ATTENTION
TO DETAIL
Each calibre is
assembled twice to
ensure accuracy,
and all parts
are meticulously
mOJTIFE
(opposite) The
Zeitwerk with
jumping hours is
one of A Lange &
Söhne’s most iconic
timepiecesn an era of mass production, it’s
a pleasure to lay your hands on a
superbly designed item handcrafted
by talented watchmakers and
artisans. The German watchmaker
A Lange & Söhne has been providing such
delight since its founding by Ferdinand
Adolph Lange in 1845. Like drinking a 1961
Bordeaux or slipping on a Chanel suit designed
by Coco herself, attaching a Datograph or
Zeitwerk to your wrist is a deliciously sensual
experience—as is stepping into an A Lange &
Söhne boutique, an experience now available
to Hongkongers with the recent opening of the
watchmaker’s premises in Central.
To understand the exclusive nature of the
brand, which makes fewer than 5,000 watches
a year while many other luxury brands make 10
times that, you have to go back to its foundation
in the Saxon town of Glashütte, where Lange’spassion for horology led him to launch the
manufactory Lange & Cie. A perfectionist
and a visionary, he meticulously trained his
sons, Richard and Emil, who worked with him
throughout his life. In 1848, Ferdinand was
elected mayor of Glashütte and transformed the
little-known agricultural town into a modern
industrial hub during his 18-year tenure. The
grateful town erected a monument to him that
still stands in the central square today.
As his company grew, so did its following.
By the late 19th century, A Lange & Söhne was
a firm favourite of those with discerning taste.
So much so that, for example, on a state visit
to Constantinople in 1898, Kaiser Wilhelm IIphilippine tatler. august 2018 127