Five Fantastic A. Lange & Söhnes
A. Lange & Söhne has for long been an Haute Time favorite, and for a good reason: The combination of German craftsmanship, desirable complications, and an incredible finish is hard to beat. Although founded in 1845, it was relaunched in 1990 as it has been brought back to its former glory after spending decades behind the iron curtain.
The greatness of a brand can often be derived from their most “basic” models. With the Saxonia Automatik, the design is seemingly straightforward. Similar to that of many other classic dress watches. A.lange & Söhne makes it their own with subtle details on the dial, and a movement made honoring the finest traditions from Glashütte, home town of the brand.
While A. Lange & Söhne is a very traditional brand and re-established itself as one of the golden standards for Haute Horlogerie in general, and German watchmaking especially, it doesn’t mean that it always plays safe and stays within these boundaries. With the 1815 Chronograph, they placed the subdials below the center of the dial. An uncommon approach, that makes for a very beautiful, and very functional watch.
When it comes to uncommon watches, the Zeitwerk really stands out. Here A. Lange & Söhne reinterpreted how we read and experience time, and created a movement for it that still honors the brand’s traditions. In this version, the unique jumping hour and minute complication is combined with a minute repeater, as an understated display of the brand’s significant technical prowess.
You cannot discuss A. Lange & Söhne without mentioning the Lange 1. It was the watch that fueled their resurrection and quickly became an icon within the watch community. Its dial is very distinctive, with an asymmetrical layout that was especially innovative when it was first released, and now adopted by various other brands. Available in a variety of different configurations this one combines the time display with a power reserve indicator and that other hallmark of A. Lange & Söhne: the big date!
An A. Lange & Söhne never becomes a true sports watch. That is simply not in the nature of the brand, and thankfully, they keep honoring this. That doesn’t, however, mean that all of them are classic dress watches. With the Grand 1 Lange Lumen, the brand gave an innovative interpretation to its heritage, honoring it in a very futuristic way. It might be the ultimate display that A. Lange & Söhne is not only strong in design, movement development, and overall finish of watches but especially in letting their DNA evolve without losing touch with who they really are!
