Walter Lange would have turned 100 years old on 29 July 2024. By reestablishing Lange Uhren GmbH on 7 December 1990, he not only succeeded in reviving his family’s extensive watchmaking tradition after being forced to stop for over 40 years but also paved the way for the resurgence of Saxon precision watchmaking founded by his great-grandfather in 1845.
Walter Lange, who was closely connected with A. Lange & Söhne as a representative and ambassador until his death on 17 January 2017, was honoured many times over for his outstanding services to the Glashütte watch industry. Despite his success, he will always be remembered for his charismatic personality, open-mindedness, warmth, modesty and down-to-earth attitude. When Walter Lange approached others, he would always treat them as equals. With his vision of responsible entrepreneurship and his commitment to the trade, for example, to the next generation of watchmakers, his influence still characterises the corporate culture of A. Lange & Söhne today.
A Sheltered Childhood and the Cruelties of War
Born in Dresden in 1924, Walter Lange was the fourth child of Rudolf and Hildegart Lange and spent a sheltered childhood in Glashütte, which was influenced by the effects of the global economic crisis. The sight of the unemployed in front of the company’s headquarters was etched deep into his memory – and later became the driving force behind his actions. There was no doubt in his mind that Walter Lange would become a watchmaker. He often accompanied his father Rudolf to the manufacture to inspect the finished chronometers. After completing primary school in Glashütte and his secondary education in Dresden, in the spring of 1941 he began an apprenticeship as a watchmaker in Karlstein, Lower Austria, at the School of the Watchmaking Industry. Just one year later, in the summer of 1942, there was a sudden interruption: at the age of 18, Walter Lange was called for military service in the Second World War. As he always emphasised, the only reason he survived was because of sheer luck. On 7 May 1945, he returned home severely wounded. But his luck was short-lived: Glashütte was bombed on the last day of the war, on 8 May 1945. The “shipyard”, as the main production building of A. Lange & Söhne was also called, was badly damaged. What remained was seized by the Soviet occupiers. These included watches, components and machines as well as intellectual property, such as detailed documentation of the production of the Lange marine chronometer, which Walter Lange had to produce himself.
New Hope After the War – The First Wristwatch
The people of Glashütte immediately set about rebuilding the town. “We had no other choice,” explains Walter Lange in his memoirs, “When Time Came Home“, which have now been updated and expanded on to commemorate his 100th birthday. “Watch production was the only way we and our town could survive.” After much debate within the family, sales of the “Calibre 28” began in 1947, a wristwatch movement based on the Calibre 48 pocket watch that had been produced up until that point. But as early as 1948, the expropriation and transformation into a state-owned company (VEB) by order of the SED regime ruined the Lange family’s plans for the future. After being forced to work in uranium mining, Walter Lange fled to Pforzheim in November 1948, where his efforts to set up a new watchmaking manufacture were not very successful. Walter Lange remained loyal to the watchmaking and jewellery industry as a sales representative until his retirement in 1986. He always hoped that he could bring Lange back to life in Glashütte – but he never believed he would.
“We Had to Start from Scratch Once Again”
When the historic opportunity presented itself as a result of German reunification, Walter Lange did not hesitate. “7 December 1990 was one of the most important days of my life,” he said in an interview on his 90th birthday. At the age of 66, he registered Lange Uhren GmbH, “using a postal address I had borrowed from a former classmate“. Despite the risk, the family tradition demanded that he return to Glashütte “to give people here work and prospects during difficult times.” The unwavering vision he had of bringing A. Lange & Söhne back to life was so powerful that it took four years to come to fruition in spite of all the obstacles.
Walter Lange’s most important sparring partner was the entrepreneur Günter Blümlein (1943–2001), a charismatic strategist who also firmly believed that a comeback of the historic brand was possible. With a small, dedicated team of designers, watchmakers and administrative staff, as well as financial support from VDO and LMH (Les Manufactures Horlogères), a convincing answer was finally provided to the question of what a Lange watch should look like at the end of the 20th century. “From the outset, it was important that we develop watches with a simple, classic design and an extremely modern look,” said Walter Lange.
When Time Came Home
With a keen eye for quality, Lange and Blümlein, a dynamic duo, focused on preserving traditional craftsmanship and developing technical innovations. The first collection with LANGE 1, ARKADE, SAXONIA and TOURBILLON “Pour le Mérite” was launched on 24 October 1994 in the Dresden Royal Palace: Experts and connoisseurs were immediately impressed. The 123 examples produced were all sold. Many product presentations followed, and Walter Lange never hesitated to share his advice and experience. Until the very end, he would speak to customers, press representatives and business partners, giving interviews and talking about his life. He always engaged with everyone with a great deal of openness, even in Glashütte, where he was a welcomed guest.
Committed to the Next Generation of Watchmakers
One of Walter Lange‘s main concerns was the future of the watchmaking profession. At first, the company started in 1997 with just two trainees, and today the in-house school is internationally recognised. Walter Lange would always listen to the concerns of the next generation of watchmakers and with his involvement he is still a role model for the younger generation today. In autumn 2022, the manufacture paid tribute to its namesake by naming its in-house school the “Walter Lange Training and Further Education Centre”.
Give Credit Where Credit is Due
Walter Lange received as many as ten personal honours during his lifetime, including international awards such as the Prix Spécial du Jury du Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève in 2014, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie in 2013 – both in Geneva – and the Caesars Award in Bucharest in 2011. To mark the 175th anniversary of Glashütte watchmaking, the town and A. Lange & Söhne subsequently honoured Walter Lange’s life’s work. A life-size bronze sculpture created by Hamburg artist Thomas Jastram was unveiled on 18 September 2020 in front of guests from the world of politics, people from the industry and the press – just a few steps away from the monument to his great-grandfather Ferdinand Adolph Lange. Other official honours include honorary citizenship of the town of Glashütte in 1995, the Saxon Order of Merit in 1998 and the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 1st class in 2015.
“He Was the Beating Heart of our Manufacture.”
With these words, Wilhelm Schmid remembers Walter Lange. His legacy should also be preserved in the future. “Walter Lange represented the old school in the truest sense of the word. He has brought his values, such as watchmaking, his down-to-earth attitude and his humble character to the company and firmly anchored them so that his way of thinking and his actions will continue to have an impact and guide our decisions as a company in the future,” says the Lange CEO.
“When Time Came Home“
An updated and expanded edition of Walter Lange’s biography
Walter Lange, founder of Lange Uhren GmbH, would have celebrated his 100th birthday on 29 July 2024. To mark his birthday, a new edition of his biography is being published by Econ-Verlag. In his memoirs, he retraces his life, which was closely connected to the history of the manufacture with which his great-grandfather Ferdinand Adolph Lange laid the foundations for Saxon precision watchmaking in Glashütte in 1845. After his family was expropriated almost a century later in 1948, Walter Lange fled to West Germany and A. Lange & Söhne was nearly forgotten. But when the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany presented him with the historic opportunity to bring the brand back to life in his former hometown, he did not hesitate. The 66-year-old retiree’s vision at the time was to “build the best watches in the world once again“, and that, according to Walter Lange, “was only possible at this historic site.”
With the enthusiastic support of his business partner Günter Blümlein, the trained watchmaker, who died on 17 January 2017 at the age of 92, succeeded in reviving the legend of the historic brand after it was forced to stop business over 40 years prior.
In his memoirs, first published in 2004, Walter Lange describes the most important stages of his eventful life across three chapters: from his sheltered childhood in Glashütte and Dresden to his apprenticeship as a watchmaker in Karlstein an der Thaya in Austria, his traumatic war experiences on the Eastern Front, the expropriation of the family-owned business and his escape to West Germany. Finally, he describes the exciting new beginnings that followed in Glashütte after 1990, which brought the historic brand back to the top of international precision watchmaking.
“When Time Came Home” depicts the life of a home-loving cosmopolitan who, despite his displacement, held on to his vision with great perseverance until it became a reality: the revival of A. Lange & Söhne. His biography also provides an impressive portrait of the character of a man who met the greats of his time in business, politics and society, yet always remained humble. He treated everyone with respect and care and as equals. As a member of the Lange dynasty, he still influences the business’ corporate culture and is a powerful role model. Walter Lange’s memoirs read like a gripping novel and bring modern history to life.
The new edition has been extended to include a foreword by Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid and an extensive fourth chapter in which author Gisbert L. Brunner recounts the life of Walter Lange from 2004 onwards. This internationally respected trade journalist, industry expert and watch collector had known Walter Lange since 1976 and met with him regularly, especially from 1990 onwards. After all, the revival of A. Lange & Söhne led to many encounters over the years, during which the two watch enthusiasts passionately discussed the past, present and future of precision watchmaking.
Brunner focuses in particular on Walter Lange’s entrepreneurial legacy and his commitment to watchmaking training and the town of Glashütte. Walter Lange’s unwavering determination and keen optimism inspired other manufacturers to settle in the Müglitz Valley, making Glashütte the centre of German precision watchmaking once again. But Walter Lange wanted one thing above all: to bring jobs back to Glashütte. He received many honours for his development work, including honorary citizenship of the town of Glashütte in 1995, the Saxon Order of Merit in 1998 and finally, the Federal Cross of Merit; 1st Class in 2015.
In addition to the accounts of employees, the new edition of his biography also includes the memories of Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid, who describes Walter Lange as the “beating heart of our manufacture“, in which his spirit can still be felt today. Benjamin Lange, Walter Lange’s son, also talks about his father. A glossary containing technical and specialised terms and an index of persons have also been added. A new cover and an additional picture section illustrating the fourth chapter complete the new edition.
“The best way to honour Walter Lange and his life’s achievements is to keep his memory alive,” emphasises Schmid. “The new edition of his biography makes a valuable contribution to this, and its importance will continue to grow over time. After all, one of our key objectives is to preserve our historical heritage, to which our company founder made a significant contribution, and to carry it into the future. With this in mind, I am delighted that the last chapter of Walter Lange’s life is being honoured and made accessible on his 100th birthday.“
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About A. Lange & Söhne
Dresden watchmaker Ferdinand Adolph Lange laid the foundations for Saxony’s precision watchmaking industry when he established his manufacture in 1845. His precious pocket watches remain highly coveted among collectors all over the world. The company was expropriated after World War II, and the name A. Lange & Söhne nearly vanished. In 1990, Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s great-grandson, Walter Lange, had the courage to relaunch the brand. Today, Lange crafts only a few thousand wristwatches per year, predominantly in gold or platinum. They are equipped exclusively with movements made in-house that are elaborately finished and assembled twice by hand. With 72 manufacture calibres developed since 1990, A. Lange & Söhne has secured a top-tier position in the world of watchmaking. Its greatest achievements include the LANGE 1, the first regularly produced wristwatch with an outsize date, and the ZEITWERK, with its precisely jumping numerals. Extraordinary complications such as the ZEITWERK MINUTE REPEATER, the TRIPLE SPLIT and the GRAND COMPLICATION presented in 2013, the most complicated model to date, represent what the manufacture always strives for: to drive the traditional art of watchmaking to ever-new heights. Launched in 2019, the sporty-elegant ODYSSEUS marked the beginning of a new chapter for A. Lange & Söhne.