The FULL TREATMENT for this A. Lange & Söhne 18K Gold Pocket Watch

#watchrepair #pocketwatch #restoration
Founded in 1845 by Ferdinand Adolph Lange in Glashütte, A. Lange & Cie built its reputation on quality handcrafted watches. In 1868 Ferdinand’s son joined the business and the name was changed to A. Lange und Sohne. As the market shifted at the turn of the 20th century, other local companies began selling mass produced movements or recased Swiss imports. In contrast, the company was still producing hand-made watches and doubled down on this theme by introducing their new design in 1898, known as the “Glashütte caliber” pocket watch - the one in this video features 16 ruby jewels, a hand engraved balance cock and heat blued screws.
The following decades brought challenges: World War I, economic turmoil during the Weimar era, and even a wartime surge in military precision watches. In 1945 near the end of the war the 1873 factory building was nearly destroyed in a Soviet air raid. the original company was nationalized in 1948 during Soviet occupation, and so the legacy could have been lost.

In 1990, however, the great-grandson of Lange revived the brand, and today continues to operate in the very same building from 1873. Lange has always used movements designed in house, thay are hand built and hand finished. The company has never leaned into mass production nor built a watch designed to hit a lower price point. Rolex mass produces 1-million watches each year. In comparison Lange only outputs around 5,000 watches annually, but produces the finest quality timepieces while operating under its motto "State of the Art tradition".

Whether you're a seasoned watch enthusiast or simply curious about the world of horology, this video offers a captivating glimpse into how an amateur like me is trying to master the art of watchmaking.