and business partners, giving interviews and talking about his life. He always engaged with everyone with a great deal of openness, even in Glashütte, where he was a welcomed guest.

Committed to the Next Generation of Watchmakers

One of Walter Lange's main concerns was the future of the watchmaking profession. At first, the company started in 1997 with just two trainees, and today the in-house school is internationally recognised. Walter Lange would always listen to the concerns of the next generation of watchmakers and with his involvement he is still a role model for the younger generation today. In autumn 2022, the manufacture paid tribute to its namesake by naming its in-house school the "Walter Lange Training and Further Education Centre".

Give Credit Where Credit is Due

Walter Lange received as many as ten personal honours during his lifetime, including international awards such as the Prix Spécial du Jury du Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève in 2014, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie in 2013 – both in Geneva – and the Caesars Award in Bucharest in 2011. To mark the 175th anniversary of Glashütte watchmaking, the town and A. Lange & Söhne subsequently honoured Walter Lange's life's work. A life-size bronze sculpture created by Hamburg artist Thomas Jastram was unveiled on 18 September 2020 in front of guests from the world of politics, people from the industry and the press – just a few steps away from the monument to his great-grandfather Ferdinand Adolph Lange. Other official honours include honorary citizenship of the town of Glashütte in 1995, the Saxon Order of Merit in 1998 and the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 1^st class in 2015.

“He Was the Beating Heart of our Manufacture.”

With these words, Wilhelm Schmid remembers Walter Lange. His legacy should also be preserved in the future. "Walter Lange represented the old school in the truest sense of the word. He has brought his values, such as watchmaking, his down-to-earth attitude and his humble character to the company and firmly anchored them so that his way of thinking and his actions will continue to have an impact and guide our decisions as a company in the future," says the Lange CEO.

Shortly before the transition to the new millennium, the DATOGRAPH launched at the Basel tradeshow by A. Lange & Söhne, gave watchmaking new impetus. This masterpiece, developed under the auspices of Günter Blümlein, the visionary entrepreneur and strategist, was the first A. Lange & Söhne chronograph after the renaissance of the brand in 1990 and placed the manufacture at the cutting edge: with the ability of chronographs to measure the duration of events with an accuracy of a fraction of a second, they were once again among the most coveted watch models. Additionally, for the first time, the L951.1 calibre was equipped with the typical Lange outsize date.

Following the successful launch of the first collection in October 1994, the development of a chronograph calibre was right at the top of the Glashütte manufacture’s priority list ‒ after all, watches with a chronograph function boasted a long-standing tradition at A. Lange & Söhne. As early as 1868, the founder of Saxon precision watchmaking Ferdinand Adolph Lange introduced his first chronograph, equipped with a noteworthy technical advancement: it had one single button for starting and stopping the chronograph hand as well as resetting it to zero. And the newly developed DATOGRAPH calibre L951.1 was intended to do the innovative ambition of the manufacture justice.

Functionality and design at its best

With its classic column-wheel transmission, precisely jumping minute counter and flyback function, the DATOGRAPH showcases refined functionality: it is an impressive example of Walter Lange’s guiding principle “to build watches that are among the world’s best”. Since the re-establishment, the manufacture has set its own benchmarks with currently 72 movements developed and crafted in-house. Right from the start, in 1999, the DATOGRAPH was a particularly lucid expression of this aspiration. The Lange engineers succeeded in endowing the watch with a one-of-a-kind face: the typical Lange outsize date, the two light-coloured subsidiary dials for the small seconds and the minute counter were moved downwards slightly to form an equilateral triangle; they contrast crisply with the black dial. The characteristic appearance corresponds with Günter Blümlein’s vision: “From the beginning, it was important for us to create watches whose sleek, classic appearance is an expression of supreme modernity.”

Anthony de Haas, Director of Product Development elucidates: “With its combination of functionality and design, perfectly balanced down to the smallest details, the DATOGRAPH holds its ground as a reference for a consummate chronograph, even 25 years after its debut. When looking at the dial, and in particular through the sapphire-crystal caseback that showcases the micromechanical orchestration of all significant sequences and functions in all their beauty, it quickly becomes apparent why the DATOGRAPH is not only the dream come true of many watch aficionados but also of watchmakers.”

A diverse portfolio of high-end manufacture chronographs

Since the widely acclaimed premiere of the DATOGRAPH, the watch manufacture consistently expanded its expertise in the field of chronograph construction and, to date, developed a total of 13 trail-blazing models with a chronograph function. With the DOUBLE SPLIT launched in 2004, A. Lange & Söhne built a chronograph equipped with a double rattrapante ‒ a first in the history of precision watchmaking. The second minute counter extended the range of intermediate measurements from 60 seconds to 30 minutes. The TRIPLE SPLIT, which made its debut in 2018, represents the current pinnacle in the development of the sophisticated rattrapante function. Thanks to the addition of a third hand pair, the span of intermediate measurements can be extended to a maximum of twelve hours. Both timepieces are currently still unique in the realm of precision watchmaking. Launched in 2023, the ODYSSEUS CHRONOGRAPH is the result of a different innovative concept devised by the manufacture. It is endowed with the first self-winding chronograph movement by Lange. Its groundbreaking and dynamic function that resets the chronograph hands to zero once again exemplifies that A. Lange & Söhne follows its very own path in advancing fine watchmaking.

The presentation of further DATOGRAPH models during the past 25 years is testimony to this ambition as well. Horological highlights include the DATOGRAPH PERPETUAL launched in 2006 ‒ it combines a flyback chronograph with a perpetual calendar. This distinctive watch displays the date, day of week, month, leap year and the moon phase: it also boasts a day/night indication. In 2012, A. Lange & Söhne raised the technical performance to a new level: the DATOGRAPH UP/DOWN impresses with an increased power reserve of 60 hours, a power-reserve indicator at 6 o’clock and an oscillation system developed in-house.

Two new family members

At Watches and Wonders 2024, A. Lange & Söhne introduces two new members of the DATOGRAPH family. Twelve years after its launch, the DATOGRAPH UP/DOWN is now available in a third version: alongside the platinum and pink-gold models with a black dial, the watch now appears in a new guise, featuring a white-gold case with a blue dial, limited to 125 pieces. Owing to the exclusive and distinctive hue, this timepiece stands out with its striking appearance.

The DATOGRAPH PERPETUAL TOURBILLON HONEYGOLD “Lumen” also exhibits three eponymous complications in the dark – the outsize date, chronograph and the perpetual calendar. This is assured by the semi-transparent dial and the luminous coating, allowing the displays and functions to glow. Consisting of 684 parts and assembled twice, the evolved manufacture calibre L952.4 beats at the heart of the watch encased in 18-carat honey gold (HONEYGOLD^®). In Geneva, A. Lange & Söhne presents this novelty in an XXL-version: standing five metres tall in the centre of the Saxon manufacture’s booth, the DATOGRAPH PERPETUAL TOURBILLON HONEYGOLD “Lumen” takes the stage as a giant watch. 50 times larger than the original, it provides in-depth insights into the world of the mechanical movement ‒ and impressively demonstrates what it is that defines a Lange “Lumen” model.

2024 is a leap year, a year in which the difference between the perpetual calendar and the annual calendar becomes apparent. The anticipation starts on New Year’s Eve when, at midnight, the leap-year indication switches from 3 to 4. From then, it takes 59 days until the perpetual calendar can finally demonstrate what it is capable of. It will correctly reproduce the transition from 28 to 29 February, but subsequently also switches directly to 1 March at midnight of the leap day. This may sound simple, but it is a formidable technical challenge. It requires the development of a mechanical programme that maps the different durations of all 48 months across the entire four-year cycle.

The classic way

Classically, this task is handled by a programme wheel with 48 notches and steps, which correspond to the different durations of the 48 months in the four-year cycle of three regular years and a leap year. While the wheel rotates only once every four years, the notches and steps are sampled by a lever. The rule is the deeper the notch, the sooner the mechanism switches to the first day of the next month. The deepest notches correspond to the four Februaries. On a closer look, one of them is slightly shallower. This one marks the February of the leap year with an additional calendar day. The mechanism recognises the different lengths of the months for an entire century. A correction is only necessary in the secular years 2100, 2200 and 2300, which according to the Gregorian calendar will not be leap years.

Seven out of nine sophisticated A. Lange & Söhne timepieces with a perpetual calendar and a wide palette of other complications rely on this traditional principle. The LANGE 1 TOURBILLON PERPETUAL CALENDAR and the LANGE 1 PERPETUAL CALENDAR, however, are based on a completely new approach.

The innovative way

Innovating in a perpetual calendar is tough. It is one of the most traditional complications that dates back to the mid-1700s, when English horologist Thomas Mudge made the first watch with a perpetual calendar. The earliest Lange pocket watches featuring a perpetual calendar as well as a moon-phase display date from the late 19^th century. So everything seems to have already been invented. Undeterred by this, the calibre designers at A. Lange & Söhne set out on a new path in the design of perpetual calendars. The development of the LANGE 1 TOURBILLON PERPETUAL CALENDAR launched in 2012 confronted them with the almost impossible task of harmoniously integrating the multitude of calendar indications into the dial architecture of the LANGE 1 without affecting the asymmetric arrangement of non-overlapping displays.

Its key element is a patented peripheral month ring, which constituted an entirely new type of month display. It replaces the traditional mechanism in which the month is advanced by a notched programme wheel. However, the innovative solution imposed new challenges on the calibre designers. They needed to find a way to rotate the large ring instantaneously by 30 degrees while switching to the new month. This increment is about four times longer than that of the very lightweight and much smaller programme wheel. The quest was on for an alternative drive solution that could advance the month ring by such a large progression – and for an innovative way to sample the duration of each month.

The month ring is driven via its internal gearing. It rotates around its own axis once a year. The inside of the gear rim features a circumferential contour with wavy recesses. A spring-loaded sampler lever glides along this contour and is deflected by a magnitude that corresponds to the depth of the respective recess. The more it is deflected, the shorter the month. In February, an extender of the sampler lever contacts a cam beneath the leap-year disc. This tells the mechanism whether it is a common year with only 28 days in February or a leap year with 29 days. This innovative realisation of the eponymous complication is also used in the LANGE 1 PERPETUAL CALENDAR which was introduced in 2021.

People, landscapes and cityscapes - partly hidden by colours, shapes and lines: The "Overpainted Photographs" by Gerhard Richter demand the careful and patient observation of the viewer, as they take a unique approach to Richter's central artistic theme: the dialogue between the figurative and the abstract. The series of works, created between 1989 and 2017, is based on what appear to be snapshots which the Dresden-born artist first had enlarged into approximately 10 x 15-centimetre prints before using a squeegee with left-over paint from his work on large-format canvases to add texture. The result: An exciting interplay between the narrative nature of the photograph and the abstract character of the applied paint. By removing the imagery from its context, a contrast between illusionistic images and abstract structures can be created on just a small canvas, inviting us to question what we see and to fill it with our own assumptions. "It is precisely on these small, Overpainted Photographs that Gerhard Richter manages to capture the theme of illusion in an astonishing way,"[1] says Dietmar Elger, director of the archive. "The group of works confirms Gerhard Richter's scepticism towards our perception of reality. Here, the abstract colour structures destroy the holistic image of the photographic image in the same way that in other works the idea of abstraction as an illusion proves to be true."[2]

Appreciated by collectors but rather disregarded by the field of fine art, the Dresden exhibition "Gerhard Richter. Overpainted Photographs" is only the second museum exhibition dedicated to this almost unknown but no less fascinating selection of works produced by one of the most important and influential contemporary painters. Of the 72 works on display, 36 are from the holdings of the Gerhard Richter Art Foundation, and a further 36 are on loan from private collections. From 26 August to 19 November 2023, art enthusiasts will be able to admire a fascinating selection of overpainted photographs - which for a long time went largely unnoticed by the public - at the Albertinum in Dresden. Born in Dresden in 1932 and having studied painting here before fleeing to West Germany in 1961 to reinvent himself at the Düsseldorf Art Academy, the carefully curated exhibition provides interesting insights into one of the chapters from the artist's six-decade-long career.

Despite the unique reputation Gerhard Richter holds on the national and international art scene, he has always remained closely linked to his hometown. After the Elbe floods in 2002, the painter, who, like Ferdinand Adolph Lange, is one of Dresden's most famous sons, donated the painting "Fels (694)" to the Dresden State Art Collection to support the reconstruction of the institution. Two years later he gave 32 works on permanent loan to the Albertinum, which opened the Gerhard Richter Rooms. Among Richter’s fondest memories is his training at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts, which, he recalls in a 2006 interview, "was entirely out-dated" yet he remains convinced of its value to this day: "the artisanal training allowed us to gain an appreciation for materials, while the drawing and painting training that used nature as an inspiration was invaluable for the development of vision".[3] The idea that exceptional craftsmanship can only be achieved through hard work is indisputable to him. It goes without saying that you have to master your profession, Gerhard Richter adds.[4]

Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of Lange, recognises similarities between Gerhard Richter's philosophy and the art of watchmaking and corporate culture practised at A. Lange & Söhne: "whether in painting or fine watchmaking - the most important requirement for the creation of inspiring and technically demanding works of art is an excellent education. For over 25 years, we have made it our mission to train young talent to become watchmakers in-house in order to ensure that the craft, which is firmly rooted in Saxon history, will continue into the future," says Schmid. "As a manufacture steeped in tradition, the preservation of German cultural heritage is very important to us. We are therefore proud to be able to support the Dresden State Art Collections in this special exhibition dedicated to an outstanding painter who was born in Dresden and who has devoted his entire life to art. Once again, the Museum Association is fulfilling its mission to highlight Dresden's reputation as a city that offers world-class art and culture. The partnership with A. Lange & Söhne, which has existed since 2006 - the year in which the Gerhard Richter Archiv was established -, is also based on this commitment.

"I am delighted that the watch manufacture A. Lange & Söhne is supporting the exhibition of my "Overpainted Photos" in Dresden," emphasises Gerhard Richter. "We both share a close and special relationship with the Saxon capital and the Dresden State Art Collections." 

[1] Dietmar Elger, Übermalte Fotografien als Schein, in: Dietmare Elger: Gerhard Richter. Übermalte Fotografien, ed. by the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Ausst.-Kat. Dresden 2023, Cologne 2023, p. 9.
[2] Ibid. p. 18.
[3] Gerhard Richter in an interview with Jeanne Anne Nugent 2006, in: Gerhard Richter. Text, p. 522.
[4] Gerhard Richter in an interview with Robert Storr, 2002, in: Gerhard Richter. Text. p. 394.

As a manufacture synonymous with venturing into uncharted territories in fine watchmaking, A. Lange & Söhne is also going its own way in the presentation of its timepieces. From now until 24 September, the exquisite atrium of Fine Watches at Harrods will host the latest additions to the A. Lange & Söhne collection in an exclusive exhibition reminiscent of the brand’s appearance at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2023.

Embraced by the sweeping marble staircase of the gallery-like space, a giant replica of the recently launched ODYSSEUS CHRONOGRAPH literally makes a big impact. The five-metre-tall hallmark of the A. Lange & Söhne stand in Geneva gives connoisseurs and enthusiasts a deep insight into Lange’s world of watch mechanics and consummate craftsmanship. Just like the timepieces on display, the down to the smallest finesses exact reproduction is a reminder of the quest for perfection and the highest quality associated with A. Lange & Söhne. 

The ODYSSEUS CHRONOGRAPH is the latest sequel to the success story of the sporty-elegant watch family introduced four years ago. Encased in stainless steel, the newly developed L156.1 calibre is the first self-winding chronograph movement by A. Lange & Söhne. Thanks to its central minute counter and dynamic reset-to-zero function, this timepiece transports the contemporary and one-of-a-kind design of the watch family to a new technical dimension.

Also on display will be – just like at the Geneva watch exhibition – previous models of the ODYSSEUS watch family as well as novelties like the new ZEITWERK, the second generation of A. Lange & Söhne’s award-winning digital watch with a mechanical heart, and the redesigned GRAND LANGE 1.

“As a watch manufacture always striving for excellence and perfection, we are proud to present our Watches and Wonders masterpieces with Harrods,” says Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid. “This exclusive exhibition marks yet another significant milestone in our long-standing partnership and highlights our joint commitment to the highest watchmaking art.” 

A. Lange & Söhne timepieces are available at Harrods’ Fine Watches department since 2011. The recently redeveloped boutique located on the ground floor of the historic department store invites watch collectors and connoisseurs to a warm and welcoming space that radiates refinement and sophistication. The store is home to an extensive range of the manufacture’s six watch families, including the latest additions and exclusive limited boutique editions.

The first movements of a new era.

Rarely have higher expectations been placed on a movement than on the first wristwatch movement from A. Lange & Söhne. In 1994, four years after the founding of the manufactory, the time had come. The calibre L901.0 made its debut in the LANGE 1. A movement that was completely different from those previously known from Swiss manufacturers, it took on many of the typical, traditional elements of earlier Lange pocket watches, including a hand-engraved balance cock, whiplash precision index adjuster, blued screws and, of course, the prominent three-quarter plate. With this movement, the A. Lange & Söhne watchmakers also backed up their claim to bring fresh ideas to precision watchmaking from the very beginning. This is evidenced by the patented outsize date mechanism and the unique base design that allowed the displays to be positioned off-centre on the dial of the LANGE 1.

At the same time, another sensational new development, the calibre L902.0, was also presented. For the first time in a wristwatch, it combined two of the greatest complications for increasing rate accuracy: the fusée-and-chain transmission and the tourbillon. With this, A. Lange & Söhne established itself as one of the finest manufactories from the outset.

For the complete chronology, please download the following ZIP file.

The 1815 CHRONOGRAPH “Hampton Court Edition” was not only created to meet the highest watchmaking standards, but also to make a difference in society. The unique timepiece was presented for the first time at the Concours of Elegance near London in early September and auctioned by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo in Geneva on 6 November. The proceeds of the one-of-a-kind 18-carat white-gold piece with a solid-silver dial and hand-engraved hinged cuvette will go to The Prince’s Trust. Founded by King Charles III in 1976, the charity’s mission is to help young people aged 11 to 30 to develop essential life skills, prepare for work and access employment opportunities.

Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid was very pleased with the auction’s outcome: “When the watch was presented for the first time at the Concours of Elegance in early September, it was clear right away that there would be a great response. Even so, the auction result far exceeded our expectations. I’m glad that we can support the important work of the Prince’s Trust with this impressive sum. The huge proceeds from the auction not only show a steadily growing appreciation for A. Lange & Söhne watches, but also that our global collectors’ community is keen to do its bit for society.”

“A. Lange & Söhne boasts an ever-growing community of collectors who appreciate the incredible quality, and timeless design, coupled with the right amount of innovation and imagination,” says auctioneer Aurel Bacs, explaining the success of the auction. “A. Lange & Söhne has often surprised the community with a function or design that nobody expected. The unique quality of this one-of-a-kind auctioned piece places it in the top flight of watches produced by A. Lange & Söhne since its comeback in 1994. It is of no surprise that it has achieved such an exceptional price, and we are thrilled to see it sell for such a worthy cause.”

For more information on our 1815 CHRONOGRAPH models visit: www.alange-soehne.com/gb-en/timepieces/1815/1815-chronograph

This year, A. Lange & Söhne proudly looks back on an important milestone in the company’s recent history: 25 years of watchmaking training in the manufactory. From its humble beginnings in 1997, with just two apprentice watchmakers, the training centre has flourished into an internationally renowned centre of excellence for precision watchmaking over the last quarter of a century. Since relaunching its apprenticeship business on 25 August 1997, a total of 244 trainees, 228 of them watchmakers, have successfully completed their training.

Thanks to the pleasant work environment, the long-term career prospects and the diverse and varied scope of tasks, the majority of these trainees stayed true to the company after completing their apprenticeships and now contribute to the continued success of 
A. Lange & Söhne. In each of the years 2014, 2018 and 2022, one graduate from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK – Industrie- und Handelskammer) was named Germany’s best watchmaker trainee. The manufactory, which has already been awarded the distinction of “Excellent Training Company” five times by the IHK, has also undergone major development over the years: It now also offers apprenticeships in the fields of tool mechanics, cutting mechanics, office management with a focus on personnel and financial accounting, and IT specialists for system integration. State-of-the-art facilities at the training centre ensure the best working conditions and an excellent learning atmosphere. The current apprenticeship year includes twelve apprentices, who are being trained in the secrets of a craft, which is as rich in tradition as it is contemporary, established by Ferdinand Adolph Lange over 175 years ago in Glashütte.

Walter Lange – a role model and protagonist for the watchmakers of tomorrow

Walter Lange, whose fifth death anniversary was commemorated in January 2022, was passionate about promoting young talent. Following Germany’s reunification, the great-grandson of Ferdinand Adolph Lange revived his family’s legacy and brought the art of precision watchmaking back to Glashütte. Together with his partner Günter Blümlein, he managed to breathe new life into the legendary brand founded in 1845 – re-establishing it after a 40-year-long involuntary hiatus and successfully taking on the powerful competition from Swiss watchmakers. His bold vision of the modern watch crafted in Glashütte with perfection and technical finesse paved the way for other renowned manufacturers to move to the city in the Müglitz valley, putting Glashütte once again on the map for German precision watchmaking. Walter Lange described the period of setting up the business in the following words: “I was already retired when the Berlin Wall fell. But I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to rebuild the legacy of my ancestors. For me, it was about reviving the name A. Lange & Söhne. Most of all, I wanted to give the people of Glashütte new hope.” For his exemplary service to Saxony’s watchmaking industry, Walter Lange was made an honorary citizen of the town of Glashütte and awarded the Order of Merit of the state of Saxony as well as the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Investment in the future of craftsmanship

In order to ensure its success in the future, the company began training young people as early as 1997 in the craft that represents high value and sustainability. After all, it was clear early on that success and growth can only be ensured in the long term by excellent specialist training. Walter Lange impressed his apprentices with his expertise, his passion for the craft, and his open and warm personality. His advice to the next generation of watchmakers: “Try and make the most of your talent, and never stop in your quest to improve things.” This was also his motto in life.

Burkhard Geyer, one of the first two apprentices, who completed their training at 
A. Lange & Söhne, fondly remembers the many interactions with Walter Lange: “He enjoyed spending time with the apprentices and often looked over their shoulder and chatted with them as they worked on the watchmaking bench or lathe.” It was Walter Lange’s way of following the progress made by not only the young talent but also the processes in the manufactory, the work on new watch models, the construction of new buildings and many more such company-related topics.

Walter Lange remained committed to the company until the very end. The patron and initiator of the training and further education centre of the company he founded, continued to maintain close ties as a brand ambassador and consultant long after he stepped down from his leadership role. He saw himself as “the bridge to the past.” Equally, he saw the next generation of watchmaking talent, who receive their training in-house, as the bridge to the future.

“Walter Lange lives on in the culture of our company,” says Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid. “We’re now paying tribute to his outstanding and exemplary work by renaming our watchmaking school the Walter Lange Training and Further Education Centre. It’s our way of keeping the legacy and vision of this remarkable Glashütte native alive.”

Known as the “centennial tourbillon”, the pocket watch No. 41000 from 1900 plays a key role in the history of A. Lange & Söhne. The manufactory began producing tourbillons in 1892. According to Martin Huber’s standard reference work Die Lange Liste (Eng. The Lange List), which covers all of the manufactory’s complicated pocket watches from 1866, twelve tourbillons were described between 1892 and 1925. However, only nine of them also have deliveries documented. A particularly magnificent example and a technical sensation is number 41000. Its calibre combines a one-minute tourbillon with a fusée-and-chain transmission. It also features the UP/DOWN power-reserve indicator characteristic of Lange watches.

A momentous inspiration

This timepiece, which is extraordinary in every respect, inspired Walter Lange and Günter Blümlein to develop the TOURBILLON “Pour le Mérite” after the re-establishment in 1990. With this groundbreaking watch, the manufactory had succeeded for the first time in creating the same combination of contemporary watchmaking complications in a smaller wristwatch format. In doing so, A. Lange & Söhne proved that the brand had regained its former leading position in precision watchmaking. Since its premiere in 1994, the TOURBILLON “Pour le Mérite” has been one of the most fascinating wristwatches in the world. It is considered to be one of the most sought-after pieces among collectors and regularly achieves top prices at auctions.

Big appearance in Paris

The pocket watch No. 41000 was first delivered in 1900 to the Saxon court jeweller Paul Thimig in Dresden, who sold it to Otto Weigang, owner of a Bautzen printing house, at a price of 1,500 gold marks. The entrepreneur owned a collection of important pocket watches and also had business relations with the former manufactory A. Lange & Söhne. In his chromolithographic art institute, particularly high-quality advertising materials were printed for many Saxon manufactories at the time. Before the watch was delivered, Emil Lange, the second-generation sole owner of the company from 1887, took the watch as a showpiece to Paris, where he had been appointed to the jury of the 1900 world fair as a member of the international jury.

Homage to science and art

This is probably why Emil Lange had the watch lavishly equipped. The platinum-plated gold case was artfully decorated with engravings in the Neo-Renaissance style. The polychrome enamelled miniature on the front shows an allegorical representation of the Roman goddess of wisdom Minerva next to a globe. In her left hand, the patron saint of merchants, craftsmen and artists holds an olive branch as a symbol of peace and in her right a laurel wreath as a symbol of victory, thus representing faith in the victory of peace through economic and scientific progress. The background refers to the occasion for which this watch was created. One can clearly see the country pavilions lined up especially for the purpose of the world fair on the “Quai des Nations”, now known as the Quai d’Orsay. The engraving of a rising sun above the sea represents the beginning of a new era – the 20th century, which was being awaited with great hope. As Emil Lange himself was a member of the jury, he was only able to show the watch outside the competition, where it generated a great deal of attention among experts. In recognition of his work as a juror and his exceptional watchmaking achievement, he was subsequently named Knight of the French Legion of Honour in 1902.

A turbulent history

After the death of Otto Weigang in 1914, the centennial tourbillon passed into the possession of the Museum Bautzen, together with other pocket watches and works of art from his extensive collection. In the post-war turmoil, the precious timepiece disappeared from an external depot in 1945 where parts of the collections had been brought to safety from being bombed. Afterwards, all traces of it were lost until it was presented again at the legendary special exhibition of exceptional Lange pocket watches initiated by Martin Huber in 1976. "I am very grateful to Martin Huber for organising this exhibition. He played a major role in bringing the Lange name back into the consciousness of all those who have not lost their belief in and fascination with these unique mechanical watches," explained Walter Lange after the new start in 1990.

Since then, the pocket watch No. 41000 has been auctioned several times. However, the most recent auction at Sotheby’s in London in spring 2019 was not to take place. The town of Bautzen contacted the auction house and decided to buy back the watch in view of its outstanding cultural and historical significance. “100 years it was first donated, the watch is now coming back to Bautzen,” said the then Lord Mayor Alexander Ahrens during the ceremony in June 2022: “This is a piece of Saxony’s industrial history, a piece of Bautzen’s history.”

Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid is delighted about the positive twist in the story: “The return of the centennial tourbillon to the Museum Bautzen’s collection finally makes this unique example of Saxon precision watchmaking accessible to the public again and gives it the attention it deserves. Technically, artistically and in terms of craftsmanship, this watch has set benchmarks and contributed significantly to the historical reputation of A. Lange & Söhne. It is the same standard of technical perfection and supreme craftsmanship with which we continue to develop and manufacture our timepieces today.”

Johannes Vermeer’s Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window has been at the Old Masters Picture Gallery in Dresden’s Zwinger Palace since 1742. This early major work by Vermeer has been undergoing restoration in Dresden since 2017 following extensive research and the recommendations of an international commission of experts. The painting has been restored to its original stunning colours – and the depiction of Cupid (also known as Eros or Amor) on the back wall has now been revealed. Until 2 January 2022, the work will be the centrepiece of the exhibition ‘Johannes Vermeer. On Reflection.’

"This painting is one of a series of paintings in which individuals, mostly women, pause in the course of an activity, resting and reflecting,” says Stephan Koja, director of the Old Masters Picture Gallery. “Vermeer addresses fundamental questions of our existence.” As such, ‘On Reflection’ could also be the title of Vermeer’s entire artistic oeuvre. The artist, whose body of work only consists of around 35 known paintings, understood how to capture certain moods of his era like no other. Each of his paintings rewards the viewer with the discovery of magnificent details.

Wilhelm Schmid, Lange CEO, sees parallels in this with the art of watchmaking, as practised at A. Lange & Söhne: “The combination of interruption, reflection and concentration on the next step also characterises the working methods of the finisseurs and watchmakers. They are passionate about every detail, creating a precision-engineered microcosm that is also an inspirational objet d’art.”

Another aspect concerns the way in which restoration work is cultivated at A. Lange & Söhne – as a process that promotes knowledge. Thanks to their experience with unique pocket watches, the Lange experts know the commitment it takes to restore an outstanding object back to its original condition and make it functional again. The best example of this is the restoration of the Grand Complication 42500, which was sold to a Viennese collector in 1902 as A. Lange & Söhne’s most sophisticated watch. This major timepiece found its way back to its birthplace, the manufactory, in 2001. As it was in very poor condition, it took a team of experts nine years to carefully restore. This was a remarkable achievement, as many of the timepiece’s 833 parts were corroded beyond recognition and had to be remade according to traditional expertise. The pocket watch is now on permanent loan to the Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments in Dresden’s Zwinger Palace – a stone’s throw from the Old Masters Picture Gallery.

With the Vermeer exhibition and the restoration of the painting, the Dresden State Art Collections are able to offer a new perspective on the artist’s work, once again proving themselves an institution that has an important impact on the world of art history and culture. This is also the foundation for their partnership with A. Lange & Söhne, which began in 2006 and has just been renewed for another five years.

It is located in the centre of the watchmaking town of Glashütte, at Ferdinand-Adolph-Lange-Platz 1: a three-storey building from the Gründerzeit economic boom with a bright facade, high windows and striking clock gables. The so-called Stammhaus (family domain) of A. Lange & Söhne, where administrative departments are housed today, is by far the oldest part of the manufactory complex. “The importance of the building for us, as well as for the city of Glashütte and for precision watchmaking in Saxony, is enormous,” emphasises Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid, whose office is also located at the headquarters. “When you enter this building – whether as an employee or a visitor – one inevitably experiences the history of A. Lange & Söhne and Saxon fine watchmaking. This history is directly reflected in our work, because it is associated with not only the highest demands – it is also our motivation to develop ourselves and create innovations.”

The history of the headquarters began a few years after Ferdinand Adolph Lange founded his manufactory. Because the production space where the watchmakers had been working since 1845 quickly became too cramped, the owner had a new building constructed near the old location, which they moved into in 1873. In addition to the production areas in the long annex, the building also housed the residence of the Lange family, so it has been called the Stammhaus ever since.

The building offered the best working conditions, not least because the large windows provided the utmost in daylight in the interior. To this day, another special architectural feature pays homage to the pioneer of the craft of watchmaking: a pendulum clock with a three-second precision pendulum that measures nine metres in length and crosses all three storeys in a shaft.

Although Ferdinand Adolph Lange passed away two years after the building was finished, he was still around for the start of his company’s golden age. Beginning in 1870, the demand for Lange precision pocket watches rose rapidly, leading his sons Emil and Richard Lange to further expand the building up to the start of the First World War in 1914. From 1906, the gold and silver workshop, a soldering furnace, case production, the finisseur and the areas for finishing, packaging and shipping all made their homes in the building.

The 100-year success story came to an end with the Second World War. A nearby production building was destroyed in a bombing on the final day of the war; the manufactory was looted and, on 20 April 1948, those in power expropriated the company. From 1951, the attractive company headquarters was used as an administrative building for the state company VEB Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe (GUB).

The reunification of Germany offered Walter Lange, the great-grandson of Ferdinand Adolph Lange, the historic opportunity to bring the A. Lange & Söhne brand back to life. Together with his business partner Günter Blümlein, he founded Lange Uhren GmbH in 1990 with its headquarters in Glashütte.

After many years of tough negotiations with the privatisation agency that was charged with reallocation of former East German properties, they managed to buy back the company’s headquarters from the city of Glashütte in the year 2000. It was renovated and turned into a modern administration and production site so that it could once again be used for the purposes of precision watchmaking. The ceremonial opening was held on 7 December 2001 – a historical date because Ferdinand Adolph Lange founded his manufactory on 7 December 1845, exactly 145 years to the day before the company was revived by his great-grandson.

It takes a whole team of highly motivated employees to develop and manufacture an extraordinary timepiece – but it also takes someone who firmly believes in the underlying idea, champions it and drives the project forward. Günter Blümlein knew how to lead with visions. One of his greatest accomplishments was reviving the brand A. Lange & Söhne with Walter Lange, starting with next to nothing. He had already successfully repositioned two other Swiss watch brands, IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre.

Günter Blümlein studied precision engineering and was also a marketing expert. He is rightly considered to have helped save the Swiss watchmaking industry after the quartz crisis of the 1970s and to have played a major role in reviving Glashütte precision watchmaking following Germany’s reunification. Walter Lange, re-founder of A. Lange & Söhne and great-grandson of Ferdinand Adolph Lange, once said in his usual direct style: “Without Günter Blümlein, A. Lange & Söhne would not exist any more – and Glashütte would not have resumed its role as the centre of German precision watchmaking.”

Unlike many other industry players, Günter Blümlein did not have any direct links to watchmaking. Born in 1943, his childhood and youth were dominated by Germany’s Wirtschaftswunder, or economic miracle. Following its destruction in the war, his home town of Nuremberg experienced a sharp upturn when well-known industrial firms settled there during this period. This may have contributed to his decision to study engineering. His career took him to the Black Forest to work for the Diehl Group, which had taken over the watchmaker Junghans in the 1950s. Here, he gained an outstanding reputation as Director of Marketing and Sales.

He also put his extraordinary talent to use in his next position, when he was given the task of repositioning the watch brands IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre, which VDO (later a Mannesmann subsidiary) had brought together in a holding company called Les Manufactures Horlogères (LMH). Like many other Swiss brands, the two watchmakers had suffered in the quartz crisis.

However, the project closest to Günter Blümlein’s heart was reviving A. Lange & Söhne in close collaboration with Walter Lange. Following an involuntary hiatus of over forty years, what was needed was a completely new concept for a brand which had once been famous for top-quality pocket watches. By 1990, however, it was little more than a myth. Blümlein decided to start with the position that Lange already occupied when it came up at auctions – at the very top of precision watchmaking. The idea was that the former Glashütte pocket watches would serve as the basis of a strong brand and product philosophy founded on artisanal craftsmanship. In line with the ethos of Ferdinand Adolph Lange, founder of the Saxony-based precision watchmaking workshop, the new wristwatches were to combine useful innovations with perfect craftsmanship and thereby forge a link between tradition and modernity.

“A Lange watch is a complete work of art. It combines the watchmaker’s passion for mechanisms and craftsmanship with the inimitable style of the brand and its rich history,” said Blümlein, summarising his conceptual approach. He was well aware of just how fine the line was between triumph and defeat: “As a newcomer, we cannot afford the slightest weakness. Our products must be perfect, down to the tiniest detail,” he said after the inaugural press conference on 24 October 1994. The specialist retailers, journalists and guests of honour who attended the event agreed that first four Lange wristwatches of the new era by no means fell short of this standard. All of the 123 watches that had been manufactured up to that point sold out within a matter of minutes.

Several of Blümlein’s strategic product decisions became mainstays of the new company. Four models illustrated these in exemplary fashion. Featuring an off-centre dial, a twin mainspring barrel and an outsize date – the first regularly produced wristwatch to do so – the LANGE 1 was the new face of the brand. The campaign co-designed by Blümlein communicated its advantages in a witty, confident style. “When time came home” became a famous catchphrase.

With its combination of a one-minute tourbillon and a fusée-and-chain mechanism, the TOURBILLON “Pour le Mérite” proved that Lange was qualified to re-enter the league of haute horlogerie right from the start. Never before had a mechanism of this kind been realised in wristwatch dimensions.

The DATOGRAPH made quite a sensation at Baselworld 1999. After decades of standard chronograph movements being used even by renowned manufactories, the “newcomer” Lange had developed a unique, proprietary chronograph movement featuring technical refinements such as a precisely jumping minute counter for up to 30 minutes and the Lange outsize date.

The brand then went two steps further with the DOUBLE SPLIT, whose presentation Günter Blümlein unfortunately did not live to see. This timepiece was not just the first split-seconds chronograph which enabled intermediate and comparative times of up to 30 minutes: it was also the first watch to contain a balance spring developed and manufactured in house. This expertise guaranteed the greatest possible freedom in the development of new movements. It was one of many forward-looking decisions made by Blümlein which still benefit A. Lange & Söhne today.

Günter Blümlein was not one to compromise on design either. Clear and balanced, with strong references to value, he and his team worked tirelessly to hone the design of new models, striking case shapes and an aesthetic movement architecture. The results are so convincing that many watch experts believe Lange timepieces can be identified reliably even without a logo.

By reviving traditional finishing techniques, using solid precious metals and employing the German silver associated with historic pocket watches for all frame parts, the founders of Lange demonstrated beyond doubt that considerations such as exclusivity, durability and value had been taken into account in every aspect of the timepiece.

In an interview, Walter Lange recalled that: “Günter Blümlein was well respected as one of a kind within the industry because he was both a realist and a visionary. He had a virtually unrivalled gift for convincing the people who worked with him of his ambitious goals and inspiring them to pursue the same aims.” His vision and his ability to inspire have outlived him – as have his quest for absolute precision, his feel for form and quality, his ability to see the big picture, and his appreciation of fine differences. To this day, they are embedded in every timepiece that leaves the manufactory.

The world’s first film with sound was shown at the Alhambra Berlin in 1922. Following a true-to-the-original reconstruction of the stucco facade, the former multiplex at Kurfürstendamm 68 will reopen in autumn 2021 as an innovative co-retail space. A. Lange & Söhne’s first Pop-up Salon was opened here on 11 May. “Time is at home in the heart of Berlin” is the motto of the new presence in the capital.

The watch manufactory already has a Berlin location; BACKFABRIK in Prenzlauer Berg has been the home of the marketing department for the last three years. The new branch is therefore a systematic step, according to Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid: “With our first Pop-up Salon, we are bringing A. Lange & Söhne closer to our customers in the Berlin area. They can explore the subtle differences that characterise our watches in an inviting, relaxed atmosphere.”

In the display window, a model of the LANGE 1 MOON PHASE measuring over three metres in height makes a clear statement. The Pop-up Salon is spread across an area of 150 square metres over two floors. Thanks to a welcoming and spacious room concept, visitors are immersed in an oasis of calm and serenity. The interior design is inspired by the feeling of being unobtrusively cared for and made welcome. Temporary exhibitions tell stories about A. Lange & Söhne. Guests can arrange individual consultations to view the models from the current collection and have their functions and special features explained to them.

In addition, A. Lange & Söhne now offers the option to order watches via the company’s website. European customers who use this service offer can receive the ordered timepiece in the Berlin Pop-up Salon and have all the details relating to handling and care shown on site.

An order of consequence

Johann Christian Friedrich Gutkaes* was asked to build a clock for the new opera house unlike any the world had ever seen. The Saxon court suggested that it should be a “respectable chronometer” in its briefing to the master watchmaker, a “curio within its category” that would differ from conventional clocks with dials and hands. The extravagant tender may have been inspired by 17th-century French clocks that indicated the time with two framed numeral discs or wheels. According to another theory, the digital-display stage clock of the Scala in Milan is said to have been the role model. At any rate, the prominent stage clock caused a furore at the inauguration of the Royal Court Theatre Dresden, as the Semper Opera House was called at the time. Even then, it was considered a masterpiece of Saxon watchmaking wizardry; its designer was appointed Royal Saxon Court Clockmaker in recognition of the feat.

New design approaches

For his five-minute clock, Gutkaes opted for an innovative approach that was unparalleled. It consisted of two fabric-lined drums with printed numerals; they were driven by a wheel train behind a frame with two windows. On the left side, the clock indicated the hours with Roman numerals I to XII. On the right side, the minutes were displayed with Arabic numerals from 5 to 55. At the top of the hour, the minute aperture on the right remained blank. Later, A. Lange & Söhne adopted this design decision in its outsize date display. There, the left-hand aperture also remained blank from the first to the ninth day of the month.

Since neither blueprints nor descriptions of the first clock existed, one can only surmise why Gutkaes implemented the clock with numeral drums. The most plausible explanation is that the clock needed to be legible even from the rearmost seats and even in the dark during an ongoing performance. The drums that had a diameter of about 160 centimetres could accommodate numerals that were roughly 40 centimetres high. The space in the proscenium above the stage was not large enough for a similarly legible analogue clock. Gutkaes designed and built the clock together with his employees, among them his co-proprietor and future son-in-law Ferdinand Adolph Lange.

After the catastrophe

In 1869, a conflagration destroyed the first Dresden opera house by architect Gottfried Semper and the famous stage clock perished in the fire as well. Ludwig Teubner, one of Gutkaes’ students and staff members who was intimately familiar with the clock, received a mandate to craft a new stage clock within the scope of the reconstruction project. The result was a large clock that combined elements of traditional tower clocks with design principles of classic watchmaking. It was engineered to the latest standards of the era by Teubner’s workshop and the Zachariä tower clock factory that still exists today. Ludwig Teubner, his son-in-law Ernst Schmidt, and his son Felix Schmidt looked after the second clock across three generations. The knowledge of its technology thus survived well into the 20th century.

The functional principle of the second five-minute clock is also preserved in a masterfully executed model. In 1896, Ludwig Teubner had it rebuilt by his journeymen Hugo Leipold and Otto Herrmann to a scale of 1:10 for presentations at trade fairs. After Teubner’s death, it was passed on to Herrmann as a gift – he later emigrated and took it along to Hawaii. From there, in 1951, it was returned to Teubner’s grandson Felix Schmidt who in 1980 gifted it to the Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments in Dresden.

Precursor of a new era

Initiated during GDR times, the reconstruction of the Semper Opera House that had been destroyed in World War II also involved making a new five-minute clock. Now the third stage clock, it was a masterpiece created by a team of experts headed up by engineers Klaus Ferner and Harry Julitz. Since all design documents were lost in the blaze, they had to make do with descriptions by the now elderly Felix Schmidt and Teubner’s ingenious working model. Compliant with cultural heritage management, the reconstruction of the giant clock project involved a cautious modernisation of the drive technology and took over six years to complete.

Since the festive inauguration of the elaborately restored Semper Opera House on 13 February 1985, the 40th anniversary of its destruction in the war, the silently switching five-minute clock high above the stage now delights visitors from all over the world again.

Role model of an icon

Only a few years later, in then reunited Germany, special homage was paid to the five-minute clock. Its prominent time display inspired the outsize date of the LANGE 1. Walter Lange, the great-grandson of Ferdinand Adolph Lange and the great-great-grandson of Johann Christian Friedrich Gutkaes, presented it to a fascinated audience at the Dresden Residential Palace on 24 October 1994. Just as was the case with its large role model, better legibility was the argument for the innovation. Paired with the outsize date, the asymmetrically arranged displays created the level of suspense that transformed the LANGE 1 into a design icon.

“When the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, Walter Lange was concerned with more than just reviving the A. Lange & Söhne name,” explained Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid. “He always viewed it as a major personal endeavour to provide a new outlook for the people of Glashütte. These two goals were equally important to him.” According to Wilhelm Schmid, continuing the legacy of Walter Lange remains both a challenge and a duty: “We are continuing Walter Lange’s work just as he intended, with a commitment to the well-being of the town and its people.”

The mayor of Glashütte, Markus Dressler, described Walter Lange as “a courageous watchmaking pioneer to whom Glashütte owes a great deal.” He added: “He deserves this memorial erected in recognition of his life’s work, a memorial that reminds us of his dedication to Glashütte.”

The ceremony was attended by guests from the world of politics, society, and business. The unveiling was described as “a very poignant moment” by Hartmut Knothe, who helped to build the company from the ground up as one of the first managing directors. The former Minister-President of Saxony, Kurt Biedenkopf, joined the son of the honoured, Benjamin Lange, in thanking the companies involved, as well as the people of Glashütte and the Free State of Saxony, without whose support this project would never have come to fruition.

Hamburg sculptor Thomas Jastram has succeeded in capturing the essence of Walter Lange, depicting him as a life-sized bronze figure that meets the onlooker at eye level. This ties in with the general perception of Walter Lange as a warm and approachable person, someone who never wanted to be put on a pedestal. By creating the impression of Lange’s likeness taking a step forward, the sculptor has encapsulated the dynamic personality of an individual who vowed never to stand still. The spatial exploration of the human form is a key theme in the work of Thomas Jastram, who studied at the Dresden University of Fine Arts.

The site of the memorial on the redesigned church square reflects the intimate connection between the Lange family and Glashütte. It stands just a few metres away from the commemorative stone for Walter Lange’s great-grandfather Ferdinand Adolph Lange, who brought precision watchmaking to Glashütte for the first time 175 years ago.

It started with the ZEITWERK STRIKING TIME. In 2011, it was the first Lange watch of the new era with a striking mechanism. Since then, two more watches have been added to the ZEITWERK family: the ZEITWERK MINUTE REPEATER in platinum (2015) and white gold (2020) and the ZEITWERK DECIMAL STRIKE, introduced in 2018. All three timepieces are equipped with a visible striking mechanism on the dial side. The sound concepts behind them differ in interesting details.

The ZEITWERK STRIKING TIME chimes on the hour and the quarter hours with two differently tuned individual tones – a deeper tone for the hours, a higher one for the quarter-hour intervals. The acoustic time indication of the ZEITWERK DECIMAL STRIKE works according to the same principle, although its striking mechanism chimes every ten minutes. The left-hand hammer strikes the low-tuned gong once on the hour. The right-hand hammer strikes every ten minutes, producing a higher tone at the start of a new ten-minute interval.

In the ZEITWERK MINUTE REPEATER, the wearer can set the watch as desired to chime on the hour, at ten-minute intervals and every minute at the touch of a button. The acoustic time indication corresponds to the digital display: a deep tone for each complete hour, a double tone at the end of the ten-minute intervals and a high tone for the remaining minutes. The time shown in the image, 7.52 a.m., would therefore be represented by seven deep tones, five double tones and two high tones.

The ZEITWERK MINUTE REPEATER is available in platinum and white gold. “Each individual timepiece has a unique sound,” says Anthony de Haas, who has been responsible for product development at A. Lange & Söhne since 2004. “The sound is affected by the gongs and the hammers. Material, shape, size, weight and manufacturing technique are defining factors in both cases. Regarding the hammers, the stroke is also crucial, just as with a piano. And the gongs must be carefully tuned by an experienced watchmaker, just like musical instruments.”

The greatest influence on the sound, however, is actually the case material, according to Anthony de Haas, as it is the resonating body. Platinum has a bright, clear and resonant sound. In comparison, white gold sounds fuller, warmer and silkier – altogether louder. “There is no better or worse. As a drummer, I like to compare the striking mechanism of the watch with a snare drum, where the body is usually made of steel, brass or wood. Depending on the material used, different timbres and moods are created. The choice of case material is therefore a matter of personal preference.”