The name Lange has been tied to watchmaking and the Saxony area of Germany for centuries. In the 1800s, Ferdinand Adolph Lange – which is where the “A” in A. Lange & Söhne comes from – began his watchmaking journey under the tutelage of master watchmaker Johann Christian Friedrich Gutkaes. Passed from father to son, the Lange name flourished, before encountering considerable obstacles during the 20th century.
In 1990, the brand was revived by the great-grandson of Ferdinand Adolph Lange, Walter, and watch industry veteran, Günter Blümlein. A Nuremberg native, Blümlein grew up in post-War Germany, had previously overseen the resurgence of IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre. This started the four-year journey that Lange and Blümlein would go on with their small team to bring the company back from the ashes, with the release of their first four models on October 25, 1994. Today, the Lange 1 is one of the most distinctive watches in modern consciousness.
The watch is accompanied by a detachable, Wellendorff bracelet, which is original to the piece. This is an especially unusual sight for the era, given the cost of such an item at the time. It speaks to the captivating and striking nature of the Lange 1, for a collector to choose such a configuration, and perhaps even suggests a more casual, sporty way of wearing the piece. Wellendorff, a now defunct bracelet manufacturer originally based in Germany, is widely considered as having produced some of the best bracelets of the 20th century.
More generally speaking, this Lange 1 reference 101.539 bears most of the classic styling that would later come to define the series, such as the asymmetric dial design and carefully designed date windows, which were inspired by the Five-Minute Clock at Semper Opera House in Dresden. The proportions of the watch have been carefully calculated according to the Golden Ratio, creating an instantly recognisable layout. Additionally, the watch features lume-filled hands, a delicate touch that introduces a sense of modernity to the piece.
The piece is powered by the calibre L901.0, based on a Jaeger-LeCoultre caliber 822 gear train that Günter Blümlein brought over. Visible through the open caseback, the aesthetics of the movement are just as impressive as the mechanics, with chamfering and interior angles superbly hand-finished. Moreover, it features an artistic flourish, a balance-cock engraved by one of Lange’s master engravers. In fact, each individual watchmaker's unique engraving style can be identified as a result. The bridges and plates are made from German silver, an alloy of copper, nickel, and zinc, with a warm silver tone that will develop a subtle patina over time.
