"The train of events is a train unrolling its rails ahead of itself. The river of time is a river sweeping its banks along with it." These two quotes from Robert Musil's centennial novel "The Man Without Qualities" deliver an apt description of the situation in Germany in the autumn of 1990. The year of reunification brought with it a profound sense of awakening paired with uncertainty. Unfathomable opportunities opened up. The challenge was to make the right decision at the right time.

This also applied to Walter Lange's plan for a new set up of A. Lange & Söhne after the fall of the Berlin Wall. There were no blueprints or "how-to" guides for achieving the ambitious goal. Totally new approaches and ideas were needed. On 7 December 1990, imagination, courage, and determination culminated in the establishment of the new Lange manufactory and four years later in the magnificent debut of the first new collection. After the successful start, the company evolved steadily and systematically. But in particular, it was able to preserve the pioneering spirit of the early days and build its future on this momentum.

Elevated to icon status, the LANGE 1 contributed most to the ascent of the Saxon company. And the concurrent launch of the TOURBILLON "Pour le Mérite" with its unique fusée-and-chain transmission definitively positioned A. Lange & Söhne as a top contender in the domain of haute horlogerie. In 2003, when it began to produce its own balance springs, Lange impressed the watchmaking world by demonstrating its intention to persistently and sustainably broaden its repository of know-how.

The balance spring is the beat controller of a watch and determines its accuracy. It is always in motion. The small yet crucial component became the manufactory's talisman. "Never stand still" is the message it delivers. For Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid, it means that "we are on a constant quest for innovation and improvement, because that's what it takes to further expand our leadership position." A. Lange & Söhne constantly inspires the realm of precision watchmaking with complicated and refined design approaches. The first outsize date display in a regularly produced wristwatch was followed by further milestones: The zero-reset mechanism, a double-rattrapante chronograph, a one-month calibre with a patented constant-force escapement, the first stop-seconds device for the tourbillon, a precisely jumping numerals display, an orbital moon-phase display, and – just out – the first combination of a jumping numerals display with a decimal minute repeater.

Twenty-five years after it was re-established, A. Lange & Söhne presents itself as a brand that has no intention of resting on its traditions and achievements but instead regards precision watchmaking as a perpetual challenge. It relies on its values as a compass that keeps it on a course to success.