In The Time Of A. Lange & Sohne

Many Believe That No Watch Brand Outside Of Switzerland Can Match The Traditions And Craftsmanship Of The Great Swiss Maisons. One Brand From Dresden, Germany, Begs To Differ. Here's The Fascinating History Of A. Lange & Sohne.

- SUFFIAN HAKIM

DRESDEN IS A BREATHTAKINGLY beautiful city with a rich history for all to see. Its iconic centuries-old buildings reflect the evolution of history. Some were constructed in the Weser Renaissance style. Others, like the Semperoper and Zwinger Palace, both designed by famed German architect Gottfried Semper, follow a uniquely Saxonian interpretation of the Renaissance style.

In the old city, you can see buildings with blackened facades because of World War II bombings. You can learn a great deal about the human spirit from walking its cobbled streets and wandering the halls of its museums. However, its architecture and history aside, one might mistake Dresden for a Swiss city. It has a mouthwateringly successful chocolate industry (I highly recommend the Camondas Schokoladenmuseum Dresden), and it is flanked by the Elbe Sandstone and the Ore Mountains.

In addition, it also has one of the most robust watch industries in Europe. Much of that has to do with a small town 30 minutes away from Dresden's city centre, Glashütte, and one surname: Lange. Glashütte has a population of just over 7,000. Most of the people you'll meet live in Dresden, and only travel there for work. Its most prominent features are the many manufactures and corporate buildings of the Saxonian watch brands dotting the landscape.

One of these brands - and perhaps the most important is A. Lange & Söhne. The purpose of this is not to underplay the achievements of the other Glashütte brands. But to comprehend its significance, we must return to the time of Ferdinand Adolph Lange - the selfsame A. Lange - in the years after Saxony gained independence from Napoleon Bonaparte's rule.