When it comes to rare watches, we’ve seen some interesting deals come across our desk over the years. From offering collectible cars and real estate for a highly collectible timepiece is not unheard of. But while many would associate those types of deals with Patek Philippe or a Philippe Dufour, we’ve experienced several involving rare pieces from A. Lange & Söhne – a brand that has been appreciated and whispered in the hallow halls of watch-makers for years and now starting to get the recognition it deserves. But how did we get here?

Once considered a dark horse, A. Lange & Söhne has become one of the most sought-after names in mechanical watchmaking, with auction results that rival—and increasingly surpass—those of traditional heavyweights.

In May 2022, a Tourbograph Perpetual “Pour le Mérite” sold at a Phillips auction for HK$2,898,000 (CHF 300,000), more than double its lower estimate. Later that year in November, a unique 1815 Chronograph “Hampton Court Edition” fetched a stunning CHF 1,058,500 at another Phillips auction in Geneva. Fast forward to November 2024, and the Datograph Up/Down “Hampton Court Edition” reached CHF 825,500 at Geneva Watch Auction XX. However, these staggering results are the tip of the iceberg.

A perfect storm of COVID lockdowns, factory disruptions, and the crypto-fuelled cash glut triggered a market frenzy for independent and limited-production watch brands, Lange included. If you’re curious how the market became absurdly bullish, I explain how it happened here.

The mood reached fever pitch in 2021, when the stainless steel Patek Philippe 5711 in Tiffany Blue sold for a surreal $6.5 million. Things may have stabilised in the market since then, but for newer collectors, it may be hard to imagine that pre-COVID, watches that managed to sell at auction for near-retail price were considered a triumph.

In fact, auctions used to be the areas, where savvy collectors could quietly score discontinued models, minus the champagne and ceremony that comes with purchasing a brand-new watch from a boutique.

Auctions were the furthest thing from the glitzy yet tense soirees that we see today, where a faceless bidder can cast a seven-figure bid for a timpiece that wins his/her heart.

What’s going on with A. Lange & Söhne: A Brief Retrospective

Adolph Lange, a gifted German watchmaker trained in Dresden and Paris, founded his namesake company in 1845 in Glashütte, Saxony. With support from the Saxon government, he helped transform the impoverished mining town into the cradle of German precision watchmaking. Lange’s contributions were so respected that he was elected Mayor of Glashütte and built essential infrastructure that benefitted the wider community.

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When his sons Richard and Emil joined the firm, it was renamed A. Lange & Söhne (“A. Lange & Sons”). Richard contributed technical innovations, including patents for balance springs and escapement design, while Emil helped expand the brand’s international reputation. Tragically, the original factory was destroyed by a Soviet air raid on the last day of World War II, and the company barely survived the political instability that followed.

It wasn’t until the fall of the Berlin Wall that Adolph’s great-grandson, Walter Lange, revived the company in 1990, partnering with watch industry legend Günter Blümlein, who aimed to position Lange as Germany’s answer to Patek Philippe.

‍A Change in Tides

For decades, Lange pieces performed well at auction, especially complicated references like the Tourbillon “Pour le Mérite.” That momentum was sometimes disrupted by broader market downturns, such as the 2008 financial crisis but the brand always bounced back. Some savvy collectors, who had knowledge of the philosophy and artistry of the Maison, would pick up treasures that created immediate emotional highs and longer term financial success.

Then came a turning point in 2019: the release of the Odysseus. Some collectors believed Lange had spent too much of the 2010s focused on complicated haute horlogerie. So, when the Odysseus—Lange’s first serially produced stainless steel sports watch—was released, its modern styling, 120m water resistance, and daily wearability struck a chord. It also helped that the watch was handsome and, due to COVID-induced supply disruptions, incredibly hard to obtain.

Demand for the Odysseus skyrocketed, and soon, so did demand for complicated and rare Lange timepieces. A “Yellow Jacket” Datograph sold for four times its retail price in November 2020. In May 2021, a stainless steel Lange 1 went for CHF 312,500, setting a record for that reference. Two months later, a Zeitwerk “Luminous Phantom” fetched HKD 2,394,000. The Odysseus wasn’t just a new model; it became a symbol of the brand’s new market momentum.

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What Makes Lange So Desirable?

Once overlooked by the Swiss establishment but viewed as the underdog in collector circles, Lange has steadily earned its place as a grail brand, largely by leaning into its unique German identity. Its watches combine sophisticated Saxon engineering with exquisite hand-finishing, from engraved balance cocks to mirror-polished surfaces and in-house complications that rival the best of Switzerland.

Don’t take our word for it. If one manages to sit down with the legend who is Philippe Dufour, ask him what’s his grail watch—it’s a Lange.

So, what makes Lange extraordinary? The Maison is responsible for creating patented technology like its triple split chronograph, jumping numerals mechanism powered by a specially developed constant-force mechanism, and several more that we’ve highlighted  below.

Each watch is built in small numbers by skilled artisans in Glashütte. This rarity, paired with technical excellence, fuels auction desirability. When Lange models sit alongside icons from Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin, and are dubbed by auctioneers as “the pinnacle of German watchmaking,” they command increasing respect and value.

Günter Blümlein’s dream of making A. Lange & Söhne as revered as Patek Philippe has come true. Just this past May, a Grande Complication sold for CHF 1,168,400 at Phillips' Geneva Watch Auction XXI—a milestone that affirms the brand's elite standing.

Acquiring a Piece of Horological History

Take the 1815 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst as an example: limited to just 30 pieces, this 2015 timepiece was created to celebrate Adolph Lange’s 200th birthday. It showcases Lange’s engineering and decorative prowess in full force.

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Its stop-seconds mechanism allows the tourbillon to halt for precise time-setting, which is a rare feat in watchmaking. Its zero-reset function ensures the seconds hand jumps to zero when the crown is pulled, enabling perfect synchronisation, and turns this tourbillon into a chronograph of sorts.

Best of all, its rose gold dial is hand-finished with tremblage engraving, a painstaking craft that takes hours of manual etching to achieve its uniform grainy texture, which beautifully juxtaposes mirror-finished numerals and logos. The “error rate” was considered so high, the Maison only created 30 pieces of the 1815 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst. Not just a watch, but a piece of art which allows us to conclude that Lange should no longer be referred to as “a sleeper” or “an emerging brand”. The brand has blossomed majestically and rightly deserves its seat at the high horlogerie top table.

Our SRK artist creating one of her magical sketches!

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For more information on our current Lange collection, please click here.

For more information on this article or if you're searching for a particular piece from A. Lange & Sohne, please contact us.

Andre Frois is the former Editor-in-Chief of Revolution Asia and is currently a contributor to Haute Time, Tatler GMT and The Peak.