The history of Lange watchmaking artistry is closely related to the company's Saxon homeland. The roots of its values and ideals that are still valid today date back to the Royal Court of Saxony under the reign of Augustus the Strong.

The Splendour of Saxony
A. Lange & Söhne's homeland Saxony is famous not only for its inventors and technicians but also for its monumental buildings and magnificent art collections. The cornerstone for its grandeur was laid by Elector Frederick Augustus I, also known as Augustus the Strong: he was a passionate promoter of science, craftsmanship, art, and architecture. Under his auspices, Saxony, and especially its capital Dresden, evolved to become one of the most significant centers of European culture. The city owes its reputation as "Florence of the North" to him and he was the instigator of proverbial Saxon splendour.

With his ancestors, Augustus the Strong shared a keen interest in scientific measuring instruments and especially in clocks. The conscientious care of such precious devices was entrusted to the hands of the Saxon Court Clockmakers. Two generations of the guild mark the beginning of the family tree of the Lange
watchmaking dynasty.

The Legacy of the Court Clockmakers
The clockmakers to the Royal Saxon Court were held in high esteem and enjoyed many social privileges. While in office, they resided in the tower quarters at the Royal Palace in Dresden, because apart from curating the time-keeping instrument collection, they were in charge of the tower clock.

Dresden Time-Keeping Service
As clockmakers, they also worked alongside the inspectors of the Mathematics and Physics Salon who established a time-keeping service in the Dresden Zwinger in the late 18th century. There, a transit telescope was deployed to measure the position of the sun on a daily basis, making it possible to determine the exact local time with which the tower clock and later the railway station clocks in Dresden were synchronized.

In 1842, Johann Christian Friedrich Gutkaes was appointed Court Clockmaker. He was already well-known far beyond the borders of Saxony for the fine and extremely precise pocket chronometers that he crafted in his workshop for astronomical clocks. He also built the world-famous Five-Minute Clock for the Semper Opera House in Dresden shortly before his nomination to Court Clockmaker. It was a great honor for Ferdinand A. Lange to be accepted as an apprentice under Gutkaes' wing.

Ferdinand A. Lange- The Journey to Glashütte
Ferdinand A. Lange was born in Dresden on 18 February 1815. His father was a gunsmith and described as a "man of course character". After young Lange's parents separated, he was brought up by an acquainted merchant's family. His surrogate family enabled him to attend the Technical Institute of Education in Dresden, where he received training at a level then generally reserved for engineers and technicians.

While he was studying, Ferdinand A. Lange began an apprenticeship with Gutkaes, the renowned master clockmaker. He quickly recognized 15-year-old Lange's horological talent and encouraged the young man who had impressed him with his craftsmanship skills, diligence, and intelligence.

Ferdinand A. Lange- The Journeyman
After having successfully completed his apprenticeship, he became a journeyman and was employed by Europe's most prominent clock- and watchmakers. His journey- and workbook provides an impressive account of how he broadened his knowledge and is particular proof of the perfectionism with which he conducted his studies. It contains numerous calculations and detailed drawings for the precise manufacture of movement parts.

With a host of new ideas, Ferdinand A. Lange finally returned to Gutkaes' manufactory of astronomical clocks in 1841. Thanks to his profound knowledge, he quickly became a driving force in the business and, after having wed Antonia Gutkaes, a co-owner.

The Establishment of German Precision Watchmaking
On 7 December 1845, Ferdinand A. Lange established the first production facility for pocket watches in Glashütte and began to train 15 young people from the impoverished region with the aim of turning them into accomplished watchmakers. This courageous step was preceded by long negotiations with the government of Saxony which he had asked to support his venture. Finally, he was granted a repayable loan of 7820 thalers.

From the very beginning, he wanted to craft timepieces of consistently high quality and reliability. Thus, Ferdinand A. Lange introduced the metric system in watchmaking; this change simplified the calculation of movement parts. To craft components with greater accuracy, he fitted the lathes with flywheels instead of the bows that were common-place in those days. And to increase the stability and resilience of watch movements, he invented the three-quarter plate that was to become one of the typical hallmarks of watches made in Glashütte.

After he had trained his apprentices in all basic manufacturing techniques, he encouraged them to specialize in particular technical domains. This is how their individual talents were used to enhance the quality and precision of pocket watches. Several years later, many of them founded their own workshops where pinions, mainspring barrels, or hands were crafted. Eventually, Glashütte became a hub of German precision watchmaking that helped a growing number of people make a decent living.

A Monument for his Great Merits
For thirty years, Ferdinand A. Lange fought hard to make his venture a success. In 1875, he died — only 60 years old. During this period, he had established a flourishing manufactory that enjoyed considerable prestige. His venture had brought back modest prosperity to Glashütte. In 1895, the town, which he also served as a mayor for 18 years, erected a monument for him in commendation of his great merits.

The Path to World Fame
After Ferdinand A. Lange died, his sons Emil and Richard assumed the responsibility for managing the company that had operated under the name A. Lange & Söhne since 1868. It was the year in which Richard Lange became a co-owner of the manufactory. His younger brother Emil joined the firm three years later.

Together, they evolved A. Lange & Söhne timepieces to a degree of mechanical and artisanal maturity that perpetuated the renown of A. Lange & Söhne to this very day. Richard Lange in particular had inherited Ferdinand A. Lange's horological talent and, following in his father's footsteps, he relied on the latest scientific insights as he designed new calibres. Overall, the company was granted 27 patents and utility models for which he can take credit.

His most significant discovery qualified for a patent entitled "Metal Alloy for Watch Springs": Richard Lange found out that the alloy customarily used for balance springs in those days could be substantially improved by the admixture of beryllium. It made him the spiritus rector of the Nivarox balance spring, a key element that is still used in the majority of high-quality mechanical timepieces today.

The 4th Generation of the Lange Watchmaking Dynasty
The Lange family had mastered the eventful years after World War I with ample horological know-how and commercial flair. But the division of Germany and the expropriation of the manufactory in the wake of World War II resulted in a 40-year interruption of the A. Lange & Söhne success story. Only after the two German states were reunified was it possible for Walter Lange to rekindle the grand family tradition.

Destruction and Expropriation of the Family Enterprise
Walter Lange, the great-grandson of Ferdinand A. Lange, was born on 29 July 1924 and started training as a watchmaker just before World War II erupted. Like all young men, he was conscripted. Severely injured, he returned home and soon thereafter had to witness the destruction of his parents' manufactory by an aerial bombing raid, followed by the expropriation of the family enterprise. He avoided compulsory labor in the uranium mines by fleeing to the West.

Re-establishment of the Manufactory by Walter Lange
Walter Lange never forgot his homeland. When the border between East and West Germany fell in the autumn of 1989, he immediately made his way to Glashütte. After the collapse of the socialist regime in the German Democratic Republic, the people in his former hometown faced an uncertain future. This situation urged Walter Lange to give them a new prospect. On 7 December 1990, he founded the company a second time —145 years to the day after his great-grandfather's pioneering act.

The First Lange Watches of the New Era
With a handful of employees, he immediately embarked on the development and manufacture of the first Lange watches of the new era. Only four years later, he was able to present the first collection of wristwatches: the LANGE 1, the SAXONIA, the TOURBILLON "Pour le Mérite", and the ARKADE. Thanks to the success of the new time-pieces, new jobs were soon created in Glashütte. Thus, the town gradually became the center of German precision watchmaking once again.