A. Lange & Sohne is a German luxury watch manufacturer originally founded in 1845 by Ferdinand Adolph Lange in Glashutte, Saxony. The company was expropriated by the Soviet occupation authorities in 1948 and was re-established in 1990 by Walter Lange, the founder's great-grandson, following German reunification. The brand is a subsidiary of Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA.
A. Lange & Sohne is distinguished by its commitment to German watchmaking traditions, including the use of German silver (untreated maillechort) for movement plates, hand-engraved balance cocks, and the signature three-quarter plate movement architecture. All movements are assembled twice: first for regulation and testing, then disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled to final finishing standards.
Core collections include the Lange 1 (featuring an asymmetric dial layout and outsized date display, introduced in 1994), Saxonia, 1815, Richard Lange, Odysseus, and Zeitwerk (a mechanical watch with a digital-style jumping numerals display). The brand is known for producing exclusively mechanical watches, with no quartz models in its catalog.
A. Lange & Sohne produces approximately 5,000 watches annually at its manufacture in Glashutte, making it one of the more exclusive major watch brands by production volume. Retail prices start at approximately $20,000 for Saxonia models and extend into several hundred thousand dollars for grand complications. Watches are available through authorized retailers, Lange boutiques, and the brand's own e-commerce platform in select markets.