OFFICIAL A. Lange & Söhne Collectors Thread

[edhahn44]

Looking at recent secondary market and auction prices, it seems A. Lange & Söhne is on the rise and the brand will get some well deserved time in the light.
I guess one can argue that this is also supported by the big greys like WB and some others but price levels seem to be there to stay.

I would be curious to better understand how Lange collectors structure their collections (including pictures), what Lange pieces are the sought after ones and some of the thinking behind. Since there is only a thread about pics of the daily wearers, I thought it's the time to start a new one to share pictures of Lange collections and some stories around their genesis.

To start with my modest collection:
- 101.001 the OG Lange with closed case back: one of the first 100 watches ever left the factory
- 101.035 Lange 1 Darth: definitively the coolest L1 since 1994
- 401.031 1st gen Chrono in rose gold: a clear must have for every chronograph enthusiast
- 414.028 3rd gen Chrono: best pure chrono over the last years
- 403.035 1st gen Datograph: the most important watch for Lange and a game changer for the whole industry
- 363.179 Odysseus in steel: Lange's move into the stainless steel sports watch segment but still a great reflection of their DNA

There are still a couple of pieces I'm looking for to complement my collection, but since supply is getting smaller and smaller, I keep the references for me at this point in time...




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[uniqueMR]

Beautiful pieces.
I just started looking into Lange and placed an order for 363.038

[GentleMonster]

Wonderful Lange(s) you have. I like the collection from the classics, chronos to the modern Odysseus.
I do not own a Lange yet but I'm currently eyeing a Lange 1 to begin with and I hope it would soon enter into my collection.

[cbalster]

I'm caught up in the datograph hype. I really want one, most likely the 39mm. But in my research it seems there are 2 people in the US who can service them, both in NY. I'm a bit reluctant to take the plunge given the servicing needs vs resources. It seems like every few years the watch would go away for months.

Also, just from a lifestyle perspective, when would I wear it? I have a baby, it seems like I'm always cleaning up a mess or giving a bath. So it would be hard to wear on weekends and at home. I ride my bike to work on city streets, could the Lange handle the wear and tear of crumbling US infrastructure?

Turning 40 in a few years and the dato seems like the grail for the occassion.

Any thoughts?

[CFR]

Originally Posted by cbalster

I'm caught up in the datograph hype. I really want one, most likely the 39mm. But in my research it seems there are 2 people in the US who can service them, both in NY. I'm a bit reluctant to take the plunge given the servicing needs vs resources. It seems like every few years the watch would go away for months.

Yes, there are currently 2 Lange-authorized watchmakers in the US, Alkis and Bernd, both in NYC. Only they can get Lange parts. And you wouldn't want to have anyone but a Lange-authorized watchmaker service this in any case. I've seen some cringeworthy "break-ins" to that sapphire caseback perpetrated by other well-meaning watchmakers. But that shouldn't turn you off. Worst case is you send the watch to a Lange boutique in the US and they then have to send it to Germany if it can't be fixed here for some reason. It's not so bad, really. And you shouldn't need to get it serviced every few years. I think you'd get a good decade out of it in between service intervals, maybe longer, unless perhaps you're truly wearing it every day and banging it around all the time.

Originally Posted by cbalster

Also, just from a lifestyle perspective, when would I wear it? I have a baby, it seems like I'm always cleaning up a mess or giving a bath. So it would be hard to wear on weekends and at home. I ride my bike to work on city streets, could the Lange handle the wear and tear of crumbling US infrastructure?

YES! Langes are meant to be worn in daily life, not babied (no pun intended). They are not fragile, delicate objects. Check out this and this.

Originally Posted by cbalster

Turning 40 in a few years and the dato seems like the grail for the occassion. Any thoughts?

You've mentioned nothing about the watch itself -- the design, layout, functionality, comfort -- that seems to give you pause, so my vote is that you should go for it. Also, seriously consider a deployant buckle. They go well with the Dato, both aesthetically and to balance it on the wrist.

[WatchEater666]

My first nice watch was a Lange 1 - 101.031. Then my "end game" piece was a WG Zeitwerk. Ended up selling both but I have an SS Odysseus on order.

Prices on used Lange as you pointed out are definitely going up, I don't really see myself buying anymore any time soon because of that. Now leaning more into independents like Gauthier and MB&F.

[crod]

Hi GREAT COLLECTION!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! I have the OG DATO 403.035 that I bought last september and I LOVE IT!!! I´ve been thinking about buying this watch for a long time and Im glad I pulled the trigger since prices have really moved, I got in the low $40's.
Im thinking about getting a Lange 1 as my next piece.

[sgwatchguy]

Awesome collection! Subscribed.

[raclaims]

Such a great brand



Wife has a little Lange and I have SS odysseus incoming some day lol


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[Russell996]

Originally Posted by edhahn44

Looking at recent secondary market and auction prices, it seems A. Lange & Söhne is on the rise and the brand will get some well deserved time in the light.
I guess one can argue that this is also supported by the big greys like WB and some others but price levels seem to be there to stay.

I would be curious to better understand how Lange collectors structure their collections (including pictures), what Lange pieces are the sought after ones and some of the thinking behind. Since there is only a thread about pics of the daily wearers, I thought it's the time to start a new one to share pictures of Lange collections and some stories around their genesis.

To start with my modest collection:
- 101.001 the OG Lange with closed case back: one of the first 100 watches ever left the factory
- 101.035 Lange 1 Darth: definitively the coolest L1 since 1994
- 401.031 1st gen Chrono in rose gold: a clear must have for every chronograph enthusiast
- 414.028 3rd gen Chrono: best pure chrono over the last years
- 403.035 1st gen Datograph: the most important watch for Lange and a game changer for the whole industry
- 363.179 Odysseus in steel: Lange's move into the stainless steel sports watch segment but still a great reflection of their DNA

There are still a couple of pieces I'm looking for to complement my collection, but since supply is getting smaller and smaller, I keep the references for me at this point in time...




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Great selection, heavy on the chrono's.

I would suggest from your collection that you have several pieces with special significance in the Lange story.

The original Lange 1with a solid case back is a special piece - interested on how you are certain it was within the first 100 pieces produced as it is known the first years production was created leading up to the launch of the brand and that they were made out of sequence numerically due to 4 pieces (in multiple metals) being launched together. Walter Lange's own Tourbillon PLM which he wore daily for the rest of his life was case number and movement number 251 but I doubt it was number 251 in production.
The Dato is special is it shook up the Swiss on what a chrono would be.
The Odysseus since it is the piece that has brought the brand to the attention of a wider audience.

Originally Posted by raclaims

Such a great brand



Wife has a little Lange and I have SS odysseus incoming some day lol

Boom!

[edhahn44]

Originally Posted by Russell996

Great selection, heavy on the chrono's.

I would suggest from your collection that you have several pieces with special significance in the Lange story.

The original Lange 1with a solid case back is a special piece - interested on how you are certain it was within the first 100 pieces produced as it is known the first years production was created leading up to the launch of the brand and that they were made out of sequence numerically due to 4 pieces (in multiple metals) being launched together. Walter Lange's own Tourbillon PLM which he wore daily for the rest of his life was case number and movement number 251 but I doubt it was number 251 in production.
The Dato is special is it shook up the Swiss on what a chrono would be.
The Odysseus since it is the piece that has brought the brand to the attention of a wider audience.

Thanks, Russel.
Yes, heavy on the Chrono's, hence need to add some other pieces as well. Ideally with special significance for the brand.

I'm of course not 100% sure whether my watch was within the first 100, but a movement number between 40-80 and an early 1995 selling date give me some confidence this could be the case.

[Allanmodel]

Originally Posted by raclaims

Such a great brand



Wife has a little Lange and I have SS odysseus incoming some day lol


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Cool collection~~

[edhahn44]

Originally Posted by raclaims

Such a great brand

Quite some heavy hitters on your end

[Costa Rakaro]

Originally Posted by raclaims

Such a great brand



Wife has a little Lange and I have SS odysseus incoming some day lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Love this chronos

[raclaims]

For me, my story with ALS...I always loved them but was put off by the massive depreciation...the typical why lose money when Patek and Rolex always are a much safer bet.

But the itch was strong and I bought the lumen used...and was HOOKED. Nothing compares to them...I own all the stuff you'd think a collector would own...to me, no one touches Lange for this class of piece...others may be more "elegant" or sportier or whatever...but these suit me perfectly...masculine, gorgeous, incredibly interesting pieces that you can stare at through a loup for hours...

[cbalster]

Originally Posted by raclaims

For me, my story with ALS...I always loved them but was put off by the massive depreciation...the typical why lose money when Patek and Rolex always are a much safer bet.

But the itch was strong and I bought the lumen used...and was HOOKED. Nothing compares to them...I own all the stuff you'd think a collector would own...to me, no one touches Lange for this class of piece...others may be more "elegant" or sportier or whatever...but these suit me perfectly...masculine, gorgeous, incredibly interesting pieces that you can stare at through a loup for hours...

I've seen prices rising, a 39mm dato that used to be 40k now seems to go for 60k. however, i'm concerned if i paid the price now and ever, for whatever reason, had to sell, i'd get a rock bottom price of something like 30-40k even though prices have gone up. anyone have any experience with this? It's one thing to buy a 60k watch and lost 5-10k when selling but I'm concerned about taking a huge hit because these aren't the cheapest or fastest moving pieces....

[WatchEater666]

Originally Posted by cbalster

I've seen prices rising, a 39mm dato that used to be 40k now seems to go for 60k. however, i'm concerned if i paid the price now and ever, for whatever reason, had to sell, i'd get a rock bottom price of something like 30-40k even though prices have gone up. anyone have any experience with this? It's one thing to buy a 60k watch and lost 5-10k when selling but I'm concerned about taking a huge hit because these aren't the cheapest or fastest moving pieces....

I made money on my Zeitwerk and bought it new in 2020 - albeit with a huge discount on retail.

[cbalster]

Originally Posted by WatchEater666

I made money on my Zeitwerk and bought it new in 2020 - albeit with a huge discount on retail.

great timing! it seems like those days are gone b/c the heavy metal is order only now for ALS. Pity because I'd really like to try on both Datograph sizes but here on the West Coast that's not possible.

[RolexSimon]

Originally Posted by cbalster

I've seen prices rising, a 39mm dato that used to be 40k now seems to go for 60k. however, i'm concerned if i paid the price now and ever, for whatever reason, had to sell, i'd get a rock bottom price of something like 30-40k even though prices have gone up. anyone have any experience with this? It's one thing to buy a 60k watch and lost 5-10k when selling but I'm concerned about taking a huge hit because these aren't the cheapest or fastest moving pieces....

Platinum Dato at auction is now $60KUS with buyers premium.

[edhahn44]

I'd argue current market price is even higher. The recent sales I followed have rather been in the € 65k range, ie. USD >70k

[Horationelson]

I don’t know exactly what is happening, but things are changing with Lange re their distribution and exclusivity.

Two observations:
- For the last 18 months or so I’ve been eyeing up a Saxonia of some sort or maybe an 1815. During 2019/20, grey dealers were quoting 20-25% below list and didn’t seem to have an issue getting stock. Now, I can’t find a single grey dealer in London who is able to source Lange (not that I’d buy through one, and this is a good thing as it is preserving the brand’s value).
- Secondly, I walked into watches of Switzerland on Regent Street today and said I wanted to see some Lange watches. This is listed as an authorised dealer in the Lange website and the WoS site includes all the Lange models. I was told that they are no longer selling Lange and will be updating their website very shortly. They may have a few residual pieces in stock, but otherwise that’s all.

I wonder if the two are somehow connected… probably not, but it all points to Lange becoming more of a premium brand with better control over distribution, at least here in the UK.

[RolexSimon]

Originally Posted by Horationelson

I don’t know exactly what is happening, but things are changing with Lange re their distribution and exclusivity.

Two observations:
- For the last 18 months or so I’ve been eyeing up a Saxonia of some sort or maybe an 1815. During 2019/20, grey dealers were quoting 20-25% below list and didn’t seem to have an issue getting stock. Now, I can’t find a single grey dealer in London who is able to source Lange (not that I’d buy through one, and this is a good thing as it is preserving the brand’s value).
- Secondly, I walked into watches of Switzerland on Regent Street today and said I wanted to see some Lange watches. This is listed as an authorised dealer in the Lange website and the WoS site includes all the Lange models. I was told that they are no longer selling Lange and will be updating their website very shortly. They may have a few residual pieces in stock, but otherwise that’s all.

I wonder if the two are somehow connected… probably not, but it all points to Lange becoming more of a premium brand with better control over distribution, at least here in the UK.

There is a long discussion in the other ALS threads in the changes between Boutiques and ADs. Top end watches will now be boutique only and only boutique purchases will count towards "application" pieces like LEs or odysseus. ALS want to stop their premium pieces sitting in an ADs window in one part of the world when there is a waiting list somewhere else. Now they only get released from Germany when the deposit is paid in the boutique. "Dummy" models will be available to try for size etc. It essentially gets rid of the AD discount problem they were facing. Now essentially you pay the price or don't get the watch......

[mario1971]

Stunning collection - I am impressed.

Only last year I indulged in a bit of luxury and bought 1815 Up / Down RG 234.032. I plan to have Lange 1, and that's enough for me.

[GreatCircle]

I have added a “simple” 1815 small seconds rosegold to my small collection (Rolex, JLC) and wear my watches in rotation. After not wearing the Lange for a couple of days I already start missing it, that’s really something new to me. And I have had many watches...The level of detail on the dial, case and movement finish just gives me so much joy, way more then any other fine watch I have owned. It’s even with JLC quit a big step up and obviously compared with Rolex it’s huge.

One of the main reasons preowned Lange entry models are an absolute bargain must be the fact that they look so different real life. Almost any image on socials and grey dealers websites are just nothing but terrible and make these watches look very dull and boring. IRL they are such ultra fine watches and the warmth is simply impossible to catch on a photograph.

(Must admit that Mario1971 is one of the great exceptions with his gorgeous 1815 U/D images on this forum ;)

[mario1971]

Originally Posted by GreatCircle

I have added a “simple” 1815 small seconds rosegold to my small collection (Rolex, JLC) and wear my watches in rotation. After not wearing the Lange for a couple of days I already start missing it, that’s really something new to me. And I have had many watches...The level of detail on the dial, case and movement finish just gives me so much joy, way more then any other fine watch I have owned. It’s even with JLC quit a big step up and obviously compared with Rolex it’s huge.

One of the main reasons preowned Lange entry models are an absolute bargain must be the fact that they look so different real life. Almost any image on socials and grey dealers websites are just nothing but terrible and make these watches look very dull and boring. IRL they are such ultra fine watches and the warmth is simply impossible to catch on a photograph.

(Must admit that Mario1971 is one of the great exceptions with his gorgeous 1815 U/D images on this forum ;)

GreatCircle, thank you so much for appreciating my photos, taken with a regular Samsung S9.

And the @ edhahn44 and @raclaims collections are fantastic!

[sgwatchguy]

Originally Posted by mario1971

GreatCircle, thank you so much for appreciating my photos, taken with a regular Samsung S9.

And the @ edhahn44 and @raclaims collections are fantastic!

Killer pics and watch

[mario1971]

Originally Posted by sgwatchguy

Killer pics and watch

Thanks!

[GreatCircle]

Originally Posted by mario1971

GreatCircle, thank you so much for appreciating my photos, taken with a regular Samsung S9.

Superb pictures Mario!
Doubted endless between your reference and mine, finally chose the 233.032 . For a rosegold dresswatch the 40mm seems sort of oversized but I really like that! And these are still crazy cheap in Lange-land , an important detail ;)

[Justindo]

Both are great looking collections!

[Nav01L]

My collection is centered purely around my coup de coeurs, while they were of course not impulse buys, they are both watches I fell in love with immediately when I first encountered them and then started pursuing until I could finally place them in my box.

- The first one is a white gold, black dial grand Lange 1 - 117.028;
- The second, which recently joined the fold, is an argenté dial Zeitzone - 116.032.

Both have in common that they combine the level of quality inherent to the brand with a form factor I can really wear. I have a bit of a stature and a wrist to match, to the point 43mm IWCs look just right. So my journey could not have led me anywhere else. Besides, both watches do of course have an aesthetic I really love.

I don't quite seem to have the ability to post pictures here, as I'm not using tappatalk, but I will correct that as soon as I figure out how.

@OP: Thanks for starting this cool thread, love that 414.028 you have. Could see my collection going there next.