A. Lange & Söhne - The 2021 New York Watch Auction New York Saturday, December 11, 2021 | Phillips
  • Manufacturer: A. Lange & Söhne
    Year: Circa 2005
    Reference No: 304.049
    Movement No: 50’081
    Case No: 160’123
    Model Name: Grosse Langematik Gangreserve
    Material: Platinum
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 921.6, 42 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Leather
    Dimensions: 40.5mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and buckle signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by A. Lange & Söhne International Guarantee stamped Wempe and dated January 2006, wooden Limited Edition A. Lange & Söhne and Wempe presentation box, product literature and outer packaging.

  • Catalogue Essay

    Founded in 1845, A. Lange & Söhne has been synonymous for mechanical innovation and precision timing with an entrepreneurial spirit revealing their founder’s, Ferdinand Adolph Lange, commitment to aesthetics, intricacy and complexity in watchmaking. From their beginnings in Glashütte Saxony to their demise during World War II, and their ultimate resurrection by the founder’s great grandson Walter Lange in the 1990s, the brand has been sought after by collectors for technical engineering. The present Grosse Langematik Gangreserve is a wonderful collaboration with famed retailer Wempe with whom the brand has long been associated.
    Ferdinand Lange sought to transform the Glashütte region into a dominant force in German watchmaking. In 1875, Deutsche Seewarte, the Naval Observatory in Hamburg, organised a chronometry competition to encourage the manufacture of German chronometers, leading to A. Lange & Söhne’s production of approximately 1000 chronometers for almost 70 years. A. Lange & Söhne manufactured marine chronometers for Wempe, which in 1938 took control of the company ChronometerWerke GmbH, founded in 1905.
    The Grosse Langematik Gangreserve model celebrated the centenary of the founding of the Wempe Chronometer Manufactory. It was based on one of A. Lange & Söhne’s best known examples, a large observation clock from 1935, no. 83193. The limited edition models released in 2005 were offered in 100 platinum examples like the present timepiece, along with 100 yellow gold wristwatches, as well as 25 pink gold timepieces sold exclusively through the Wempe Boutique in New York, in celebration of the boutique’s 25th anniversary. The 1935 clock was the inspiration for this wonderful wristwatch, however the model has a modern appeal with a classic dial and the 1815 collection’s signature railway outer minute track. The present wristwatch is in excellent overall condition and complete with its accessories. This is a rare opportunity to own a watch that is steeped in the history of a brand that has long been known for its horological excellence.

  • Artist Biography

    A. Lange & Söhne

    German • 1845

    Originally founded in 1845 by Ferdinand Adolph Lange in Glashütte, Dresden, Germany, the firm established an entire watchmaking culture and industry in Glashütte. The brand quickly became Germany's finest watchmaker, first creating dependable, easy-to-repair watches before going on to produce some of the world's finest complicated pocket watches, including Grande Sonnerie watches, tourbillon watches and Grande Complications.

    On the final day of World War II, their factories were destroyed by Russian bombers, and in 1948 the brand was confiscated by the Soviet Union. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1990, Ferdinand's great grandson Walter Lange re-established the brand with the objective to once again produce top-quality luxury watches. Now part of the Richemont Group, its original vintage and modern creations are highly coveted by collectors. Key models from the modern era include the Lange 1, Pour Le Mérite Tourbillon and the Zeitwerk.

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Ref. 304.049
A fine limited edition platinum wristwatch with power reserve, made for the 100th anniversary of the Wempe Chronometer manufactory, numbered 23 of 100

Circa 2005
40.5mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement and buckle signed

Estimate
$15,000 - 30,000 
CHF13,900-27,800
€13,300-26,600
HK$117,000-234,000

Sold for $44,100

Contact Specialist

Paul Boutros

Head of Watches, Americas

+1 (212) 940-1293

WatchesNY@Phillips.com

 

The 2021 New York Watch Auction

New York Auction 11 - 12 December 2021