You Don’t Just Buy An A. Lange & Söhne, You Earn One.

If you’ve ever had the extraordinary fortune of sporting an A. Lange & Söhne timepiece on your wrist, consider yourself a part of an exclusive clique. Luxury is a word that CEO Wilhelm Schmid likes to use sparingly; he prefers “exclusive”. And to be fair, that is the more accurate description of A. Lange & Söhne watches.

Not everyone can own a Lange...
Buying a Lange is not as simple as walking into a store and swiping your card. The German watch brand produces just around 5,000 timepieces annually, a fraction of what some other high-end brands produce. And each one is meticulously handmade in Glashütte, Germany by some of the most skilled artisans in the world. Given that the Manufacture produces just a few thousand watches per year, they are not easy to come by. And even if you manage to find a retailer carrying Lange timepieces, it’s still not guaranteed that you will be able to purchase one.

“At A. Lange & Söhne we stay very true to ourselves focusing on managing the demand and expectations”, CEO, Wilhem Schmid says. The evident demand and supply battle here is simply because each watch is handcrafted with the utmost care and precision, and the Manufacture will certainly not sacrifice quality for quantity.

Very few watch companies can rival A. Lange & Söhne when it comes to prestige and exclusivity. So when you buy a Lange, you're not just buying a watch – you're becoming part of an elite group that appreciates quality above all else. Here’s what sets these timepieces apart from the rest.

1. Its rich, “never say die” history

The German watch brand was born of humble beginnings in the town of Glashütte, Saxony in 1845. Ferdinand Adolph Lange, a visionary watchmaker, founded the company with the aim of restoring the region’s timekeeping industry which had all but disappeared due to Napoleonic occupation. Lange started out by training 15 master craftsmen and, over the years, his eponymous company has produced some of the world’s finest watches. Today, the name A. Lange & Söhne is widely regarded as one of the prestigious heavyweights in the world of haute horlogerie.

2. Due attention to craftsmanship

A. Lange & Söhne watches are some of the most complicated and well-crafted timepieces out there. Every single watch is handmade at the Glashütte Manufacture, and each one takes several months to produce.

From start to finish, a single watch will undergo hundreds of individual production steps, and it will be worked on by dozens of artisans. These highly-skilled craftsmen have all been trained in-house, and many of them have been with the Manufacture for decades. This level of dedication and expertise is what allows A. Lange & Söhne to create some of the finest watches in the world.

3. Their commitment to advancements in watchmaking

Richard Lange Minute Repeater introduced at Watches & Wonders 2022

A. Lange & Söhne is always looking for ways to push the boundaries of watchmaking and create timepieces that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also technically innovative. Take for instance the Richard Lange Minute Repeater launched at Watches & Wonders 2022 which puts its entire focus on the chiming mechanism. Hand-tuned gongs, a pause elimination feature and a platinum case make a case for Lange’s incessant pursuit of greatness without compromising on tradition. And this is just one of the feathers in their hat!

4. Elegant and understated designs

Odysseus (2022) encased in platinum, featuring an ice-blue dial

Lange watches are immediately recognizable thanks to their signature features, such as the outsize date display, the off-center dials, and the exposed balance wheel. But despite these distinctive elements, each watch still manages to look timeless and classic. At Watches & Wonders 2022, the watchmaker also introduced their first titanium watch bearing a brand new ice blue-coloured multi-part dial. The contrasting textures of the multiple dials creates an embedded, or three-dimensional, look exclusive to this timepiece. Using titanium is Lange’s declaration to the world, saying it can seamlessly integrate contemporary materials with its classic aesthetics.

5. The price
Expensive or Affordable are very subjective terms. A. Lange & Söhne watches are some of the most premium timepieces in the market today, with prices starting at around US$20,000 and going all the way up to US$1 million for special editions. This range and positioning is a direct result of the level of craftsmanship and attention to detail that goes into each watch.

Evidently, an A. Lange & Söhne watch is way more than what meets the eye. So, if you’re lucky enough to own a Lange, cherish it. You’ve earned it.