Hodinkee
Dispatch: How I Went To The Audrain Concours And Got Hooked On Lange
A. Lange & Söhne is a brand that doesn't need anybody's approval. But how do you stay relevant without being everybody's darling?
830 articles · 17 videos found · page 21 of 29
Hodinkee
A. Lange & Söhne is a brand that doesn't need anybody's approval. But how do you stay relevant without being everybody's darling?
SJX Watches
Very few will have missed the news of Rolex buying Bucherer, and all of the reactions to it. Given the big change this poses to the world of watch retail, when we were recently given the chance to speak with Wilhelm Schmid, chief executive of A. Lange & Söhne, we thought it the perfect opportunity to get his insight on the current retail landscape. We sat down with the seasoned leader – now the longest-serving brand boss in Richemont – at this year’s Concours of Elegance, the classic car show at Hampton Court Palace, surrounded by the sounds of vintage V8s revving in the distance. Now that the world has exited the pandemic for good, the way we shop seems to be going back to normal and the shifts that brands made during those turbulent years are either being undone or slowly wound down in the hope that customers are willing to go back to the old ways of doing things and getting out to physical stores. Mr Schmid is certainly of the mindset that a face-to-face connection is the only way to sell one of their watches, as we discovered in our discussion below. Not only did we talk about how the German brand plans to change their retail strategy moving forward, we also queried him on the Bucherer takeover and how Lange is adapting the to rising tide of brands developing certified pre-owned (CPO) offerings. The following interview has been edited for clarity and length. Wilhelm Schmid (left) with the best-in-show winner at the Concours of Elegance 2023 RPS: Perhaps...
Quill & Pad
CB thought it was a great idea to add a legendary platinum bracelet to his A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Lumen. At first it looked like it would be easy, but then there were a few unforeseen "issues." GaryG tells the up-and-down story of one man's search (and willingness to fight) for his dream grail.
Hodinkee
The cost of entry to A. Lange & Söhne might not be cheap, but boy is it worth it.
SJX Watches
The watch boutique arm of auctioneer Phillips, London-based Perpetual is staging an exhibition of early A. Lange & Söhne wristwatches in its Berkeley Square showroom for a week starting March 9, 2022. Made in Germany, a Tribute to the Early Lange 1 and Datograph comprises 20 examples of Lange’s best-known watches from the late 1990s to the early 2000s, including limited editions that rarely emerge publicly, making it an great opportunity for the brand’s enthusiasts to see special watches and even “grails” in the metal, like the extravagant Lange 1A. Pillars of the brand Arguably the most important Lange models, at least in the brand’s first two decades, are the Lange 1 and Datograph. Both were seminal when they each made their debuts in 1994 and 1999 respectively, helping to put the brand on the map. And because early days of the German watchmaker saw it debut a large number of small-run limited editions, the variety of watches from that period is particularly interesting. Lange 1A The rise in interest that Lange has recently enjoyed means many of the brand’s early or unusual watches are being rediscovered. As a result, the exhibition is perfectly timed. It focuses on the two landmark models, although the line up also includes other intriguing watches like the rare solid-back Saxonia. One of the best examples of the Lange 1 on show is the ref. 101.027X, which has a handsome blue-on-silver palette that served as the inspiration for the Lange 1 25th annivers...
Hodinkee
"Innovation and differentiating design elements are key parameters for us." – Günter Blümlein, co-founder of A. Lange & Söhne.
Deployant
We caught up with Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of A. Lange & Söhne to discuss his last decade in office as the chief, and what his future plans are for the maison.
SJX Watches
With A. Lange & Söhne having unveiled a compact line-up of new models – just three strong – at Watches & Wonders 2021, I had assumed my chat with its chief executive Wilhelm Schmid would be similarly concise. But last week’s video interview turned out to be more interesting, because we went on to discuss Lange’s strategy for distribution and allocation. Mr Schmid outlined the new models for 2021 (so far), and then detailed the tweaks to the brand’s retail strategy – in the face of overwhelming demand for certain models, and shortages due to pandemic-induced disruptions. The discussion is worth a read for a Lange aficionado, but also more broadly for anyone interested in a well-reasoned explanation of how a watch brand has to balance all of the factors involved in getting a desirable watch onto the wrist of a client. Wilhelm Schmid, working from home The interview was edited for clarity and length. SJX: Lange only introduced three models at Watches & Wonders, but they were all warmly received – I liked them myself. Tell us about how the new watches came about. Wilhelm Schmid: So for this year, we decided to go back to the core of the business, which is always the Lange 1. We launched the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar in 2013, which was a great watch, because of its two big complications. But we also realized that we were running our Langematik Perpetual Calendar since 2001, almost 20 years, well, actually 20 years this year. That was the only standal...
Deployant
The premier episode of the A. Lange & Söhne Connoisseurs Conversations was streamed live on Watches & Wonders site earlier today. Video within.
Revolution
A. Lange & Söhne launches the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “25th Anniversary”, the fourth commemorative timepiece announced in the series.
Revolution
The Little Lange 1 Moon Phase is the ninth watch to join A. Lange & Söhne’s 25th anniversary editions for the Lange 1.
Revolution
A. Lange & Söhne continues its 25th anniversary celebrations this month with another drop. This time, it’s the Little Lange 1, that’s now coming of age at 21 years old.
Revolution
A. Lange & Söhne’s 25th anniversary celebrations continue with watch number two of ten to be announced this year: the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase “25th Anniversary”.
Vintage cars, fine watchmaking and the future of our industry with A Lange & Söhne CEO Wilhelm Schmid.
Deployant
A. Lange & Söhne and moon phases. It's always A. Lange & Söhne and moon phases! Why do they do it so damn well? So much so that I had to get one for myself.
Revolution
A. Lange & Söhne introduce an all new Lange 1, Lange 1 Daymatic, Saxonia and Saxonia Automatic with deep blue, solid silver dials.
Deployant
A. Lange and Sohne calls the calibre 121.3 of the new Lange 1 Moon Phase Day Night an improvement and we disagree. An understatement, it's a new calibre!
Revolution
The father of modern day A. Lange & Söhne, Walter Lange breathed his last today. More details to follow.
Deployant
Lange Akademie serves to demonstrate that the level of dedication spent on each watch is what makes A. Lange & Söhne such an object of admiration
Deployant
A. Lange & Söhne celebrates the re-opening of Lange Boutique in Ginza, by announcing two dial additions to the Saxonia Automatic line.
Deployant
A collector recounts his collecting journey, and how he became enchanted and finally purchased the A Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Striking Time.
Deployant
A review of the Lange 31 by A Lange & Sohne
Deployant
Significant chronographs: Lange 1815 Chronograph This post is dedicated to my good friend Eddie Sng, whose watch is featured here today. The 1815 Chronograph was introduced as perhaps a purer version of the iconic Lange Datograph. Simpler without the trademark outsized date, but as I said, purer because traditional chronographs typically do not feature aRead More
Deployant
The iconic piece Lange showed this SIHH2013 is the Grande Complication. Modelled after and inspired by the 42500 Grande Complication Pocket watch, this magnificent piece is the lastest salvo fired by the little manufacture in Glashutte. Report from SIHH. A. Lange & Söhne Grande Complication A Grand Complication…typically this is a concoction of 4Read More
Monochrome
Louis Moinet (1768-1853) wanted an accurate instrument to track celestial motions and built the Compteur de Tierces in 1815-1816. Endowed with a start, stop and reset function and a balance wheel beating at an impressive high frequency of 30Hz, his novel stopwatch could time events to the 60th of a second. Considered one of the precursors […]
SJX Watches
Digital time displays might seem like a modern invention but they have been found in watches since the early 1800s. Digital displays are found in clocks from even farther back – Lange’s trademark oversized date was inspired by the five-minute, digital clock built by Ferdinand-Adolph Lange for Dresden’s Semper opera house that opened in 1841. But the biggest advances in mechanical digital time displays – with jumping indications – all arrived soon after the turn of the millennium. And the most important are just three – the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk, F.P. Journe Vagabondage III, and Harry Winston Opus 3 – and now we’re going to put them side by side. The five-minute clock that sits just above the stage in the Semperoper, showing 07:30 pm. Photo – A. Lange & Söhne An new, old idea Watches with a single digital display, namely a jumping hours, date as far back as the early 19th century. Enough of them were made that such pocket watches appear regularly at auction. But a single digital display does not a digital watch make. The watch with a jumping, double-digital time display – and hence a true digital watch – was invented in 1883 when Austrian engineer Josef Pallweber patented a mechanism that indicated the time with discs, read through two windows, one for the hours and other, the minutes. He licensed the patent to a handful of watch brands, though it is IWC that is most closely associated with the Pallweber display. At the same time, it is importa...
Revolution
The grande date display that set a new standard for wristwatch practicality is an innovation first seen on none other than the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1.
Revolution
We attended the Lange Akademie –Lange’s world famous training experience for watch enthusiasts –in Napa Valley earlier this year and we had a great time and a humbling one as well. Here’s a brief excerpt from our full coverage, coming up soon in our Winter edition. “We’ve each been provided with a slightly oversized balance […]
Deployant
Lange hosted a very special event in Singapore, a series of 3, all interlinked together. Some of you may already have heard of the Lange Akademie. This was started and headed by the beautiful Joanna Lange (yes, she recently wedded Benjamin Lange, who is the son of Walter Lange) in 2008. And have been trainingRead More
SJX Watches
In the run-up to Watches & Wonders, our founder SJX sat down with Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid to discuss the brand’s new releases, including the Saxonia Annual Calendar and the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen”. They also touch on the brand’s philosophy around limited editions, the challenges of training watchmakers on new movements, and why Lange has no plans to enter the custom-order market. Watch now on YouTube.
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