What is the meaning of A. Lange & Söhne?

The literal meaning of A. Lange & Söhne is "A. Lange and sons." It is the name of a luxury German watchmaker. The company's story begins with Ferdinand Adolph Lange, who, at the age of 15, apprenticed with master watchmaker Johann Christian Friedrich Gutkaes in Saxony. In the late 1830s, Gutkaes and his young apprentice developed the Five-Minute Clock for the Semper Opera House in Dresden, which historians consider a masterpiece in Saxon clockmaking artistry. Following his apprenticeship with Gutkaes, Lange traveled through France, England and Switzerland before returning to Germany to work at a watch manufactory in Glashütte. In 1845, Lange founded his watch company, and in 1868, his sons Richard and Emil became the business’s co-owners upon his retirement. Find a collection of A. Lange & Söhne watches on 1stDibs.