Pocket Watches · Pocket watch
A. Lange & Sohne Glashutte Dresden Pocket Watch, c. 1920s
- Maker / attribution
- A. Lange (maker)
- Date
- c. 1920s
- Historical period
- Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)
- Country of origin
- Germany
- Object type
- Pocket watch
- Dealer
- WatchMuseum.org shop
- Stock no.
- Product 3170
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 3170)
- Catalogue title (original)
- A. Lange & Sohne Glashutte Dresden Pocket Watch (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by WatchMuseum.org shop (stock number Product 3170), this is a pocket watch by A. Lange, made in Germany, dated c. 1920s. The Atlas places it in the Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking period (1900 – 1945) of its Pocket Watches collection. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — WatchMuseum.org shop
The A. Lange & Sohne Glashutte Dresden Pocket Watch from the 1920s is a magnificent example of early 20th-century horological craftsmanship, embodying the precision and elegance for which the renowned German watchmaker is celebrated. This remarkable timepiece features a robust 18ct yellow gold keyless lever full hunter case, exuding a timeless appeal with its plain front and back covers. The white enamel Arabic dial, adorned with an outer minute track and subsidiary seconds dial, is perfectly complemented by original rose gold Louis XVI style hands, showcasing the meticulous attention to detail synonymous with A. Lange & Sohne. The watch’s superb keyless lever movement, signed and hallmarked, includes micrometre regulation, a compensation balance, a gold lever, and a gold escape wheel, all hallmarks of the brand’s unparalleled quality. With a diameter of 52 mm, this exquisite pocket watch not only serves as a functional timekeeping device but also as a testament to the rich heritage and exceptional craftsmanship of A. Lange & Sohne, making it a prized addition to any discerning collector’s ensemble. This stunning pocket watch is a heavy 18ct yellow gold keyless lever full hunter made by the renowned watchmaker A. Lange & Sohne in the 1920s. The beautiful white enamel Arabic dial, with outer minute track and subsidiary seconds dial, is fully signed A. Lange & Sohne Glashutte and matched perfectly with the original rose gold Louis XVI style hands and second hand. The 18ct gold case, which is also signed and hallmarked, has plain front and back covers. The superb keyless lever movement is signed A. Lange & Sohne Glashutte Dresden, with micrometre regulation, compensation balance, gold lever, and gold escape wheel. A. Lange & Sohne’s exquisite workmanship is evident in this full hunter pocket watch, which would be an exceptional addition to any collection. Creator: A. Lange & Söhne Case Material: 18k Gold,Yellow Gold Case Dimensions: Diameter: 52 mm (2.05 in) Place of Origin: Germany Period: Early 20th Century Date of Manufacture: 1920 Condition: Excellent
Historical context
Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)
The wristwatch displaces the pocket watch; waterproof cases, self-winding and grand complications.
The pocket watch reached technical maturity and then began to give way to the wristwatch after the First World War. Complicated watches for collectors such as Henry Graves Jr. and James Ward Packard, railroad watches, and slim Art Deco dress watches are characteristic.
Read the period in the timelineMore pocket watches from this periodEarlier: Industrial Revolution
Atlas type guide
Pocket watches
The pocket watch was the dominant personal timekeeper from the late seventeenth century until the First World War. Its development tracks the history of the escapement: verge watches with fusees until the late eighteenth century; Thomas Mudge's lever escapement (c. 1755) and the cylinder escapement popularised by George Graham and later by Swiss makers; and the Swiss and English lever watches of the nineteenth century. Lépine's bar-bridge calibre and keyless winding made watches thinner and easier to use.
Industrialisation transformed the trade: American factories such as Waltham (from 1850) and Elgin produced interchangeable parts by machine, and Swiss makers responded with their own mechanisation after the 1876 Philadelphia Exhibition. By 1900 a reliable watch was affordable to millions; the finest makers continued to produce complications and precision watches.
What to look for
- The escapement: verge (crown wheel), cylinder, duplex, English or Swiss lever.
- Key winding (a square arbor in dial or back) or keyless crown winding.
- Signatures and serial numbers on the movement, dial and inside case back.
- Hallmarks, case maker's marks and gold or silver standards stamped in the case.
- Dial material: enamel, silver, gold, later printed metal.
Dating clues
- Verge watches dominate before c. 1800; cylinder watches c. 1770–1900; lever watches after c. 1820.
- Keyless winding: increasingly common after c. 1860.
- Manufacturer serial number lists exist for Waltham, Elgin, Longines, Omega, Patek Philippe and others.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
Read next:Verge escapementDetached lever escapementFuseeIdentification Centre
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