T he small German town of Glashütte is paradise for watch nerds. Some people don’t quite believe how densely packed the watchmaking is in this little town in Saxony, with the biggest German horological names literally next door to each other. But undoubtedly the most iconic name in Glashütte watchmaking (and German high horology in general) is A. Lange & Söhne, and the manufacturer rarely opens its doors to outsiders to take a closer look at what the brand is up to.

Earlier this year, during the rainy month of July, a few of us on the Hodinkee editorial team hopped over to Glashütte to see what was happening within the secretive walls of the Lange, and to say that the visit was unforgettable is surely the understatement of the century. There’s still lots to come from our visit, but one of the best moments of the few days I spent there was, well, looking at watches—very special watches though, pulled from the Lange archives.

The Designs Behind The Revival

Kicking it off are three of modern A.…