The return of the historic A. Lange & Söhne Centennial Tourbillon

A. Lange & Söhne is famend as one of the vital distinguished watchmakers from Saxony in the marketplace right now, however life hasn’t at all times been easy crusing. As a witness and sufferer of the vicissitudes of German historical past over the previous two centuries, the future of the model has come full circle. From its basis in 1845 by Ferdinand Adolf Lange in Glashütte to its destruction throughout WWII, and from its expropriation after the struggle to its miraculous resurrection after Germany’s reunification in 1990 by the founder’s great-grandson, A. Lange & Söhne has taken a circuitous path however is now safely dwelling. Right this moment, A. Lange & Söhne is celebrating one other return, this time marked by the return of a beneficial pocket watch that was misplaced within the turmoil following WWII to its rightful place within the Museum Bautzen.

Often called the “Centennial Tourbillon”, this beautiful gold pocket watch with a miniature enamel portray of the goddess Minerva was one in every of only some tourbillons to emerge from the A. Lange & Söhne manufacture in 1900. Based on information, simply twelve tourbillons have been produced between 1892 and 1925, and solely 9 have paperwork that attest they have been delivered. Additionally known as No. 41000, this pocket watch with its one-minute tourbillon, fusée-and-chain transmission and the UP/DOWN energy reserve indication would function inspiration for the Tourbillon “Pour le Mérite” wristwatch celebrating the re-establishment of A. Lange Söhne.  As one of many 4 wristwatches unveiled to mark the model’s return to watchmaking in 1994, the Tourbillon “Pour le Mérite” was the primary of its type with a constant-force mechanism and confirmed the world that ALS was set to regain its prime place.

Pocket watch no. 41000 was offered to Otto Weigang, proprietor of a printing home in Bautzen, in 1900. Nevertheless, earlier than it exchanged palms, Emil Lange, the second-generation proprietor of ALS, took the watch to Paris. As a member of the worldwide jury of the 1900 Paris World’s Truthful, Lange in all probability had the platinum-plated gold case of the pocket watch engraved and the Roman goddess Minerva painted on the duvet. Following Weigang’s demise in 1914, the tourbillon, different pocket watches and artworks from his assortment have been exhibited on the Museum Bautzen. Stored protected in a depot from bombing throughout WWII, the pocket watch disappeared within the aftermath of the struggle however resurfaced in 1976 for a particular exhibition of Lange pocket watches.

Since then, the pocket watch has been auctioned a number of occasions and was about to be auctioned by Sotheby’s in London in 2019 when the city of Bautzen contacted the public sale home and purchased again the watch. As soon as once more, historical past repeats itself at A. Lange & Söhne to the delight of many.

For extra data, please go to ALange-Soehne.com.