In 1983, he turned his passion into a profession and founded the Chronoswiss Company. At the beginning, the company produced watches in series by using modern calibres and manufacturing limited specialities whose production has been suspended for many years. Gerd-R. Lang does not tolerate any curtailment in quality. What matters for him are the classical values of the art of watch making? The qualitative demand is uncompromisingly put into action. The watches are produced according to traditional manufacturing methods, and many of them are handmade.
Today the craftsmanship required for convincing the dealers and ultimately the consumers is almost forgotten. The desire for a chronometer with a soul is very common, and the function of mechanical watch works is both fascinating and understandable. The consumer appreciates mechanical watches which, when adequately serviced, will far outlast quartz works. Today a wrist watch is an expression of personal taste and will be a companion for many years. People are quite ready to spend more money, if the quality is convincing. The watch is both an object of every day use and a capital investment.
Since 1987 the company has exclusively manufactured its own models with the annual output ranging between six thousand and eight thousand. The demand is so great that the 35 member staff of this medium-sized company is not able to keep up with production. The success of Chronoswiss proves that it is possible to combine the German spirit of enterprise with Swiss precision watchmaking. The name Chronoswiss (chronos = Greek: time, swiss = Switzerland) is mentioned together with the greatest and oldest Swiss producers of exclusive wrist watches. A previously unknown watch brand has succeeded in maintaining its position on the market. Market identity and product philosophy are connected with the name Chronoswiss.
Since the beginning a lot of exclusive movements have been ticking in Chronoswiss watches which are ordered from the oldest Swiss manufacturers. Gerd-R. Lang has all components of his wrist watches produced in Switzerland. In 2002 Chronoswiss establishes a subsidiary in Switzerland. The Chronosa subsidiary located in Niedau close to Biel is responsible for production and logistics. What really matters is quality, and he wants the customer to experience it. The chronometers are provided with certificates of accuracy whose original is kept in the archives of the Chronoswiss company. A mechanical wrist watch represents a capital investment,homage to traditional craftsmanship and at the same time clean chronometry. The fact that the mechanical watch is an environment preserving type of chronometry is expressed by its longevity, its mechanical wheel work and the materials used. Gerd-R. Lang creates his watches using only stainless steel and gold. It is not surprising that many of the Chronoswiss models have already become connoisseur's and collector's items.
Chronoswiss - Visions
11 quality grades for the mechanical watch of future.
1.Durability The day and age of simply throwing everything away that is no longer useful is facing the end. The watch for a lifetime. The mechanical watch that the generation to come will inherit from its fathers. Investments in time. Products that outlive others are the real values. Who says there were no eternal values?
2.Simplicity Down with complexity of merchandise. Reduce everything to the essentials. "Whatever I can omit in designing a watch, I will omit it. Thus the result becomes unmistakable, distinct and even more aesthetic." Watches are timeless! A close connection between past and future.
3.Guarantee of origin Chronoswiss is an independent family-owned business. Gerd-R. Lang and Natalie Lang stand for each single watch manufactured in their company.
4.Authenticity The core of the Chronoswiss message is to convey "authentic feelings" in its products. Fascination of Watch making. Who says feelings were not for sale?
5.Luxese Unpretentiousness and "lessness" are combined in a totally new category of luxury. Less is more (= luxese)
6.Uniqueness Only originals will live forever. Handmade masterpieces of traditional watch making, each one imprinted with its individual number are distinct proofs of perfect craftsmanship.
7.Quality without compromise! Golden cut between mechanical perfection and the eternal art of watch making. Good design, both - functional and classical -. Precious materials, highest demand for material and manufacture. Who says beauty was transient?
8.Sensibility Purest desire to touch and wear the watch.
9.Tradition A revival of old techniques of the art of watch making as it used to be in the days that have long passed. The urge to bring back as much as possible of the old craftsmanship into the watch and save it for the days to come.
10.Creativity "Not a single watch is built that does not express my very personal feelings for quality in terms of craftsmanship and aesthetics. First of all I make watches for myself, and then they mark the guideline for the whole collection." (Gerd-R. Lang)
11.Price "Our primary goal is not to produce as many watches as possible but to reform our products incessantly. Thus price increases are caused by real modifications in craftsmanship or technical improvements only." (Gerd-R. Lang).
Chronology:
1958-1961: Gerd-R. Lang learns the watchmaker's metier at Jauns watch shop in his hometown of Braunschweig.
1962-1963: Apprenticeship at the Gross firm in Burg/Fehmarn.
1964-1979:Heuer stopwatch and chronograph factory in Biel, Switzerland.Collaborates on the filming of "Le Mans" with in 1970 Steve McQueen. Official timekeeper at various Formula One races.
1980:Attends the master school in Würzburg and graduates with the title of "Master Watchmaker." Official timekeeper for "Swiss Timing" at the Olympic Games in Moscow.
1981:Founds a special workshop for chronographs in Munich.
1982:Introduces the world's first mechanical chronograph with moon phase display and mineral crystal back under the "Chronoswiss" name. This presages the renaissance of mechanical timepieces.
1983:Gerd-R. Lang founds Chronoswiss watch factory in Munich - and has been its sole owner ever since. Establishes a worldwide distribution structure.
1984:The name "Chronoswiss" is registered as a protected trademark.
1985:First Chronoswiss catalogue with mechanical wristwatches and pocket-watches produced in Switzerland. Distribution of the A. Rochat and Kelek brands. First appearance at Inhorgenta trade fair in Munich.
1987:World premiere of the "Régulateur" hand-wound wristwatch - the first serially manufactured wristwatch with a regulator-type dial. The typical Chronoswiss case is born. Its distinguishing characteristics include a screwed and channeled bezel, an onion-shaped crown and screwed strap lugs.
1988:The second catalogue features Chronoswiss' first own models - "Régulateur" and "Pacific." First appearance at the worldwide trade fair for watches and jewelry in Basel.
1990:World premiere of the "Régulateur Automatique" with its exclusive manufacture Chronoswiss C.122 movement.Beginning of the exclusive manufacture of the firm's own models in Munich.
1991:World premiere of the "Kairos Chronograph" - the first automatic chronograph with off-center display of the hours and minutes.
1992:World premiere of the split-second chronograph "Rattrapante" (Swiss patent number 682201-0). Author of the specialized book "Chronograph - Wristwatches, Lang/Meis." The third catalogue ("Chronoswiss - Faszination der Mechanik") is published. It exclusively features the firm's own models.
1993:Presentation of the "Cabrio" reversible wristwatch (European patent number 0562522). Presentation of the first serially produced white enamel dials of recent years in the "Orea" model.
1994:Presentation of the "Grand Régulateur," (international patenting number 030021):
1st prize from the Italian watch magazine "Orologi", Vicenza, in the category of "young successful enterprises."
1995:World premiere of the "Opus" - the first serially produced, automatic, skeletonized chronograph. Launching of the "Lunar Chronograph"
1996:World premiere of the "Delphis" and its registration for a Swiss patent - the first wristwatch that combines a unique system of analogue, digital and retrograde time displays.First prize and award of "Watch of the Year" title from Armbanduhren magazine, Heel publishers, for the "Opus" skeletonized chronograph.1st prize for Thomas Schnelle as the national- and federal winner of apprentices awarded by the Central Association of the German Watchmaker Craft.
1997:Chronoswiss is the official timekeeper for the STW Cup (Super Touring Car Cup).
Third prize and award of the "Watch of the Year" title from Armbanduhren magazine, Heel publishers, for the "Delphis" model.
1998:World premiere of the "Pathos" - the first skeletonized, self-winding, split-second chronograph (Swiss patent number 682201-0).First prize and award of the "Golden Balance" title from Uhrenmagazin for the "Delphis" model.First prize and award of "Watch of the Year" title from World Photo Press magazine in Japan for the "Opus" model.Finalist Award, The New York Festival for the "Personality" advertising campaign.Founding of the first own Chronoswiss subsidiary in Bellport, Long Island, USA.
1999:First prize and award of the "Innovation Prize" from Chronos magazine for the "Pathos" model.Gerd-R. Lang, who loves classical watches and automobiles with co-driver Josefine C. Müller win the Silvretta Classic Car Rallye in Montafon, Austria, at the wheel of a Jaguar XK 120.
2000:First prize and award of the "Golden Balance / International Watch Award" from Uhren magazine for the "Tora Chronograph" model. "Signs of the times - Tick-Talk: A Timely Book" is published in German as Chronoswiss' fourth catalogue.
2001:World premiere of the "Chronoscope" - the first automatic chronograph with Regulator-dial. An exclusive homage to the pioneers of the Chronograph.Chronoswiss goes online, presentation of Chronoswiss website www.chronoswiss.de/com.
2002:Third price and award of the title "Golden Balance/ International Watch Award" by watch magazine "Uhrenmagazin", Ebner publishers for the "Opus" model.Gerd-R. Lang wins the Hungaria Classic 2002 with co-driver András Noszvai in the Jaguar XK 120 "C-Type".Chronoswiss establishes a subsidiary in Switzerland. The Chronosa subsidiary located in Niedau close to Biel is responsible for production and logistics.
2003:Presentation of the "Répetition à Quarts" at the Jewelry and Watch Trade Show in Basel, that tells the time exactly to the 15 minutes by the push of the pusher via a striking mechanism.First prize "Watch of the Year" title from Armbanduhren magazine, Heel publishers, for the "Chronoscope" model as well as award of the "Watch of the Year" by Horologes Magazine, Netherlands.Second prize and award of the "Golden Balance / International Watch Award" from Uhren Magazin for the "Delphis" model. Natalie Lang supports the Chronoswiss founder, Gerd-R. Lang, as Junior President, after completing her apprenticeship as a watchmaker in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.The seventeen year old Maxi Götz celebrates successes in the BMW ADAC Competition: ADAC Junior Athlete of the year, Winner of the BMW ADAC Team Trophy.Reinhard Teuscher is honored by the Bavarian State Ministry for Economy for his special achievements during his apprenticeship.
2004:Presentation of the "Régulateur à Tourbillon Squelette" at the Jewelry and Watch Trade Show in Basel, the first skeleton and hand-engrave Tourbillon with regulator dial, limited edition in 200 pieces. Highlight and most precious model of the Chronoswiss collection.
2005:Third prize and award of the "Golden Balance / International Watch Award" from Uhren Magazin for the "Répétition à quarts" model.
4. place "Golden Balance" for the model "Chronoscope"
8. place for the model "Orea handwinding"
The first Chronoswiss Classics takes place first time in September 2005 at Lake Starnberg. Presentation of the "Digiteur" (limited edition) and "Perpetual Calendar" at the Jewelry and Watch Trade Show in Basel.September 23, 2005 cornerstone was layed for the new production facility with the entire Chronoswiss staff and all 40 international distribution partners.
2006:Debut of the “Grand Régulateur,” “Timemaster Chronograph Date” and “Perpetual Calendar” at the watch and jewelry fair in Basel.2nd place “Watch of the Year 2006” for “Digiteur” by the readers of Armbanduhren special-interest magazine + Welt am Sonntag.4th place “Golden Balance/International Watch Award” by Uhrenmagazin, Ebner Publishers for the “Digiteur” model and 6th place for the “Régulateur” model. 1st place “Advertisement of the Month” in Uhrenmagazin special-interest magazine for the “Take Your Time” motif in June and July/August and for the “Time is a Present” motif in December, and 2nd place “Advertisement of the Month” for the “Time in Flow” motif in the April issue.Diner’s Club Magazine confers its “Visionary of the Year” award on Gerd-R. Lang.Move into Bavaria’s first wristwatch factory in December.
2007:1st place “Golden Balance/International Watch Award” by Uhrenmagazin, Ebner Publishers and Focus Online for the “Chronoscope” model, 5th place for the “Timemaster Day + Night” model, 8th place for the “Perpetual Calendar” model and 5th place for the “Répétition à Quarts” model.
2008:3rd place "Golden Balance/International Watch Award" by Uhrenmagazin, Ebner Publishers and Focus Online for the "Grand Régulateur", 3rd place for the "Répétition à Quarts", 4th place for the "Perpetual Calendar" und 5th place for the "Imperia". Awards
The Knurled Bezel
A Chronoswiss watch is typical and unmistakable, and it has an enormously high brand-recognition value. One of the reasons for this may be that nearly every Chronoswiss model has a very special case with a channeled bezel. This fluted pattern is inspired by the Doric columns of classical antiquity. The Ancient Greeks were well aware of the visual appeal of these parallel grooves. Chronoswiss' founder and owner Gerd-R. Lang was so enthusiastic about this pattern that he made the knurled rims of his watches' cases into a characteristic feature of his brand. He first used the fluted bezel in 1987 on his Régulateur model. Fluting was by no means a new invention in the watchmaking world: watches with this decorative touch were first constructed some 200 years ago. The more profound significance of a fluted bezel is to make it easier to twist off the bezel. The cannelure can be achieved by stamping, embossing, milling or grinding. Afterwards, the precious metal is brushed and polished.Naturally, this isn't the sole visible difference. Each ticking Chronoswiss timepiece also has a transparent pane in its back so that people can appreciatively peer from below at the mechanical marvel inside the case. And Chronoswiss watches have screwed strap lugs, which underscore the high value of these fine wristwatches.
Natalie Lang
Natalie, born on October 19th 1975 in Gräfelfing near Munich, is the daughter of Gerd-Rüdiger Lang and his wife Françoise. She learned about the watchmaking business early on, even as a child - and now she is preparing to continue the tradition of the Chronoswiss watchmaking firm founded by her father back in 1983.After graduating from secondary school, Natalie Lang completed her training to become an industrial sales representative at Mercedes-Benz AG between 1992 and 1994, and subsequently worked in their Used Car Sales Department. Between 1998 and mid-2001, she took on various managerial tasks in sales and supplier support at Chronoswiss GmbH. She then decided to give her passion for watchmaking a more solid basis.
In August 2001, she began the "Swiss Way" course and completed her two years of training to become a watchmaker in the successful international Wostep program (Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Programme) in Neuchâtel. On weekends and during the holidays, she extended her practical knowledge by working at Chronoswiss in Munich. To ensure that she's 'up to speed' for her role as 'junior boss', Natalie Lang finished her academic studies in the autumn of 2003 with a special management training course.The passionate horse-rider and nature enthusiast shares her father's passion for magnificent old-time vehicles. At the 2000 Rallye Silvretta Classic, she came in third as co-pilot of the Olympic bob-sled silver medal winner and Rallye ace Susi Erdmann.
Natalie Lang, whose particular strengths include her organisational skills, is looking forward to bringing her artistic skills and her love for traditional watchmaking to the design of watches at Chronoswiss. Her thorough knowledge and her understanding since childhood of 'what makes Chronoswiss tick' will support her in her mission to continue the unmistakable Chronoswiss style of innovative classics well into the future.
With Natalie Lang's joining, the face of the watch production will not change, but the potential for something new, as, for example, the ladies' line, will be expanded. The area of responsibilities in the management of Chronoswiss will at first cover the internal aspects: such as accounting, finance, personnel, sales, service, inventory control as well as purchasing and production planning. Gerd-R. Lang makes room for all these areas so that he can increasingly focus on the technical aspects and the development of new products. He will still be the one representing the brand. At the moment, many aspects are handled together; later on, there will be a stronger separation of tasks.
Chronoswiss : Bavaria's First Watch Factory
Believe it or not: Munich, the city of world-famous beers, also has a watchmaking tradition which can be documented as far back as the year 1394, when the first mention is made of an "ormaister," i.e. a master clockmaker. Nikolaus Kratzer, a watchmaker, mathematician and astronomer at the court of Henry VIII, occupied himself with various timepieces in the early 16th century. Tobias Volkmer, a native of Braunschweig, arrived at the ducal court in Munich in 1594 to serve as a goldsmith and mathematician. He is credited with having made box sundials and mathematical devices. Hans Georg Mayr, Johann Wolfgang Lieb, Georg Melchior Chur, Johann Paulus Graf, Johann Martin Arzt and Joseph Gallmayr are several other names which certainly shouldn't be forgotten in the context of watchmaking in Munich, a city which developed into a leading center of precision engineering during the first quarter of the 19th century.
Men such as Joseph Liebherr, Georg Reichenbach, Joseph Utzschneider and Joseph Fraunhofer demonstrated their prowess in the field of time measurement. Capable watchmakers such as Franz Joseph Mahler, Johann Mannhardt and Christian Reithmann followed in their illustrious footsteps. Munich's watchmaking scene was first further enriched in 1856 by Andreas Huber, whose descendants continued their forebear's horological work. Siegmund Riefler, a native of Allgäu, achieved global renown. In 1878 he settled in the metropolis beside the Isar River, where he developed and manufactured trailblazing precision timepieces with Riefler escapements and innovative nickel-steel self-compensating pendulums. These sinfully expensive instruments, which far outshone anything Riefler's competitors could produce, first found their way in 1889 into observatories, watch factories and other institutions where accurate timekeeping to within fractions of a second was essential.
The Kaiser's government awarded Prof. Heinrich Sattler a patent on the construction of a movement with a perpetual calendar in 1903. Sattler also designed annual-calendar and world-time clocks, which his father Heinrich Sattler, Sr. built and successfully sold. This enthusiasm for large timepieces was also shared by grandson Erwin Sattler, who established his homonymous business in 1958.
So far, so good! That was our whirlwind tour of approximately 600 years of Munich watchmaking. But there's no end in sight! Because a small but very fine watch factory opened its doors early in 2007 in the Bavarian capital - or, to be precise, just a stone's throw outside the gates of the capital. This isn't a newly founded enterprise, but a genuinely Bavarian business that can already look back upon nearly 25 years of watchmaking tradition. Once again, a native of Braunschweig is formatively involved. In this case, the man is Gerd-Rüdiger Lang, a master watchmaker who began his career at a renowned chronograph manufacturer in Switzerland in 1964. He arrived in Munich to serve as the authorized representative of the manufacturer's German subsidiary in 1974. When the "Quartz Crisis" put a forced end to this business in 1981, the man who had chosen Munich to be his new home continued to operate a repair service as a freelancer. He also repaired mechanical timepieces for friends and acquaintances. Meanwhile, an idea was gestating in his mind: he longed to create a collection of his own watches, which he would christen "Chronoswiss." The "Régulateur," the unchallenged flagship of that collection, debuted in 1987. Chronoswiss introduced the exclusive manufacture Caliber C 122 in 1991.
Each in a series of new horological innovations followed hard on the heels of its predecessor in ensuing years and at regular intervals. And each one's claim to uniqueness was verified by the issuance of a corresponding patent. Of course, this made and makes immense demands on the knowledge and skills of the watchmakers at Chronoswiss, where top quality always takes top priority - and where artisans are encouraged to take as much for their work time as they need.As early as 1992, Chronoswiss had already shifted the location for the assembly of its Swiss-made components to Munich, thus increasing the flexibility of the production process. Stringent onsite quality control led to ongoing optimizations in the quality of the products. Furthermore, because Gerd-Rüdiger Lang always keeps his gaze focused toward the future, Chronoswiss took pains not to neglect the training of talented young watchmakers.
Due to a numerous unavoidable compromises, Gerd-Rüdiger Lang wasn't satisfied to permanently run his business in rented premises. He had long cherished the dream of having his own manufacturing site for wristwatches. But that's much easier said than done. In this context, the acquisition of a suitable plot of land on the outskirts of Munich could be described as one of the easier tasks.The planning work was far more difficult and consumed considerably more time - because Gerd-Rüdiger Lang approached the task of creating his new "House of Time" with the selfsame meticulousness that has always characterized his work with Chronoswiss watches. Nothing, absolutely nothing, was left to chance. Every detail was considered and reconsidered until it elicited this perfectionist's unalloyed satisfaction.
Commensurate attention had to be devoted to each division: administration,
development, construction, final assembly, warehouse, shipping and the all-important after-sales customer-service department. Appropriate space for temporary watch exhibits and special events about the theme of time likewise needed to be taken into account. After all, Gerd-Rüdiger Lang owns one of the world's most comprehensive collections of chronographs, which he displays in various showcases. A transparent architecture with large glass planes offers each visitor the opportunity to observe the watchmakers as they painstakingly put the finishing touches on mechanical timepieces.
It's well known that mechanical timepieces are the world's most environmentally friendly timekeepers. Gerd-Rüdiger Lang demonstrates this environmental awareness in several ways. Whenever possible, he rides his bicycle as his preferred mode of transportation. The technical infrastructure of the new building is extremely ecologically sound. A state-of-the-art heat pump uses the energy of the groundwater to assure a comfortable ambient temperature inside the "House of Time."
Every beginning is difficult. After a suitable plot of land had been found on which to build Munich's first watch factory, the decisive question arose: How should such a building look? What distinguishes a watch factory? How does Chronoswiss differ from other brands? And last but not last: How could the new building optimally embody the corporate identity of the enterprise?
The new building would unite development, production, sales, marketing and shipping under one roof. The watchmaker's craft would naturally be in the focal point. The idea gradually took shape of situating the workshop in the middle, embedded in the so-called "belle étage" with its spacious windowed façade, and of putting the subordinate or "servile" functions on the ground floor. The concepts of timelessness and longevity would be represented by the building's materials: brick, terracotta, aluminum copper and glass, oak, slate from the quarry in Solnhofen, and plaster.
The architecture of the edifice is as logical as the architecture of a watch's movement.
The building's horological heart, and the rooms for its two "heads" Gerd-R. Lang and Natalie Lang, are adjoined on the ground floor by the sales, marketing and shipping departments. The two-floor entry hall with its reception area and lounge is located toward the south. An open room for presentations occupies the uppermost storey, along with the library, the employee cafeteria and two small apartments for guests.
The central component of the edifice is the staircase rotunda, which houses the watch museum. The rotunda's inner and outer sides provide space for 60 showcases, inset at eye level, which harmoniously lead their beholder through temporary exhibitions. The rotunda transitions downward to a subterranean exhibition area for a classic automobile, which is visible through a glass floor. Upward, the rotunda is illuminated by a circular skylight. This pivot and fulcrum is symbolically similar to the pallet-staff of a watch.
The clear and harmonious proportions of the edifice are identical with those of an Ancient Greek temple: both structures rely on the ratio of 3 to 5. On the ground plan, five longitudinal axes correspond to three crosswise axes. This is logically continued in the axes of the gables, where five modules in width relate to three modules in height. This same harmonious ratio is also evident in the stones used in the construction.The shell of the building is made of insulating brick, supported by a few ferrosteel reinforcements. The exterior façade is sheathed with terracotta. The walls are essentially replaced by steel supports that recall blast furnaces in the steel industry. Skylights and large window fronts assure the necessary transparency.
The watch museum, which forms the midpoint of the overall concept, is also reflected in the outdoor facilities. If an imaginary compass were to trace a circle around the building, the immaterial ring would enclose the Palladio stairs of the main entrance and the round entry doors (see architectural sketch). This virtual circle is rendered visible by first-quality granite in the outdoor area. Viewed from above, it resembles the dial of the Régulateur, which is Chronoswiss' most characteristic "calling card."Chronoswiss' concept sets a new standard in Karlsfeld. This successful link between tradition and modernity has led to the creation of an edifice which, we hope, will outlast many long years and many Lang generations.
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