A. Lange & Söhne

Saxon fine watchmaking has been inextricably linked with the name A. Lange & Söhne since 1845. After World War II, the company was expropriated and the brand disappeared, until Walter Lange, the great-grandson of the company’s founder, took a chance on a new beginning in 1990. Today, A. Lange & Söhne manufactures just a few thousand wristwatches in Glashütte every year. They are endowed exclusively with proprietary movements that are lavishly decorated and twice assembled by hand. As a result, A. Lange & Söhne has secured a top-tier position among the world’s finest watch brands. Its greatest successes include brand icons such as the LANGE 1, the first serially produced wristwatch with an outsize date, and the ZEITWERK, with its precisely jumping mechanical digital display. The sporty yet elegant ODYSSEUS, introduced in 2019, marked the start of a new chapter.

Engraving is one of the oldest decorative crafts. People have used tools to decorate metal objects and jewellery since time immemorial. Hand-engraving parts, cases and dials have traditionally played a major role in the work of A. Lange & Söhne. It gives watches their personal touch. An engraver’s most important qualities include artistic skill, aesthetic sense and the utmost care. Unlike in painting, every stroke of an engraving must be perfect right from the start, as engravers cannot go back and correct their mistakes.

Intricately engraved balance cocks are a distinctive hallmark of contemporary A. Lange & Söhne watches. This tradition dates back to Lange pocket watches from the 19th century and requires the finest craftsmanship. The engraving of the balance cock makes every watch unique, and only the most skilled and experienced hands are capable of producing this sophisticated finishing touch. The floral pattern has barely changed over the centuries. All that sets it apart is the engraver’s own artistic signature. Although watches from A. Lange & Söhne consist of many moving parts, brought together from different disciplines to create the finest craftsmanship, engraving is the crowning glory of every single Lange watch. Accordingly, it is specially celebrated in the Homo Faber exhibition.

Details: Genealogies of Ornament Exhibition