Wilhelm Schmid, CEO A. Lange & Söhne, had invited more than 200 clients and media representatives from around the world to Dresden and Glashütte from December 6th to 8th. This was an occasion to celebrate the bicentenary of the founder’s birth, to unveil the new wing of the Manufacture, as well as to introduce an exceptional limited series. Above and beyond serving as backdrops for a spectacular stage-setting effects, Albrechtsberg Castle and the Dresden Opera House enabled attendees to learn more about the brand’s inspiration and its founder.
In referring to the Saxony Orchestra, which performed a spectacular musical score specially composed for the private screening of the film retracing the saga of A. Lange & Söhne at the Dresden Opera House, Wilhelm Schmid made an emotional comparison between conducting an orchestra and guiding a Manufacture. The audience was then invited to look up to the astonishing mechanical digital clock installed above the stage of the Semperoper, commissioned by the King of Saxony. In 1841, the court horologist and F.A. Lange jointly developed the mechanism driving the display jumping in five-minute intervals. This symbiosis between the 12th Art (the art of time measurement) and the 5th Art (music) directly inspired the creation of the Grande Lange 1 and its famous outsize date.
The same spirit of innovation inspired the model presented after the concert as part of the commemorations: the 1815 Tourbillon. Issued in a 30-piece limited series graced with exceptional finishes, this collector’s gem reflects the many skills now united in the new wing of the Manufacture historically located in Glashütte.
Welcome to Glashütte
The 72-meter long, 25-high, 5400 sq.m. new two-wing complex features bright, well-structured façades and provides the production teams with a comfortable and convenient modern working environment. The 253 huge, slightly sloping windows ensure ample lighting in the workshops. Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid is delighted with this new milestone in the history of the brand that is celebrating this year the 200th anniversary of its founder’s birth: “This will help us further enhance the quality of our watches and optimize our production processes. All the while, we strive to minimize our ecological footprint and resource consumption.”
"Une des seules manufacture au monde à produire sans émisson de CO2"
While harmoniously blending in with the historical architectural surroundings, the buildings have been designed in keeping with the principles of sustainable development, actually making the Manufacture the largest geothermal energy plant in Saxony and one of the world’s only CO2-free facilities. Its 55 downhole heat exchangers plunging 125 meters underground ensure a pleasant indoor climate year-round, and the electricity required to operate the pumps is eco-friendly. Yet another asset for one of Fine Watchmaking collectors’ favourite brands?
