German watchmaker A Lange & Söhne has paid tribute to Walter Lange, who passed away at the age of 92, remembering the courage he displayed in relaunching the brand and hailing the culture that he instilled in the manufacture, which exists till this day.

Walter was the great-grandson of Ferdinand Adolph Lange, the founder of the Saxony-based watchmaker, whose operations were halted following its expropriation after World War II and the division of Germany into East and West. 

The reunification of Germany opened a window of opportunity for Water to relaunch the brand in 1990, at the age of 66.

Walter breathed new life into the brand as it took on powerful competition from Swiss watchmakers. With a small team of engineers and watchmakers, he and his partner Günter Blümlein were able to find an answer to the question of what an A Lange & Söhne watch would look like at the end of the 20th century

“The example of his forefathers taught Walter Lange that, even in the most extreme of circumstances, a company can be founded and led on a path of success. It also taught him that everything depends on believing in a well-thought-out plan to the very end and, during the plan’s implementation, on trusting in the commitment and abilities of others. Walter Lange was a firm believer in this message that was passed down from generation to generation,” the brand said in a statement. 

As a trained watchmaker, Walter helped rebuild his family’s company under extremely difficult circumstances following the end of World War II until compulsory purchase put an end to their hopes. 

In the mid-1970s, he took regular journeys to the Erzgebirge mountains so that he did not lose touch with the people in his home town. He did this to ensure their continued subsistence, and decided to make his vision of a comeback of A Lange & Söhne a reality.

Walter advocated both the preservation of traditional handicraft as well as the development of technical innovations. Timepieces created under his aegis held to a classic, artisan ideal and yet also featured cutting-edge technology. The best example of this is the Lange 1, which has become the face of the brand since its presentation in the first collection. 

A Lange & Söhne today is one of the most exclusive watch brands in the world. Its small pioneering team has grown to 770 employees, the first collection with only four watches has blossomed into five model families, and its watches have been recognised with over 250 international awards.

All this would not have been possible without the pioneering achievements of Walter Lange, the brand points out.

For his work, Walter was awarded the Order of Merit of the Free State of Saxony in 1998 and the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2015. 

Walter remained involved with the company he founded as a brand ambassador and consultant even long after he withdrew from management

“Thanks to his courage, his vision, his critical spirit and his sincere interest in the people around him, he was not only a symbol of continuity, but also a father figure with whom people could identify,” the brand said. “The factory he brought back to life has long since become independent and is growing – therein lies its true greatness – beyond the personality of its founder. But the example set by this philanthropist who passed away on 17 January 2017, at the age of 92 following a full life, still shapes the culture of the company today.”