A. Lange & Söhne - SIHH http://sihh.alange-soehne.com en Prost to SIHH 2010! http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=152 Thank you for sharing this experience with Lange, it's been a great start to what we know will be an exciting year.

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:15:01 +0100 Our Week at SIHH http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=171 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:59:47 +0100 Jan Sliva comments on his movement holder... http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=156 "It's the three part dial of a gentlemen's savonette pocket watch with minute repeater from 1898...
The dial is a superbly crafted three-part enamel dial; the watch is 1A quality. I brought the watch to the fair from the Lange collection. In this photograph, the dial is sitting in a movement holder I made myself so I could fix movements of varying diameters to work on them."

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:59:04 +0100 TOURBOGRAPH “Pour le Mérite” http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=153 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:55:01 +0100 Attempting to Unveil the Myth http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=154 I was recently reading Scottish author Iain Banks's latest novel "Transition". It's set in a multiverse of infinities within infinities and parallel worlds...

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:49:01 +0100 The Mannequin http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=169 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:30:01 +0100 The Mannequin http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=135 I don't know if you're familiar with the works of Duane Hanson. He is famous for his absolutely hyper-realistic sculptures.

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:29:47 +0100 The Finishing of Master Watchmakers http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=57

It is well known that F. A. Lange, after finishing his training with his master Johann Friedrich Gutkaes in Dresden, went on to continue his...

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:59:01 +0100 F. A. Lange Homage Collection http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=164 Click to see the new Homage Collection featuring the TOURBOGRAPH "Pour le Mérite", LANGE 1 TOURBILLON and the 1815 MOONPHASE, all in honey-coloured gold.

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:12:01 +0100 precision horology http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=122 Precision horology largely came about because of a demand for accurate timekeeping for nautical purposes.

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:11:22 +0100 Greatness is Not Achieved by Stonewalling http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=63

It would fall to the third generation of the Lange dynasty to propel the historical company into the age of quasi-industrial manufacturing.

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:45:45 +0100 watchstraps http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=121 Lange watchstraps are made from alligator skin and are strengthened by a sewn-in strip of fibreglass.

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:07:41 +0100 The Winter Palace of Haute Horologie http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=159  

The last time I was confronted with similarly overwhelming luxury was last year...

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:57:01 +0100 platinum http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=105 Platinum is a much tougher substance than gold. It wears out watchmaking tools 20 times faster.

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:38:15 +0100 Some Things Never Change http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=71
Few pupils find history – the way it is taught at school – to be their favourite subject.

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:28:01 +0100 Grand Complication No 42500 http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=134 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:00:10 +0100 winding springs http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=119 The LANGE 31's two winding springs are nearly 10 times longer than those found in conventional watches.

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:27:35 +0100 We Are Family http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=168 The other day I wrote about how the Lange community not only came across as a family but also warmly embraced me as a member.

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:16:01 +0100 iLange http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=167 I don't have an iPhone myself, because in Germany, it's available from only one provider who happens not to be mine.

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:12:01 +0100 F. A. Lange Homage Collection http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=163 Click to see the new Homage Collection featuring the TOURBOGRAPH "Pour le Mérite", LANGE 1 TOURBILLON and the 1815 MOONPHASE, all in honey-coloured gold.

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:07:01 +0100 66 parts http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=118 Lange's patented outsize date mechanism is made up of 66 working parts.

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:43:56 +0100 LOG'ers Conference http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=98 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:24:01 +0100 A few guests... http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=113 soak up the relaxed atmosphere.

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:03:10 +0100 Paragons of Social Entrepreneurship http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=55

F. A. Lange has rightly been praised for his achievements in watchmaking. It's also widely acknowledged what he did for the then...

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:48:01 +0100 113 tools http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=117 113 different tools are used in the production of the plate of the DATOGRAPH PERPETUAL.

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:01:50 +0100 What Makes a Watchmaker Tick? http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=74

If you've ever observed a watchmaker at work, you'd know why I could never be one.

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:49:01 +0100 A closer look... http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=150 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:43:01 +0100 Jan Sliva's home-made movement holder http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=149 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:26:01 +0100 Richard Lange – Always Searching for Superior Quality http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=52

Born in the year of F. A. Lange's settling in Glashütte, his first son Richard... 

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:17:17 +0100 One of the Smallest Places to Study in the World http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=58

Glashütte enjoys world fame as the small Saxon town that is home to 10 other brands of watches.

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:17:01 +0100 drill http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=116 The smallest drill used in the Lange manufactory is only 0.1mm.

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:15:18 +0100 F. A. Lange Homage Collection http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=162 Click to see the new Homage Collection featuring the TOURBOGRAPH "Pour le Mérite", LANGE 1 TOURBILLON and the 1815 MOONPHASE, all in honey-coloured gold.

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:12:03 +0100 hairspring http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=115 The hairspring in a RICHARD LANGE breathes 518,400 times a day.

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 09:53:58 +0100 LANGE 1 DAYMATIC http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=141 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 09:27:01 +0100 My Last Good Morning Greetings... http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=165
.. at least for this year. It's the last day of the fair, and we have seen so much! Looking back on yesterday's diary, I am still very pleased with Head Designer Martin Schetter's fascinating answers.

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2010 09:01:01 +0100 Night of the V.I.P. Cocktail http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=166 Tonight is different. It's half past eight and the fair is still bustling with guests in the most elegant of dress. They are here on invitation by the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, which is organising the SIHH and the respective brands.

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:00:01 +0100 Switch Off Your Watches Please http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=126

Isn't it funny how sometimes a single detail can bring a whole epoch of the past back to life?

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:38:01 +0100 awards http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=83 2009 was A. Lange & Söhne's most successful year in terms of international awards, winning a total of 22.

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:51:01 +0100 Made with Weasel Hair http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=160 Zipping to and fro between the Lange booth and the business centre, I'd almost missed out on one of the finer showplaces of the fair...

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:44:43 +0100 What's in a Brand? http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=125 In one of my previous posts, I confessed my belief that the price of a thing will reflect...

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:58:58 +0100 Objects of desire http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=147 Two guests take the time to admire a star of the show.

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:51:01 +0100 engraver http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=106 It takes three years to train an A. Lange & Söhne engraver.

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:42:28 +0100 A Very Powerful White Powdery Substance http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=155

As so often in watchmaking, things are not what they seem to the uninitiated eye.

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:41:05 +0100 Another mark of Saxon quality http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=131 Guests enjoy a refreshing glass of rarefied Saxon Radeberger Pilsner.

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:01:00 +0100 100,000 watches http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=104 Between 1845 and 1945, the Lange manufactory produced about 100,000 pocket watches.

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:38:37 +0100 Behind the face of the... http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=144 RICHARD LANGE "Referenzuhr"

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:19:01 +0100 shadows http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=103 The bevelled design on the LANGE ZEITWERK's aperture frames prevents shadows being cast over the numerals.

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:27:30 +0100 Another busy afternoon http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=133 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:15:32 +0100 Do Go See the Manufactory! http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=61
Looking at one of Lange's superb timepieces makes you wonder what the actual manufactory looks like.

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:59:01 +0100 Martin Schetter http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=146 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:26:28 +0100 fluorescent http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=102 From the start, F.A. Lange's trainees worked under fluorescent lamps, giving them steady, shadow-free light.

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:08:08 +0100 LANGE 1 DAYMATIC http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=132 In yellow gold.

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:35:01 +0100 What is a TOURBOGRAPH “Pour le Mérite” Worth? http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=56

This morning I was allowed to take a first-hand look at the TOURBOGRAPH.

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:17:13 +0100 blue http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=101 Heating steel screws coats them with an ultra-thin layer of magnetite, creating a distinctive blue colour.

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:39:39 +0100 F. A. Lange Homage Collection http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=136 Click to see the new Homage Collection featuring the TOURBOGRAPH "Pour le Mérite", LANGE 1 TOURBILLON and the 1815 MOONPHASE, all in honey-coloured gold.

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:39:42 +0100 silver http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=100 Over time, natural German silver (the type used in Lange timepieces) takes on a light golden shimmer.

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:27:27 +0100 The SIHH grand opening ceremony http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=130 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:31:04 +0100 Grand Complication No 42500 http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=129 In all its glory.

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:19:01 +0100 title http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=99 Ever modest, F.A. Lange turned down the highest Prussian title "Pour le Mérite" when it was offered to him.

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:53:53 +0100 Counting the Teeth http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=124 The ultimate goal of restoring a historic pocket watch such as the 42500 is to keep as many original parts as possible.

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:25:02 +0100 Good Morning, Day Four! http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=128 Hello out there. Welcome to those who're here for the first time! Thanks for coming back to the rest of you enthusiasts!

]]> Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:01:01 +0100 Wednesday good-night post http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=127 You can tell the hard part is over – it's 8 p.m. and not only is the fair deserted: today, even at the Lange booth no more than six members of the team remain. No wait – there's another one... and another... and two more.

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:54:28 +0100 Shame you can't hear the ping in the photograph... http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=123 ...you can in Jan Sliva's video.

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:25:10 +0100 Taking a break http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=62 Two guests enjoy Lange's luxurious lounge.

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:00:01 +0100 Cyma http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=81 Walter Lange's first watch – given to him when he was a youth – was not a Lange but a Cyma from Switzerland.

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:32:59 +0100 trademark http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=80 The A. Lange & Söhne trademark – dormant for nearly 50 years – was re-registered by Walter Lange in 1990.

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:30:29 +0100 The Phantom of the Opera http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=75
Both the face of the LANGE ZEITWERK and the patented Lange outsized date reflect in design the famous five-minutes digital clock in Dresden's Semper Opera House.

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:15:15 +0100 Jan Sliva http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=120 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:56:52 +0100 1000g 18ct honey-coloured gold http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=92 Maybe that's why they refused to take it out of its bulletproof glass box for the shoot.

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:59:00 +0100 Engraver Simone at work http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=114 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:45:31 +0100 bombs http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=79 The Lange workshops were destroyed by Russian bombs on the very last day of World War II.

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:38:38 +0100 Vickers Seems to Be the Hardest Word http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=72

I'm reminded of just how soft 'ordinary' yellow gold is every time I dig into my chest of good and lesser memories to retrieve my wedding ring.

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:12:12 +0100 LANGE 1 TOURBILLON http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=112 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:50:20 +0100 1815 MOONPHASE http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=111 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:33:33 +0100 stables http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=78 F.A. Lange converted his stables into a dining hall for his trainees and drafted in his wife as a cook.

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:27:27 +0100 1815 CHRONOGRAPH http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=110 In pink gold.

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:58:58 +0100 What Paints the Sky So Blue? http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=87
I was speechless when my six-year-old nephew asked me this question just the other week. Obviously the sky has no surface – hence no paint.

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:57:57 +0100 Finally Something I Understand http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=96

Do you realise that you can never truly watch a watchmaker work?

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:28:28 +0100 1815 CHRONOGRAPH http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=108 In white gold.

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:15:11 +0100 F. A. Lange Homage Collection http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=109 Click to see the new Homage Collection featuring the TOURBOGRAPH "Pour le Mérite", LANGE 1 TOURBILLON and the 1815 MOONPHASE, all in honey-coloured gold.

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:12:11 +0100 Remember the Deluge http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=86
When master watchmaker Jan Sliva showed me a picture of the rusty innards of the famous TU 42500 'Grande Complication'...

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:35:35 +0100 6700 thalers http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=70 F.A. Lange's company was born when he secured a loan from the Saxon government for 6,700 thalers.

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:23:39 +0100 Looking forward to my interview... http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=88 with Jan Sliva. Coming up soon.

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:01:02 +0100 Value for Money (Pardon My French) http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=89

Strictly speaking, my friends at Lange don't really approve of me mentioning money. I hope they'll forgive me for making this one exception.

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 11:48:29 +0100 historic watches http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=69 Every year in the Historic Pocket Watches department, between 50 and 60 watches are repaired.

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 11:27:27 +0100 Mechanical Finesse? Think twice, it’s all right. http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=59

It was on an otherwise rather unremarkable day in one of the Outer Hebrides...

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:17:17 +0100 150 turns http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=68 If the LANGE 31 used a traditional ratchet wheel, it would need 150 turns to fully wind it. Instead of 31. 

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:53:53 +0100 The LANGE ZEITWERK “Luminous” http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=48 Can you guess why it's nicknamed 'The Phantom of the Opera'?

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:21:56 +0100 The Day of the Buzzing Blurs http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=95 I'm writing this in my hotel room at 2:00 a.m. in an attempt to recap Day Two.

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:06:35 +0100 Tino Bobe http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=94 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:32:07 +0100 Good Night, Friends of Lange http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=93 It's ten past eight and even the Lange booth looks rather deserted now.

]]> Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:02:59 +0100 SAXONIA ANNUAL CALENDAR http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=85 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:45:53 +0100 The RICHARD LANGE “Referenzuhr” http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=49 I'm proud to report that the wrist is my very own!


]]> Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:20:37 +0100 Walter Lange Cocktail http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=76 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:15:01 +0100 300 degrees http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=77 The blue steel screws used in Lange watches are created by carefully heating them to nearly 300°C.

]]> Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:58:08 +0100 TOURBOGRAPH “Pour le Mérite” http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=84 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:36:21 +0100 Inventiveness and Improvisation http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=82

Yes, of course, you may perceive watchmaking as a traditional handicraft. It most certainly is.

]]> Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:32:44 +0100 The Remake of “Made in Germany” http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=54

A German child of the sixties, I grew up in the Ruhr area when it was still the industrial centre of West Germany.

]]> Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:45:45 +0100 Outside the booth http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=60 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:12:29 +0100 legible face http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=67 The LANGE ZEITWERK's legible face is partly inspired by the clock above the stage in Dresden's Opera House.

]]> Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:11:59 +0100 Some people asked for backs http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=64 Here's the LANGE ZEITWERK, for starters.

]]> Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:11:12 +0100 What is Silicon Doing in a Lange? http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=47

Rest assured that nothing as profane as a silicon chip will ever downgrade a Lange timepiece as long as any member of the family has a say in it.

]]> Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:15:36 +0100 human hair http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=65 A human hair is 60,000 nanometers wide. Lange balance springs are rolled to an accuracy of 100 nanometers.

]]> Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:15:05 +0100 Why the Greatest Watchmakers Think Bigger http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=51

To this day, the best watches in the world are handmade.

]]> Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:12:12 +0100 Modern Supply Management – 165 Years Ago http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=39

The beauty of being a copywriter is that you get to learn interesting bits and pieces about all kinds of industries which after a while begin to...

]]> Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:20:01 +0100 A master at work http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=50 Jan Sliva doing things too small for us to understand.

]]> Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:38:23 +0100 Scratching the Surface of Master Engravers http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=53

I've been wondering what makes an engraver, so I made some enquiries.

]]> Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:36:00 +0100 42500 Grande Complication http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=46 The most complicated watch ever bearing the name Lange.

]]> Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:07:35 +0100 The Graver Aspects of Engraving http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=45

I've heard and seen (and written) so much about the intricate art of the master engravers, but until today, I'd never actually watched one at work.

]]> Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:05:23 +0100 TOURBOGRAPH “Pour le Mérite” http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=42 The most complicated Lange of recent times: the TOURBOGRAPH "Pour le Mérite" in 18ct honey-coloured gold.

]]> Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:36:06 +0100 42500 GRANDE COMPLICATION http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=16 I'm sure this remarkable historic timepiece will be a big crowd puller at SIHH. The most complicated pocket watch to ever bear the Lange name has been lovingly restored over a period of several years. Master watchmaker Jan Sliva is promising to reveal a host of fascinating stories during the next week. The full, enthralling details are here. 

]]> Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:21:21 +0100 Good Morning, Lange Family! http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=41 Looking back on the night before yesterday, I still can't believe how smoothly everything worked out during the first day at the SIHH.

]]> Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:08:36 +0100 Cheers to Walter Lange! http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=40 Done. Day One is over and dog-tired as everybody on the team rightfully is, we're all equally enthused.

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:52:39 +0100 Maybe the Next Colour http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=38 Sitting here and hacking away at my laptop, I have an excellent view of the Lange bar where a merry crowd has been gathering all day long.

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:17:19 +0100 button http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=29 A button tester in the Lange laboratory will test every single button on a chronograph watch 50,000 times.

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:14:14 +0100 Tony de Haas http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=37 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:22:26 +0100 The Freedom of Faith http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=36 I couldn't help but overhear a heated debate between two Lange owners. One argued that winding his watch before putting it on was a most important ritual for him to give it the appreciation it deserved.

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:16:13 +0100 The Lange booth reception http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=35 The Lange booth reception counter underneath the giant LANGE ZEITWERK

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:20:20 +0100 A Look Behind the Scenes http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=34 I'm lucky in two senses: not only am I allowed to attend a very exclusive trade fair, the kind of opportunity many a watch enthusiast would happily chop off their right hand for. But I also get a backstage pass. And I get fed, too!

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:38:03 +0100 LITTLE SAXONIA http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=33 Here's a wonderful little discovery that wasn't in the press kit, little being the operative word.

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:38:25 +0100 18ct Honey-Coloured Gold http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=32 As most of you will have heard by now, an exceptionally hard gold was specifically developed in commemoration of the 165th anniversary of F. A. Lange's establishing his manufactory. The new alloy goes by the name 18ct honey-coloured gold.

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:01:01 +0100 SAXONIA ANNUAL CALENDAR http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=22 After the much-admired perpetual calendar timepieces such as the DATOGRAPH PERPETUAL and the LANGEMATIK-PERPETUAL, Lange introduces its first annual calendar. However complicated the movement is – the readability of the face is exceptional. See for yourself and read all about it here. And if you've got any questions, let me know.

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:30:30 +0100 RICHARD LANGE “Referenzuhr” http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=21 Here's a technical innovation that would make "patent champion" himself, Richard Lange, very proud! Its ZERO-RESTART mechanism uses a vertical clutch (as opposed to a gearwheel coupling) to uncouple the second from the movement. Check out what Lange has to say about it and don't forget to post any burning questions that may arise. 

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:12:12 +0100 5 years http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=28 The average Lange watch spends five years in development.

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:12:12 +0100 LANGE 1 DAYMATIC http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=18 As the name suggests, this is the long-expected self-winding version of the famous classic. It's already raised broad interest in all the pertinent forums. Take a close look at the face and let us know if you notice difference between this one and the original LANGE 1! Click here for Lange's press release.

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:07:07 +0100 May I Take You for a Walk? http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=31 Just to give you a general idea of what the place looks like: a pale ochre. The hall resembles a huge cloister with booths on both sides of the aisle.

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:44:43 +0100 smuggle http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=26 In 1972, Walter Lange hid F.A. Lange's sketchbook in his car and smuggled it out of East Germany.

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:30:10 +0100 CET http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=27 Central European Time was created in the 19th century, partly to help the new railroad industry run on time.

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:21:11 +0100 LANGE ZEITWERK “Luminous” http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=24 The LANGE ZEITWERK surprised everyone by marking a new age of timekeeping. Well, even new ages move on – hence the LANGE ZEITWERK "Luminous". How did Lange manage to make it luminous when the numerals are hidden inside the watch for most of the day? The press release tells all. I'm off to see if I can hold one. 

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:32:32 +0100 Auction http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=25 In 1994, the TOURBILLON "Pour le Mérite" sold for 70,000 Euros. In 2006, it fetched over  150,000 Euros at auction.

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:10:10 +0100 1815 CHRONOGRAPH http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=14 An absolute personal favourite of mine. I couldn't take my eyes off the unsurpassed clarity of its face. The first thing the connoisseur will notice is that the tachymeter has vanished (a desirable function for a pilot perhaps, but me, I prefer the pure time-keeping function.) Here's the official Lange press release and be sure to ask any questions if you have any. 

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:59:59 +0100 1815 MOONPHASE http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=15 If you were expecting this 1815 MOONPHASE to be a mere facelift of the 1999 edition, then you'll be delighted to find it's an entirely different watch. The black dial has been replaced by an elegant silver guilloche one, and the Big Dipper has given way to the guilloched central segment. See what Lange has to say about it.

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:55:00 +0100 LANGE 1 TOURBILLON http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=19 Another spectacular timepiece in 18ct Honey Coloured Gold. This one's full of remarkable details – such as the stop-seconds mechanism that was originally introduced in the CABARET TOURBILLON, while the units disc of the patented outsize date are sapphire glass. Quite lovely. Here's the official story. 

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:38:00 +0100 TOURBOGRAPH “Pour le Mérite” http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=23 So, only weeks after the last platinum TOURBOGRAPH "Pour le Mérite" is delivered, comes the long-awaited second edition. I was immediately struck by the beautiful new 18ct honey-coloured gold, exclusively developed for all the Homage Collection watches. The press release gives you the full details.

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:23:00 +0100 HOMAGE COLLECTION http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=17 As you may have heard by now, an exceptionally hard gold was specially developed to celebrate the 165th anniversary of F. A. Lange's establishing his manufactory. Let me state that the three watches that sport it are beautiful – I have never seen gold of this hue before. See for yourself, along with the press release.

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 08:56:59 +0100 Trying to Be Ahead http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=30 Upon arriving yesterday night, I managed to sneak a press kit (hopefully prior to anyone else). I've done some excerpting overnight, but I suppose you can't wait to read the official stories, to which I will provide links. Stay tuned...first overview coming shortly.

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 08:49:50 +0100 Introducing Peter http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=12 Good morning, dear friends of A. Lange & Söhne, watch enthusiasts and followers of SIHH. My name is Peter Starlinger.

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 08:00:27 +0100 Walter Lange Welcome http://sihh.alange-soehne.com/#/?id=7 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 07:01:01 +0100