8 Facts about A. Lange & Söhne

Today we are looking closely at a truly fascinating brand; a brand with a heart and soul, that has created some of the finest watch making in the world. The brand is of course A. Lange & Söhne and here at Chisholm Hunter, we are extremely proud to be an official stockist of this incredible brand. Here are 8 facts you may not know about A. Lange & Söhne.

1. In 1845, the talented watchmaker Ferdinand Adolph Lange founded A. Lange & Cie, which later became A. Lange & Söhne, in Glashtte, Germany. The main production building of A. Lange & Söhne was sadly destroyed in a bombing on the last night of the war in 1945, which put a temporary end to production for the company. A. Lange & Söhne's legacy was resumed by Walter Lange, the great-grandson of Ferdinand Adolph Lange, who reformed the company in 1990.

2. The luxury watchmaker only produces a few thousand pieces each year; with movements that are hand crafted and elaborately decorated in-house, as well as having some of the most amazing complications known to man. You can view all these incredible complications on our website or at our official stockist in our luxury Chisholm Hunter boutique, which brings us nicely onto fact number 3.

3. Inspired by the Grande Complication No. 42500, a pocket watch that dates back to 1902, A. Lange & Söhne presented their most complicated wristwatch in 2013: this being the Grand Complication. This outstanding timepiece features a grand and small strike, a minute repeater, a perpetual calendar, and a rattrapante-chronograph function with flying seconds. The assembly and the adjustment of the mechanisms are so intricate that only one watch of this design can be crafted per year and only 6 of these masterpieces will be built altogether. A truly excusive number, but unfortunately just four years after this incredible break though, Walter Lange passed away on the 17th January 2017 at the age of 92 and this brings us to fact number 4.

4. Walter Lange left behind a moto that would shape the watch industry as we know it. His motto, never stand still, will continue to shape the manufactory's culture and business in future. This is an attitude that A. Lange & Söhne have embraced with respect of exceptional mechanical masterpieces but also when dealing with important topics such as sustainability and social responsibility which the company places huge importance on.

5. The triple-split chronograph - in January 2018, A. Lange & Söhne introduced the triple-split chronograph. This advancement is the first of its kind, showing the ability that A. Lange & Söhne have to redefine the industry. The new chronograph can compare the times of two concurrent events, of up to twelve hours' duration and to the accuracy of one-sixth of a second. Being the world's first mechanical split-seconds chronograph, that allows multi-hour comparative time measurements, the watch also features A. Lange & Söhne's patented isolator mechanism to preserve the amplitude of the balance wheel while the chronograph is running to always ensure precision. 

6. For fact number 6, we have the twice is better motto. At A. Lange & Söhne, whether it be a simple or highly complex model, each movement is assembled twice. They put this down to their belief that twice is better and this ensures the watch you purchase has been through the meticulously close care and attention to guarantee an outstanding finished product.

7. Our 7^th fact is that the founder, Ferdinand Aloph Lange believed The entire pursuit of a watchmaker should be the perfection of each and every watch. This motto is evident of some of the extraordinary pieces that have been created by A. Lange & Söhne and shows the pride in which they have in producing some of the most astonishing timepieces in the world. 

8. And finally, we move on to our last incredible fact about A. Lange & Söhne watches. All timepieces produced come in a variety of different materials including platinum, rose gold, yellow gold, white gold, and honey gold. The honey gold which has been used since 2010, is reminiscent of the sweet liquid produced by bees and this gold alloy is much harder than platinum. This patented material, which exact formula remains a secret of the manufactory, is therefore strikingly resistant to damage and completely exclusive to A. Lange & Söhne; so, if you want to get your hands on a honey gold watch, A. Lange & Söhne is your answer.

If after all these facts you are still not won over, we encourage you to browse our range of A. Lange & Söhne. As an official stockist of A. Lange & Söhne, here at Chisholm Hunter we are more than happy to assist with any questions you may have about any specific models from our A. Lange & Söhne ranges.