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Navigators Watch Lange Söhne, 1942, WW II

$18,669.09List Price

About the Item

In limited numbers and civil unavailabel execution LANGE SÖHNE, probably the best German watchmaker, has made this watch before the last war. Because they could not cover even all needs, other companies such as Wempe, LACO etc. were consulted later. But Lange watches were far superior to those, were of better production quality as all other brands. Particularly rarely these watches are to be found in the present state. The World War has also destroyed the stocks, the following, poor time done the rest. From aviator`s possession we can offer this well-protected piece, which has the features of early production. A truly museum-piece, a showpiece for any collection of Glashütte watches. Three-piece case, pressed down aluminum with original acrylic glass. The black dial bears a large minute ring the outside and a small hour division inside, that the second and minute hands were mainly used for short-term measurements. All numerals and blued steel hands and the arrow in the "60" are filled with the original radium luminous. The movement is gilded and bubbled, the lift wheels carry sunray decoration and it is equipped with 16 jewels. Positioning of Maltese cross in the lift, smooth and balanced steel anchors and the steel ancor wheel are also equipped as stop seconds. It is here at this observation watch LANGE SÖHNE to something very special. All watches have been manufactured according to the highest quality standards and were subjected to extensive testing. Our copy is produced, assembled and regulated at LANGE. It carries also the swan neck regulator. During the progress of the war this detail has been omitted. The watch comes with a certificate of Watch Museum Glashütte with extract from the archives of Lange, which allocates the manufacturing date 28.01.1942 and the date of sale 5.8.1942 of this special watch from the factory number.

Creator:
A. Lange Söhne
Case Material:
Other
Case Dimensions:
Height: 0.83 in (21 mm)Diameter: 2.17 in (55 mm)
Place of Origin:
Germany
Period:
1940-1949
Date of Manufacture:
1942
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Minor loss on Lume at the Dial near the 25 at the minuterie. Remarkably well preserved, very good original condition.
Seller Location:
Berlin, DE
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU72332810513

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A. Lange & Söhne

With a watchmaking legacy that has its origins in the early 19th century, German brand A. Lange and Söhne has created a wide range of iconic watches such as the Lange 1 and is renowned around the world for its chronographs and impeccably polished and elegant aesthetics.

A. Lange and Söhne’s story begins with Ferdinand Adolph Lange, who, at the age of 15, apprenticed with master watchmaker Johann Christian Friedrich Gutkaes in Saxony. In the late 1830s, Gutkaes and his young apprentice developed the Five-Minute Clock for the Semper Opera House in Dresden, considered by historians as a masterpiece in Saxon clockmaking artistry.

Following his apprenticeship with Gutkaes, Lange traveled through France, England and Switzerland before returning to Germany to work at a watch manufactory in Glashütte. Lange’s watchmaking talents began to gain recognition by Europe’s wealthy nobility. Among them was Russian Czar Alexander II, who was so enamored by Lange’s pocket watches that he gifted Lange a diamond scarf pin.

In 1845, Lange founded his watch company, and in 1868, his sons Richard and Emil became the business’s co-owners upon his retirement. Both brothers were talented in their own right. Richard, an innovative designer, contributed to dozens of watchmaking patents. Meanwhile, Emil achieved world fame for his Century Tourbillon watch, which he presented at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris.

Throughout the early 20th century, the Lange family’s watchmaking firm flourished. After World War II, the manufactory was shut down and nationalized. However, in 1990, Ferdinand’s great-grandson Walter Lange resurrected his family’s watchmaking legacy, reviving the A. Lange and Söhne brand with entrepreneur Günter Blümlein.

In 1994, A. Lange and Söhne debuted their first wristwatch collection, which included the Lange 1, Saxonia, Arkade and Tourbillon “Pour le Mérite” models. Subsequently, other successful models followed, such as Odysseus, Cabaret, Zeitwerk and the iconic 1815 — named for Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s birth year.

Blümlein died in 2001 and Walter Lange died in 2016, yet A. Lange and Söhne continues to rank among the world’s top luxury watchmakers with exquisite pieces that are highly coveted by today’s discerning collectors.

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