The history of the watch brand A. Lange und Söhne

Ferdinand Adolph Lange, the founder of the German precision watchmaking industry in Glashütte, was born in Dresden in 1815. In 1837, three years after he hadcompleted his apprenticeship, he moved to Paris with in his pocket a letter of recommendation from his teacher Johann Christian Friedrich Gutkaes. He was immediately adopted by Josef Thaddäus Winnerl, well known by his renowned chronometers. Four years later, he had already risen to the position of
superintendent of the workshop, he left France to continue to gain experience in England and Switzerland. After his return to Dresden was again adopted by
Adolph Lange Gutkaes, and in 1842 he married the daughter of his boss and was co-owner of his fathers company.

A versatile man

Lange was not only a talented watchmaker, but also an erudite, deeply religious man with a great social conscience. He was affected by the poverty in the
region. With letters and petitions and negotiations with the Royal Saxon Ministry of the Interior, he lobbied for the creation of a watch and chronographs
factory in Glashütte. Eventually he received a conditional loan and in return he promised fifteen young men from Glashütte to become watchmakers. Long
started his first workshop, taught his pupils, put the production, improved built machines for the manufacture of precision parts, kept the correspondence
and did the bookkeeping.

Center of the German watch industry

He was rewarded for his efforts because his visionary concept became reality. His factory ran on the services of cabinet makers, gilders, engravers and the
components were provided by three other plants, some of which were founded by people he had trained. The hundreds of permanent and well paid jobs convert
poverty into modest prosperity. With the establishment of the German watchmaker school in 1878 by Lange's academically trained friend Moritz Grossmann broke Glashütte definitely the bond with France and Switzerland and became the center of the German watchmaker art, where both practical and theoretical training given to upcoming watchmakers.

When Adolph Lange on December 3, 1875 at the age of 60 suddenly died, he left his sons and grandsons not only a thriving business and an impressive range of international prices, but he also gave Glashütte a solid economic future. Watches of A. Lange und Söhne can be found on Chrono24.

 Urwerk, a special watch brand.