A. Lange & Söhne - The Geneva Watch Auction: XII Geneva Saturday, November 7, 2020 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: A. Lange & Söhne
    Year: 1950
    Movement No: 410'245
    Material: Chrome plated metal
    Calibre: Manual
    Bracelet/Strap: NATO
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel
    Dimensions: 40mm Diameter
    Signed: Dial and movement signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by a Certificate from Glashütter Uhrenmuseum confirming purchase of the watch on February 27, 1950 for 450 Deutsche Marks. copy of the original invoice and period photos.

  • Catalogue Essay

    With the launch of modern icons such as the Lange 1, Pour le Merite Tourbillon, Datograph or the Zeitwerk A. Lange & Söhne has become a favorite amongst collectors looking for superbly executed and complex mechanisms.

    Since its revival in the mid-1990s the brand has become a horological powerhouse but a large part of the 20th Century was not an easy one for the brand. Founded by Ferdinand Adolph Lange in Glashütte, Germany in 1845 it rapidly gained to the European aristocrats and with clients such as German Emperor Wilhelm II, Abdul Hamid II of Ottoman Empire and Alexander II of Russia.

    On 8 May 1945, the last day of the war, the Lange headquarter and main production building was almost completely destroyed in a Soviet air raid and with the Soviet occupation the watch brands based in Glashütte were nationalized in 1948 and subsequently merged into one in 1951 forming the VEB Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe, the name Lange disappearing from the dials.

    The present example is an incredibly rare timepiece from the famed brand’s heritage as it is one of the very rare wristwatches bearing the A. Lange & Söhne brand on the dial and is most probably among the last models made with the brand name before it disappeared.

    Purchased in 1950, the watch features a large 40mm chrome case that was huge for the period a black dial and large Arabic numerals. The movement is typical of the Saxon style with gilt finished, ¾ bridge and gold chatons.

    A rare timepiece from the brand’s troubled past the present watch is a must have for the collector of rare A. Lange & Söhne.

  • Artist Biography

    A. Lange & Söhne

    German • 1845

    Originally founded in 1845 by Ferdinand Adolph Lange in Glashütte, Dresden, Germany, the firm established an entire watchmaking culture and industry in Glashütte. The brand quickly became Germany's finest watchmaker, first creating dependable, easy-to-repair watches before going on to produce some of the world's finest complicated pocket watches, including Grande Sonnerie watches, tourbillon watches and Grande Complications.

    On the final day of World War II, their factories were destroyed by Russian bombers, and in 1948 the brand was confiscated by the Soviet Union. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1990, Ferdinand's great grandson Walter Lange re-established the brand with the objective to once again produce top-quality luxury watches. Now part of the Richemont Group, its original vintage and modern creations are highly coveted by collectors. Key models from the modern era include the Lange 1, Pour Le Mérite Tourbillon and the Zeitwerk.

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118

A very rare and historically important chrome plated wristwatch with black dial

1950
40mm Diameter
Dial and movement signed

Estimate
CHF5,000 - 8,000 
€4,700-7,500
$5,500-8,700

Sold for CHF44,100

Contact Specialist

Alexandre Ghotbi
Head of Watches, Continental Europe and the Middle East

41 79 637 1724
aghotbi@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: XII

Geneva Auction 6 - 7 November 2020