Breaking NewsWalter Lange, A. Lange & Söhne Honorary Chairman, Has Died At Age 92

Walter Lange, A. Lange & Söhne Honorary Chairman, died last night in Germany at the age of 92. After seeing his family's watchmaking business destroyed and dismantled in the aftermath of World War II, Lange resurrected his legacy in 1990 after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Just a few years later, in 1994, we got the first new A. Lange & Söhne watches in nearly half a century. And the rest, as they say, is history.

It's a sad day for watchmaking. Without Mr. Lange, we wouldn't have Lange 1, the Datograph, and countless other icons of modern horology. He was always a warm presence in the Lange family, attending celebrations, key releases, and collector events around the world. Many members of the HODINKEE team had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Lange on various occasions over the years, and all are sorry to hear of his passing. You really felt when you met Mr. Lange that the brand was a part of him and that wearing a Lange meant participating in his family's dearest tradition. This is the very first SIHH that Walter Lange has missed and we're sure everyone here is missing him. 

We had a chance to catch up with Walter Lange back in 2014 to see what watch he wore daily and you can explore more about the history of his family's namesake brand here.