Hodinkee
Dispatch: How I Went To The Audrain Concours And Got Hooked On Lange
A. Lange & Söhne is a brand that doesn't need anybody's approval. But how do you stay relevant without being everybody's darling?
811 articles · 6 videos found · page 9 of 28
Hodinkee
A. Lange & Söhne is a brand that doesn't need anybody's approval. But how do you stay relevant without being everybody's darling?
Hodinkee
Black dial. Platinum case. Pure Lange.
Time+Tide
Another M.A.D. raffle, perpetual calendar goodness from A. Lange & Söhne, and wandering hours for wandering explorers from Vacheron ConstantinThe post New releases from M.A.D., A. Lange & Söhne, Tudor, and more appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Very few will have missed the news of Rolex buying Bucherer, and all of the reactions to it. Given the big change this poses to the world of watch retail, when we were recently given the chance to speak with Wilhelm Schmid, chief executive of A. Lange & Söhne, we thought it the perfect opportunity to get his insight on the current retail landscape. We sat down with the seasoned leader – now the longest-serving brand boss in Richemont – at this year’s Concours of Elegance, the classic car show at Hampton Court Palace, surrounded by the sounds of vintage V8s revving in the distance. Now that the world has exited the pandemic for good, the way we shop seems to be going back to normal and the shifts that brands made during those turbulent years are either being undone or slowly wound down in the hope that customers are willing to go back to the old ways of doing things and getting out to physical stores. Mr Schmid is certainly of the mindset that a face-to-face connection is the only way to sell one of their watches, as we discovered in our discussion below. Not only did we talk about how the German brand plans to change their retail strategy moving forward, we also queried him on the Bucherer takeover and how Lange is adapting the to rising tide of brands developing certified pre-owned (CPO) offerings. The following interview has been edited for clarity and length. Wilhelm Schmid (left) with the best-in-show winner at the Concours of Elegance 2023 RPS: Perhaps...
Deployant
The Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar gets a new model, released for Watches & Wonders Shanghai 2023, now in a platinum case with black dial.
SJX Watches
Since its debut in 2021, the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar has been the brand’s flagship pure-play perpetual calendar that combines the trademark Lange 1 design with a sophisticated movement, while doing away with the tourbillon of its bigger brother. The model now gets a new of platinum with a black dial, a combination nicknamed “Darth”, and remains powered by the L021.3. Initial thoughts The Lange 1 perpetual calendar has consistently impressed with its thoughtful design. The asymmetrical yet streamlined dial effortlessly communicates essential information. And because doesn’t have the tourbillon of the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar, it is relatively affordable, at least as such things go. As for the new version, it does look good. Lange watches tend to look good with white metal cases and black dials, think Datograph or Zeitwerk, and this is no exception. This is especially considering the model was available only with light coloured dials like salmon or grey. The rest of the watch remains unchanged, so it has all the pros (and cons) of the earlier iterations. While the movement is impressively executed, it is a large watch, particularly since it only has the calendar complication. At almost 42 mm wide and just over 12 mm high, it has dimensions comparable to a sports chronograph. That said, most complicated Lange watches feel over-engineered, so this is typical Lange in many ways. “Darth” The new model retains the dial layout that i...
Deployant
The A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar makes a return to the limelight, now with a pink gold dial, on its 10th birthday.
Deployant
The Lange 1 Time Zone is one of the most quintessential timepieces from modern-day A. Lange & Söhne. It is the only Lange 1 watch that is travel-themed, and the most specialised travel watch that the brand offers. Since its debut in 2005 – about ten years after the brand’s renaissance – numerous variations of the model haveRead More
Time+Tide
Two modern classics of A. Lange & Söhne designs have been given fresh case materials. The 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar is cased in 18k white gold with a pink gold dial. The Lange 1 Time Zone is cased in 950 platinum with a rhodium dial. It’s well established by now that the Swiss aren’t the … ContinuedThe post The new A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar and Lange 1 Time Zone appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
A stealthy, platinum take on the Time Zone that stays true to Lange.
Time+Tide
Welcome to this new weekly column! Each week, we will recap some of the best watch releases of the previous seven days. Whether novelties they’re novelties we have had the good fortune of going hands-on with, introduced, or even releases we have yet to cover in full on the site, we aim to recap the … ContinuedThe post New releases from TAG Heuer, Seiko, A. Lange & Söhne and more appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
The A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar seamlessly integrates two of the most intricate complications in watchmaking with symmetry and classic elegance. It has undergone several facelifts since its introduction in 2013, including the champlevé enamel Handwerkskunst of 2017. Now, the brand has introduced the latest incarnation of the model that features a dial in “salmon” – officially known as “pink gold” – while retaining the traditionally constructed calibre in a limited edition of only 100 pieces. Initial thoughts Envisioning further improvements for the 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar is probably challenging due to its complexity and quality. The Handwerkskunst edition did it with lots of elaborate decoration. Now comes a salmon dial, something a little unexpected, given the lack of colour across the rest of the 1815 family, which sticks fairly rigidly to silvered dials, no matter the case metal. Perhaps the new dial colour is to add a bit more appeal to an otherwise under-appreciated (and slow-selling) complication. Perhaps the only downside to this release is that it is just a dial change with no substantial changes to note. But the intrinsic quality of the watch itself in terms of finishing, construction, and complexity is already very, very high. So adding a new shade to the otherwise conservative 1815 line up is never a bad thing, especially when done in this limited fashion. New colourway, but the same calibre The dial is ide...
Deployant
Two additions to the Lange collections - a new Lange 1 Time Zone platinum, & a new 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar in a white gold case/pink gold dial.
Time+Tide
On a cool Sydney night, with most of the darkened city preoccupied with the Vivid festival, A. Lange & Söhne and Watches of Switzerland hosted an evening in their Martin Place Boutique for Time+Tide Club Members. The doors were promptly locked, the cocktails were soon in hand, and the objective for all attendees was simple; … ContinuedThe post A. Lange & Söhne invite Time+Tide Club Members to boutique lock-in appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Having seen covered the best of independent watchmaking as well as notable complications and artisanal timepieces in Phillips’ upcoming Hong Kong Watch Auction: XVI, we turn to highlights from one brand: A. Lange & Söhne. Long a brand somewhat under the radar and appreciated only by enthusiasts, Lange started to pick up in desirability over the last three years, resulting in record prices at auction for rare or sought-after models. Consequently, Lange offerings at auctions in general have risen in quantity – but also quality with more and more unusual timepieces coming to market. The Phillips catalogue includes 16 Lange wristwatches and we pick out some of the best, including the 1815 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst to an unusual Little Lange 1 Soirée with a bezel set with pink sapphires. Registration for bidding and the catalogue can be found here. The 1815 Tourbillon Handwerkunst Lot 817: A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk (first generation) Now discontinued in favour of the updated version, the original Zeitwerk is arguably one of Lange’s most important watches. It remains one of the few digital-display watches even over a decade after its launch in 2009 – and is probably the most mechanically robust and reliable. This example is in white gold with a black dial, a high-contrast combination that made it the bestselling iteration of the first-generation models. It was the only version with a dark-colour dial; the other versions, namely yellow gold, pink gold, and platinum, ...
Time+Tide
After the impeccable German brand A. Lange & Söhne was all but pulled apart by the wars of the 20th century, it took almost five decades to come back from the dead. Günter Blümlein, who had done great work with IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre, reached out to the surviving great-grandson of Ferdinand Adolph Lange and helped … ContinuedThe post The A. Lange & Söhne Grand Lange 1 slims down to become a collector’s dream appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
The A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon lives up to its name. It has a date, a chronograph, a perpetual calendar, and a tourbillon. But it has more: this watch has character. Assigning human traits to a cold machine is a – romantic – fool’s errand, but it’s also irresistible in the presence of a masterpiece. A. Lange & Söhne’s warmest watch is more than a machine with a heartbeat. It has soul.
Deployant
I am deeply saddened to share with you that Reinhard Meis has passed away on January 3, 2023. And also remember the passing of Walter Lange in 2017.
Time+Tide
When I think of digital watches, my mind immediately goes to a display carousel stocked with black plastic quartz watches priced at $9.99 at a discount superstore. What I don’t think of is the upper echelons of high horology, where the crafting of mechanical masterpieces is akin to religion. Yet here is where the breathtaking … ContinuedThe post The A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk is a truly high-end digital watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Not long after Walter Lange reestablished his forefathers’ company A. Lange & Söhne, once Germany’s most famous watch manufacture, he recognized that training the next generation of watchmakers would be crucial for both the long-term prosperity of his company and the local watchmaking industry and population. Sabine Zwettler takes a look at how that training has evolved.
Quill & Pad
The saying “history repeats itself” is often associated with unfavorable occurrences. But this is definitely not the case with A. Lange & Söhne and December 7, a date that has marked milestones for the brand three times now. Sabine Zwettler explores the significance of the founding day of Glashütte’s finest manufactory.
Quill & Pad
CB thought it was a great idea to add a legendary platinum bracelet to his A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Lumen. At first it looked like it would be easy, but then there were a few unforeseen "issues." GaryG tells the up-and-down story of one man's search (and willingness to fight) for his dream grail.
SJX Watches
Undoubtedly the most unusual wristwatch from A. Lange & Söhne – and perhaps the brand’s most intriguing – the Zeitwerk is digital but entirely mechanical. Thirteen years after the first model made its debut and became a landmark in modern watchmaking, Lange has just unveiled the all-new, second-generation Zeitwerk. Gently redesigned but substantially improved, the second-generation model brings the total number of Zeitwerk models to ten (totalling 17 references) from 2009 to now. What follows is a look at every single Zeitwerk reference, including rarely-seen limited editions and a little-known unique piece (save for the unique example never publicly announced by Lange). It’s intended to be be a clear and concise guide covering every single model, one that details the varied functions, decoration, and changes across variants. The latest-generation Zeitwerk movement, still recognisable thanks to the remontoir bridge A brief history Before we dive into the watches, it’s important to understand how the Zeitwerk came along and its significance in modern watchmaking. Like much else created by Lange, the Zeitwerk has its roots in historical watchmaking in Saxony. The Zeitwerk’s digital display takes its cues from the five-minute clock sitting over the stage in the Dresden’s Semper Opera. And like much else in historical Saxon watchmaking, the clock is related to A. Lange & Söhne. The clock maker behind the opera timekeeper, Johann Christian Friedrich Gutkaes,...
Deployant
A. Lange & Söhne introduces the second generation of its award-winning, critically acclaimed Zeitwerk wristwatch, available in pink gold and platinum.
SJX Watches
A certainty after the Zeitwerk Date of 2019 and last year’s Zeitwerk Honeygold Lumen, the second-generation A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk is finally here. As expected, the new Zeitwerk is a gentle evolution from the original in terms of design, but a substantial step forward in technical terms. Known as the ref. 142.025 in platinum and ref. 142.031 in pink gold, the new Zeitwerk is powered by the same revamped movement L043 movement found in the Date and Lumen. As a result, it has all of same upgrades, namely a thinner movement that boasts a quickset corrector for the hours as well as a 72-hour power reserve. The new Zeitwerk in pink gold And the second-generation L043.6 Initial thoughts In a technical sense, the new Zeitwerk is a superior watch, as it should be, coming 13 years after the original. Aesthetically, it remains largely unchanged save for a few nips and tucks, leaving the new model instantly recognisable as a Zeitwerk. In fact, most would be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two generations from across a room. The second generation (left) and its predecessor In the metal the new Zeitwerk looks and feels very much like the original upon initial examination. But the differences quickly become obvious, even though some, like the enlarged seconds, are subtle enough they are difficult to pinpoint. Other tweaks are easier to spot, like the red marking on the power reserve scale. Personally I’m not a fan of the red accent since it creates a peculiar f...
Hodinkee
Straight from Walter Lange and Günther Blümlein.
SJX Watches
Admired for its quality of engineering and finishing, A. Lange & Söhne is bringing Glashütte to Asia with a pair of exhibitions in Singapore and Hong Kong. The events will showcase the brand’s watches – including important historical models no longer in the catalogue like the Zeitwerk Luminous – as well as the brand’s most important complications like the constant-force mechanism. The Mechanical Masters takes place from October 27-30 in Singapore (sign up here), while Devoted to the Highest Standards in Hong Kong happens from October 25-31 in Hong Kong (sign up here). At the Singapore event, Lange’s technical excellence will be personified with live demonstrations of watchmaking, engraving, and other crafts required to complete a watch. The four-day event in Singapore will be fronted by two gentlemen from Glashütte: Robert Hoffmann, the chief watchmaker for the Zeitwerk department, and Robert Arnold, an artisan-engraver who will demonstrate the art of engraving the balance cock. A familiar face for anyone who’s attended past Lange events, Robert Hoffmann Event information Both events are open to the public, however, registration is required to attend. Singapore – The Mechanical Masters – 10:00 am-9:00 pm, October 27-30 ION Orchard 2 Orchard Turn Singapore 238801 Register for the Singapore event Hong Kong – Devoted to the Highest Standards – 10:00 am-7:30 pm, October 25-31 Landmark Atrium 15 Queen’s Road Central Central Hong Kong Regist...
Teddy Baldassarre
The Lange 1 from German luxury watchmaker A. Lange & Söhne is an internationally recognized icon of modern watchmaking and the undisputed flagship of the Glashütte-based manufacture’s collection. And even though the Lange 1 has only been on the scene since 1994, the watch, and the company that makes it, trace their roots much further into history. From the pioneering watchmaker who jump-started a national industry in the 19th century, to his descendant that forged a new beginning for his family business in the 20th, to the evolution of a legendary watch into new and complex forms in the 21st, this the story of A. Lange & Söhne and the Lange 1. Ferdinand Adolph Lange & the Rebirth of Glashütte Few in the long history of watchmaking have had a more profound and lasting impact on a nation’s horological destiny than Ferdinand Adolph Lange had on that of Germany, whose industry is famously rooted in the town of Glashütte in Saxony. It was Lange (1815 - 1875), a native of nearby Dresden and a classically trained master watchmaker, who laid the foundations on which the struggling former mining town would build itself into Germany’s watchmaking center with the establishment of the original A. Lange & Cie. manufactory in 1845. Lange’s vision was not just for his own company but for the entire state of Saxony. When the apprentices that trained at his company had mastered their craft, he encouraged them to start their own factories and hire and train their own employees...
Quill & Pad
Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of A. Lange & Söhne, thinks that the Hampton Court Concours of Elegance is a perfect fit for his brand. Here Martin Green explains why and looks at the unique piece 1815 Chronograph created in its honor that will be auctioned for charity.
Quill & Pad
Why is this timepiece important from a holistic view of horological history? The reasons are manifold and include the unheard-of technology nestled within its movement, the audacity of a German newcomer in challenging Swiss status quo, and the symbolic value for A. Lange & Söhne's rebirth as well as the golden age of mechanical timepieces.
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