On October 24, 1994, Walter Lange introduced the first watches to bear the A. Lange & Söhne name in nearly 50 years. Once the top name in complicated pocket watches, the famous Glashütte watch brand was destroyed by allied bombs on the last day of the war in Europe and disappeared behind the iron curtain. Now, with the help of Günter Blümlein and IWC, A. Lange & Söhne has returned to its place at the height of the watch market. But there is also a dark past that has not been widely told.
A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin 37 mm: My Favorite Watch
Day 2 of my “Watch A Day” series has arrived and I just couldn’t stop my hand from falling on my favorite watch of all. I purchased this A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin 37 mm without the usual months of consideration and comparison. It was just perfect the moment I saw it, and it remains simply the best watch I own.
Wempe Zeitmeister Pilot Chronograph “Uhren Magazin” Limited Edition: A Classic German/Swiss Chronograph at an Unbeatable Price
Perhaps no country is more in love with mechanical watches than Germany, and it’s a wonderful experience to browse watches at Wempe or see the perfect photography in “Uhren” magazine. Although not everyone’s cup of tea, this Wempe Zeitmeister Pilot Chronograph “Uhren Magazin” Limited Edition captures this “zeitgeist” and makes a great daily-wear grail to boot! It features the bulletproof ETA/Valjoux 7750 movement in preferred 7753 form, is a certified chronometer, and looks darn good with classic pilot styling.
Jacques Etoile Horst Jakob
Even watch enthusiasts might not have heard of the Jacques Etoile, let alone master watchmakers Horst and Klaus Jakob. But this quiet German brand has made many fine watches in the last 20 years. This limited-edition watch was released in 2005 to celebrate Horst Jakob’s 50 years as a watchmaker. It was one of 70 handmade by Horst, all of which use a classic A. Schild AS 1123 movement.