A. Lange & Söhne have perhaps some of the best movements and finishing in the business, so when they put on a showcase of their 2024 Novelties in Sydney, we couldn’t miss it!

Last week, A. Lange & Söhne held an intimate gathering at their Sydney Boutique to showcase the novelties from Watches & Wonder 2024, along with a few other selected pieces to help celebrate the Lange 1’s 30th Anniversary and the Datographs 25th Anniversary. For those not all that familiar with the A. Lange & Söhne story, it’s an old brand that had an immense history but after a 42-year hiatus thanks to WWII, Walter Lange, the son of Rudolf Lange, grandson of Emil and great-grandson of Ferdinand Adolph Lange decided it was time to revive it and bring back the beauty that is Glashütte watchmaking. The brand’s revival started in 1990, just after the fall of the Berlin Wall, but it wasn’t until 1994 that it would produce its first piece and the piece they launched with? The Lange 1. So it’s no surprise that this is their most iconic piece, and stemming from this 4 years later in 1999, the Datograph both having milestone birthdays this year.

Walter Lange in front of his Great Grandfather’s statue, Ferdinand Adolph Lange

So on a balmy September day, we, along with other media, made our way to the A. Lange & Söhne boutique in Martin Place, Sydney to hear about the revival, see the 2024 Watches & Wonders novelties (which we also covered here back in April) and some other special pieces on show. For those who have not seen inside, the A. Lange & Söhne boutique is worth the trip. Not only do they have a great selection of watches, but there is so much history and information on display, so you can really sink your teeth into this and learn more about the brand.

Above, the large wall mount of how A. Lange & Söhne does their famous panorama date display using 2 overlapping discs and in the second image, the history wall where you can learn about the brand from its beginnings and the history of its watches over the past (almost) 180 years. Below, The Wall Of Parts is impressive as you enter on the left of the boutique as it showcases just how many parts A. Lange & Söhne have in their inventory for their movements. You can see a selection of these up close in the second image.

To kick off the formalities, we were welcomed by Joan Tay, Marketing Manager for A. Lange & Söhne Asia Pacific, who in turn introduced Nicolas Gong, A. Lange & Söhne’s Managing Director, Asia Pacific. Nicolas took us through a brief overview of the brand’s history and heritage, both modern-day and its roots. We had the pleasure of sitting down with Nicolas prior to the event and getting his perspective on all things Lange, so be on the lookout for this in-person interview early next month.

Above, Joan Tay did the thank you and introductions at the start of the afternoon and welcomed A. Lange & Söhne Managing Director for Asia Pacific, Nicolas Gong, who spoke about the legacy of A. Lange & Söhne.

We were then shown a video featuring Anthony de Haas, Director of Product Development, and Tino Bobe, Director of Manufacturing for A. Lange & Söhne talking about the Datograph and its 25 year anniversary – one of the main reasons the Saxony brand brought out their Watches & Wonders novelties – the Datograph Honeygold Lumen, and the Datograph Up/Down.

Guests watch on as Anthony de Haas and Tino Bobe take us through the inception of the Datograph in 1999. For those interested, we have the full video of the 25 years of The Datograph below for your viewing pleasure!

Throughout the afternoon, guests were treated to canapès and champagne, along with some amazing chocolate mouse cakes for dessert, which to be very honest, was hard to have just one!

The selection of Canapès was delicious, but more so was the dessert – how can you have an event celebrating a German brand without a selection of rich chocolatey goodness!?

The stars of the show, however, were the watches, specifically several exclusive pieces such as the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold Lumen and the Datograph Handwerkskunst. Both these pieces are magnificent in person, and when you have them in your hand, you really appreciate the craftsmanship that has gone into them – everything from the dial design to the way the gold cases feel, to the movements themselves.

Above: The A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold Lumen, limited to just 50 pieces and from all reports, sold out worldwide. Not a bad effort for a piece that is approximately A$1M! But when you wear this, you understand exactly why people gravitate towards this watch, not to mention it looks great on the wrist! Below is the latest release from just a month ago, the Datograph Handwerkskunst with Tremblage engraving on the dial, giving it a three-dimensional structure, which needs to be seen up close for the best effect!

The other major piece that we had the chance to play with was the Datograph Up/Down in white gold with the blue dial which has been crafted from 925 silver. While the other pieces are major showstoppers, the Up/Down had my vote as the watch I would most likely buy from the current lineup. Why? It just wears so well and looks great on the wrist. Plus, there is something special about that blue dial and strap combination and the way the white gold feels when on!

I may have been echoing the style of Don Johnson, but my wrist was anything but! Oh, and check out that movement of the Up/Down!

During the afternoon, all the attendees had the chance to get up close and personal with each piece, many choosing their favourites and spending time talking to Nicolas and the team from A. Lange & Söhne. With a wealth of knowledge across all staff, it was one of those chances to geek out a little with fellow watch enthusiasts, which if you’re in watch media you most probably are!

All the invitees spent a good few hours talking, taking pictures, and videos and generally enjoying high horology, which A. Lange & Söhne do very well.

Overall it was a great afternoon spent with a brand that has so much history and heritage, and while it could have been lost to time and the history books itself, thanks to Walter Lange and Günter Blümlein, it was brought back to life. And back to life it certainly is – with the combination of traditional Saxony watchmaking, technical innovation in the movements and a strong sense of modernity infused into each piece, A. Lange & Söhne is as strong today as it was all those years ago.