Heavy gold hunting cased repeating lever watch Circa 1924

Gold Glashütte hunting cased minute repeater by A. Lange & Söhne
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A heavy German 18 carat gold hunting cased minute repeating quality 1A lever pocket watch, circa 1924. Sold in 1924 for 1.755 DM to Friedrich Wilhelm Burschell, Ludwigshafen. 3/4 Plate movement, lever escapement, two hammers, two gongs, gold screw compensation balance. The cuvette inscribed Ichirobei Yamada in alter Treue Badische Anilin & Soda Fabrik H. Ahrens & Co Nachf. 1879 – 1924 (Ichirobei Yamada in staunch loyalty Badische Anilin & Soda Company H. Ahrens & Co Succrs. 1879 – 1924). White enamel dial with Arabic hours, outer minute divisions and sunk subsidiary seconds. Plain case monogrammed IY and with two engraved coat of arms. Dial signed, case numbered, movement signed and numbered. Comes with the original presentation box and an Extract from the Archives.
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Diameter: 57 mm
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Weight: 149 g
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Signed: A. Lange & Söhne Glashütte B/Dresden
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Ahrens & Co were a renowned trading company established in Tokyo by Hinrich Ahrens in 1869. In 1872 they also set up a branch in Yokohama. Ahrens was born in 1842 in Falkenberg near Bremen. He originally traded very successfully in objects of art before he started his own company for producing fine ceramic wares. For this enterprise, he brought the well-known German scientist Gottfried Wagener (1831 – 1892) to Japan, who devoted himself to the research of surface treatment and colouring for Ahrens. As a sideline, Wagener supported and worked on the introduction of engineering courses in Japan. Hinrich Ahrens and his wife settled in London in 1881, but he travelled regularly and spent much of his time in Japan, where he died of Cholera in 1886. His final resting place lies at the Foreigner’s Cemetery in Yokohama. The company continued as H. Ahrens & Co Nachf. under the management of three Ahrens employees, it constantly expands its range. Materials and machines were supplied to the Japanese government and the company acted as an agent for Krupp & Co, trading among other things in educational materials, textile goods, pharmaceutical products and cement. It also looked after the imperial mailboats in Japan. H. Ahrens & Co Nachf. acted as an agent for the Badische Anilin & Soda Fabrik too, which probably accounted for the long-term relationship with Ichirobei Yamada (of whom we know nothing further). The valuable gift presented to him by the company is decorated with his initials ‘IY’ and two coats of arms, one of which is the city arms of Ludwigshafen with anchor and lion, the second one with the Saxon steed.
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Ferdinand Adolph Lange was the founder of A. Lange & Söhne. He was born in 1815 as the son of Johann Samuel Lange. Early in life, his parents separated and he was adopted by a foster family. Luckily this family offered him a chance at proper education and in 1829, he joined the Technical University of Dresden. Lange’s master was Christian Friedrich Gutkaes, the maker of the famous five-minute clock in the Dresden Opera House and the court watchmaker later on. Lange finished his apprenticeship with honours and went on to work with Gutkaes as his assistant for more than two years. In 1837, Lange decided he wanted to learn the watchmaking craft from the best of the time and this decision took him to Paris, Switzerland and England. He spent four years with the master watchmaker Winnerl, a student of Breguet, in Paris. Lange returned to Dresden in 1841 and took over his now father-in-law Gutkaes’ business in 1842. He had the ambition to bring prosperity to the once rich, now unfortunate Erzgebirge region, Glashütte, he wanted to build a watchmaking industry and create jobs. He received funding from the high council of Saxony and on December 7th, 1845, Ferdinand Adolph Lange founded A. Lange & Cie. He started with fifteen young men who were obliged to work with him for at least five years and following Lange encouraged his apprentices to found their own specialized firms in Switzerland. He set up a watchmaking cluster in the region along with his colleagues Julius Assmann, Adolf Schneider and Moritz Grossmann. At the time, there was a specialist for every part, producing individual pieces of the highest quality. Ferdinand Adolph developed numerous mechanisms, from the remontoir to dead-seconds and repeaters and he introduced the metric system to watchmaking. Eventually, it took Glashütte watchmaking 20 years to develop. After two successful decades and as the mayor of Glashütte Ferdinand Adolph Lange retired in 1868. He enjoyed his spacious house built adjacent to the factory, which today serves as the headquarters of the modern A. Lange & Söhne. He gave the reigns of his legacy to his sons Richard and Emil Lange, subsequently, the company’s name was changed from A. Lange & Cie to A. Lange & Söhne. Under their management A. Lange & Söhne expanded tremendously. Ferdinand Adolph Lange died in 1875.