When it comes to watchmaking and craftsmanship, A. Lange & Söhne is up there with the best. We stopped by Capella in Sydney to see the German brand’s pop-up exhibition while we eagerly await the new Sydney Boutique to open later in the year…
This article was written in partnership with A. Lange & Söhne
German watchmaking may not be as well-known as Swiss watchmaking, but it doesn’t make it any less. In fact, in my opinion, it is better than most, and at the top is A. Lange & Söhne. The Saxony brand has had its ups and downs, most notably after the Second World War, when many companies based in Germany fell to the nationalisation of the country when the Berlin Wall was erected. Unfortunately, A. Lange & Söhne was one of those and was shut down for the better part of 40 years.
While it seemed that the brand Ferdinand Adolph Lange set up back in 1845 was dead and gone after 100 years of watchmaking, the brand was (thankfully) resurrected by the founder’s great-grandson, Walter Lange and business partner, Günter Blümlein, in 1989. The first commercial product, the Lange 1, was born in 1994, and with a focus on craftsmanship, and a mix of traditional watchmaking techniques blended with a modern-day consumer in mind, the modern era of A. Lange & Söhne was born. The rest they say is history!
This week, at Capella in Sydney, A. Lange & Söhne showcased why they are one of the best in the business with a pop-up Art of Watchmaking exhibition. As the current boutique is closed, awaiting the new boutique to open in Sydney later this year, this gave watch lovers and fans of A. Lange & Söhne the chance to get up close and personal with many of the brand’s current collection, including the new Richard Lange Jumping Seconds, plus a few key pieces from the recent back catalogue.
The boutique team was there to answer questions and show the range of pieces across the collections. Everything from the classic Lange 1, the unconventional Zeitwerk, through to the modern sports watch in the Odysseus. All spectacular pieces that I for one would be happy to own!
Interestingly, each of the core lines has its own design codes, which could be seen illustrated above the example pieces in the showcases around the room. When you look at these through this lens, how A. Lange & Söhne designs the pieces makes a lot of sense.
To illustrate the lengths A. Lange & Söhne goes to in ensuring the quality, accuracy and beauty of their movements was Flying Watchmaker, David Weber. David travels around to show and educate people on the movements of A. Lange & Söhne. He’s been a watchmaker now for approximately 20 years and has a deep love for A. Lange & Söhne thanks to the philosophy behind how Lange designs, crafts, and assembles the movements. Everything from the double assembly Lange does to make sure all works as it should, to the fact that A. Lange & Söhne never alters a movement to fit another complication into it, but designs every one from scratch.
As such, the German brand now has around 75 individual calibres (to date) to its name thanks to this way of working. While others make modular movements that can be bolted on, Lange ensures that each movement is bespoke to the watch it is designed for and the functions that are intended for it. Something I quite like and admire in a more mass-produced world!
One of the more complex movements A. Lange & Söhne has created is the Double Split. A split-second chronograph, or Rattrapante, is the most complex of chronograph movements as it allows you to time two individual events, or split times, with the one mechanism via the use of two chronograph hands. A. Lange & Söhne takes this one step further by making a Double Split Seconds Chronograph, effectively allowing timing of 4 split events, like 4 runners starting a race at the same time, then finishing all at different times.
This was one movement on show, and David was able to talk people through this movement in detail, from the decorative finishes on the bridges, plates, gears, barrel and balance cock, to the way it is assembled, of which he is quite capable of doing himself, and to my much less trained eyes, with ease!
The complexity of the Double Split when you see it in the open, uncased, is a little mindblowing when you see all the parts on display. It gives you an appreciation for the movements that A. Lange & Söhne produces, and seeing the decorations on the movement parts as well takes this appreciation to another level. As an example, every balance cock is done by hand, engraved by one of the watchmakers and done based on their own style. So each one is different, just like a painting or sculpture.
To really appreciate a Lange watch is to get up close with it and put it on your wrist. I had admired A. Lange & Söhne from a far, really only looking at them in person quickly at Watches & Wonders or doing a quick drop in to the boutique. However, after last year, when I was able to review both the Lange 1 Time Zone and the Zeitwerk, I came away wth a new appreciation for what A. Lange & Söhne stood for, and how well-made these pieces are. They somehow elevate your whole sense of being and style when you have one on the wrist. I may be waxing lyrical here, but I stand by it!
For those who were able to find their way to Capella, a range of Lange watches was available for try-on in the showroom next door, from the Little Lange 1, to Zeitwerks, 1815 models and even the new Richard Lange Jumping Seconds, which we will be reviewing in the coming weeks. When you speak to people trying on an A. Lange & Söhne for the first time, or even again, the smile on the face says it all.
We now await the opening of the new A. Lange & Söhne boutique in Sydney, which is scheduled for opening towards the end of 2025. While we don’t have a fixed date as yet, as soon as we do, we will keep you updated and I’m sure we will be there to see it in person for it’s grand unveiling!