A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1815

Born in 1815, Ferdinand Adolph Lange received a rigorous education at the hands of nurses and governesses. At the age of 15, he became a student at the Saxon Technical school in Dresden. Following that, he pursued training under Johann Christian Friedrich Gutkaes, Sr, royal clockmaker to the King of Saxony. In 1846 he and his brother-in-law formed A. Lange & Söhne.

Lange’s use of precision tools and instruments allowed the manufacture to attain a level of precision that was heretofore unknown in mass-produced watches. After his death in 1878, his sons Richard and Emil would carry on his legacy. However, the Soviet occupation of East Germany at the end of the Second World War saw an end to A. Lange & Söhne. But after Reunification in the 1990s, the manufacture would make its triumphant return. At the helm of the company would be another Lange, Ferdinand’s great-grandson Walter.

The 1815 collection honors this watchmaking legacy. Simple and elegant, it’s a careful distillation of Saxon watchmaking and design — adorned with just enough decoration to be beautiful, its otherwise minimalist look mixes Bauhaus principles with classical aesthetics. This particular example, a Reference 233.021, dates to 2018 and features a 40mm 18K yellow gold case, a sapphire crystal, a sapphire exhibition caseback, a signed crown and a beautiful polished bezel, An equally gorgeous satin silver dial features a set of printed ‘Arabic’ indices, a peripheral ‘railroad’ minute track, a constant-seconds subsidiary register at 6 o’clock and a matching, blued-steel ‘lance’ handset. 

But this 1815 wouldn’t be a Lange without a stunning in-house movement — in this case, the manually-wound Caliber L051.1. From its detailed finishing, to its city-like architecture, this movement is utterly captivating to behold, and serves as a quick explanation as to Lange’s elevated status in the watch world. In outstanding condition and showing only light wear throughout, this 1815 comes with a factory books and guarantee paperwork confirming case, serial and movement numbers.

If you can spend your hard-earned money on art or watches, why not spend it on both?

For Germany, Reunification represented a renaissance of sorts for a country that had been rent asunder by the Cold War. And for A. Lange & Söhne, whom fate had situated on the Eastern side of the Iron Curtain, it was indeed a rebirth.

Lange was founded in Glashütte in 1845, and its first century was truly a golden age. The brand imbued its products with a care and an attention to detail that brought worldwide renown. Its pocket watches, in particular, gained high marks in competition and saw use on the railroads of Europe.

But the coming of World War II and the subsequent Soviet occupation saw that golden age come to an end. The Soviet authorities expropriated the company in 1948 — the factory was shuttered, and the once-shining name of A. Lange & Söhne nearly faded into obscurity. That is, until 1990, when Walter Lange — great-grandson of the founder, Ferdinand A. Lange — resurrected his family’s old company and brought it to prominence once more.

Armed with Ferdinand Lange’s journal, Walter Lange sketched a watch that would adapt his great-grandfather’s designs to modern tastes, while still keeping an eye firmly on tradition. In the journal, Walter discovered sketches of a clock that Ferdinand designed with his mentor Johann Gutkaes. Commissioned by the Elector of Saxony for the Semperoper House in Dresden, the “Five Minute Clock” was nothing short of revolutionary.

With legibility as their primary concern, Johann Gutkaes and Ferdinand Lange designed a clock that, with its rectangular construction and two counter-rotating drums — one to show the hours, the other the minutes — was essentially the world’s first digital clock. Over one hundred years later, it was that clock that would inspire the modern manufacture’s first watch post-Reunification.

In 1992, Walter Lange filed a patent for a big date window, similar in style to the clock in the opera house. Two years later, it would appear on the Lange 1. Without question the firm’s flagship model, it features a big date function as its hallmark. Though found in watches like the Zeitwerk or the Langematik Sax-O-Mat, it’s in the Lange 1 that the big date is used to the greatest effect. Alongside other details such as asymmetrical sub-dials depicting the hours and sub-seconds, and the A. Lange & Söhne signature with its famous ampersand, it shows a clarity of vision that is wholly Lange.

Subsequent models — no less innovative — have only further cemented the brand’s footing as one of the most refined and fascinating watchmakers in business today. From the ludicrously complicated Zeitwerk to the elegant Saxonia to the recent Odysseus dive watch, Lange & Söhne is committed to pushing the horological envelope and reestablishing Germany as foremost amongst the world’s centers of watchmaking innovation.

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Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

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All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.