Marking the 175th anniversary of precision watchmaking in Saxony, German watchmaker A. Lange & Söhne pays tribute to its founder with the launch of the Homage to F. A. Lange collection of timepieces
Roughly two centuries ago, the German town of Glashütte was nothing more than an isolated village tucked away in an eastern corner of the country. Today, the city is universally recognised as the cradle of the precision watchmaking industry.
Over the years, numerous watchmaking houses have based their manufactories in this Saxon town, further cementing its status as a focal point for the watchmaking world. But it is all thanks to the courageous step a young clockmaker took in the 1800s, forever altering the fate of Glashütte.
December 7, 1845, marked a turning point in the history of the town, when Ferdinand Adolph Lange established a humble pocket watch manufactory and teaching workshop. In doing so, he laid the cornerstone for Glashütte to rise to prominence as a watchmaking hub.
Starting out with 15 apprentices, F.A. Lange’s work took the watchmaking industry places, elevating the manufactory to new heights, far beyond the borders of Germany. He initiated the practice of division of labour, which was uncommon for its time, to enable the production of unique timepieces. He encouraged his employees to establish their own companies, allowing the trade to thrive. He developed modern production methods by uniting keen craftsmanship with technology, with the sole aim of putting Saxony on the map as the birthplace of the world’s finest watches.
F.A. Lange is also credited with introducing the metric system to watchmaking and creating novel measuring instruments and tools. Through his life’s work, he developed countless ingenious mechanisms and watchmaking solutions, many of which he registered for patents. As a matter of course, he went on to achieve unprecedented success in the industry.
Now, decades later, the maison is still a revered brand among collectors and watch aficionados. And in commemoration of the 175-year anniversary since the start of precision watchmaking in Glashütte, the watchmakers of A. Lange & Söhne have introduced a new collection.
Inspired by their founder’s life’s work, the collection honours F.A. Lange’s contributions to the world of watchmaking and is, therefore, aptly named after him. Bearing the epithet “Homage to F. A. Lange”, the 1815 Thin Honeygold, the Tourbograph Perpetual Honeygold and the 1815 Rattrapante Honeygold made their debut at the Watches & Wonders event in Shanghai in September 2020.
To browse the collection, visit the A. Lange & Söhne boutiques in The Dubai Mall 04 3253923 or Mall of the Emirates 04 5471860 or visit alange-soehne.com