I have always believed that the best stories in watchmaking go well beyond the watches themselves. They connect people, places, and time in ways that give real meaning to the objects we obsess over. The story of A. Lange & Söhne and the Dresden State Art Collections (SKD) is exactly one of those stories.
This February, Lange announced that its formal partnership with the SKD has reached its 20th anniversary and, even better, that both parties have agreed to extend it through to 2031. When I read that, I genuinely smiled.
Let me tell you why this matters to me personally. I have visited Dresden. I have stood inside the Mathematisch-Physikalische Salon, the Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments, and walked through that hall surrounded by historical clocks and extraordinary scientific instruments from centuries past. You feel something in there. Around 1830, the young Ferdinand Adolph Lange felt exactly the same thing. That collection fuelled his ambition to build the finest watches in the world, and in 1845 he did precisely that, founding his manufacture in nearby Glashütte.
So the connection between Lange and the SKD did not begin in 2006 when both institutions signed their formal contract. It began nearly two centuries ago, in that very building.
The date that every Lange enthusiast holds dear is 24 October 1994. On that day, at the Dresden Royal Palace, Lange presented four watches that changed everything: the LANGE 1, the ARKADE, the SAXONIA, and the TOURBILLON “Pour le Mérite.” It was not just a product launch. It was a homecoming. The brand chose Dresden deliberately, and that choice still resonates today.
The formal partnership has since produced some truly significant moments. Between 2007 and 2013, Lange sponsored the full restoration of the Mathematisch-Physikalische Salon, a six-year project that brought the museum back to life. Then, in 2015, the SKD and Lange collaborated on a special exhibition: “Simple and Perfect. Saxony’s Path into the World of International Watchmaking.” I would have loved to see that show in person. It brought together historical Lange pocket watches and never-before-exhibited pieces, celebrating the legacy of Ferdinand Adolph Lange in the city that first inspired him.
What I find equally impressive, and personally resonant, is the Lernort, the learning centre at the Royal Cabinet. This initiative teaches young people about natural sciences and technology in a visual, engaging way. Lange, as a company deeply committed to vocational training, supports this with genuine conviction.
Looking ahead to 2026, the partnership continues to support exhibitions with real cultural ambition. From 8 February to 31 May, the Albertinum hosts “Paula Modersohn-Becker and Edvard Munch: The Big Questions of Life.” Then, from 26 June to 20 September, the Kupferstich-Kabinett presents “Japan on Paper in Dresden: Utamaro, Hokusai, Hiroshige and Modern Graphic Art.” Neither show is about watches, and that is precisely the point. This partnership reaches into culture broadly, not narrowly.
Dr Bernd Ebert, Director General of the SKD, put it well: both institutions share an appreciation for the highest standards of craftsmanship and a dedication to showcasing Saxon precision around the world. Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of A. Lange & Söhne, stressed the importance of making that shared heritage accessible to future generations.
Twenty years in, this partnership feels as natural and as necessary as ever. I look forward to the next five.
