The Great Lockdown

CHAPTER 2A. Lange & Söhne

By Wilhelm Schmid (CEO)

About A. Lange & Söhne

In 1845, Dresden watchmaker Ferdinand Adolph Lange laid the cornerstone of Saxony's precision watchmaking industry by establishing the first Lange manufactory in Glashütte. The family was expropriated after World War II. In 1990, the founder's great-grandson Walter Lange revived the brand. Today, A. Lange & Söhne has once again secured a top-tier position in the world of fine watchmaking.

Dark Clouds on the Horizon

In January 2020, shortly after the public holidays, I sat down with our product developers to talk about the prototypes for the next collection. After a “normal” 2019 financial year, the prospects for the watchmaking industry were generally good, despite some uncertainties that, however, were within the normal range. A. Lange & Söhne had just emerged from a sensational premiere. In October 2019, we had presented the first model for a new, sporty, and elegant watch family. The Odysseus, our first watch made of stainless steel, had attracted attention worldwide. For a factory that had until then exclusively used gold and platinum for its cases, this was considered a revolution. With a second Odysseus in white gold with a rubber strap – another novelty for us – we wanted to build on this success in 2020.

We planned to present six new timepieces in April at Watches and Wonders in Geneva, which has become the most important trade show of international precision watchmaking since the demise of Baselworld. ...