Custom is on the forefront of our ideas once we work on the annual Legacy problem. That is about as shocking as discovering sand on a seashore. The Legacy problem is our devoted investigation of watchmaking histories and requirements, proper right down to practices and personalities. Custom clearly performs a significant position. Sometimes, this takes on surprising which means or, as some thinker someplace famous, it turns into meta. Under no circumstances will we imply transcendent right here, slightly that some tales turn into a convention about custom, in a problem centered on custom.
If we felt prefer it, for instance, we might have turned this very interview with A. Lange & Söhne CEO Wilhelm Schmid right into a story about an interview, that references all of the interviews we’ve carried out with him and different leaders on the model (Tony de Haas and Tino Bobe). As we’ve beforehand mentioned, these are the trio that sometimes face the press for A. Lange & Söhne and we’ve interviewed a number of yearly since 2019. What’s so ‘meta’ about that you simply may marvel. Properly, it refers to an analogous line we utilized in an older story the place we particularly acknowledged that this sample exists. Now, that which is meta will be helpful – simply take into consideration meta research, which group particular person research collectively to ship new insights – and we must always prefer to carry this attitude to our A. Lange & Söhne tales.
A helpful instance right here is our interview with Schmid two years in the past in Singapore, the place he informed us we must always not maintain our breath if we anticipated to purchase a Lange 1 (then). Assembly him this 12 months at Watches and Wonders Geneva, Schmid mentioned that the state of affairs has improved, partly as a response to the model’s efforts to maneuver its enterprise to its personal retail community. He cautions that issues are nonetheless removed from excellent.
“Our technique is to extend our capability as a result of we’ll want the elevated capability throughout the completely different segments of watches”
This alternate solely occurred this 12 months due to the alternate final 12 months, and possibly partly as a result of the individuals concerned are the identical; you can’t have failed to note that I do the overwhelming majority of all interviews. Again to the purpose about availability, Schmid additionally reiterated that the Glashütte model nonetheless makes roughly 5,000 watches. This quantity has been in our pages and on-line throughout many sources for years. It’s supported by de Haas’ assertion that to make extra of 1 mannequin or one other, fewer shall be fabricated from one thing else. When requested about this, Schmid nodded sagely. “After we introduce one thing new, we’ve to chop one thing current. It’s not doable (or good) to easily layer extra references on high of all the present ones (with out some pruning) as a result of ultimately who’s going to make all these watches?” mentioned Schmid, with the barest of shrugs.
From all our encounters with him, we all know Schmid to be a critical and compassionate man. He would by no means take any step that endangered A. Lange & Söhne. Fortunately, you should not have to take our phrase for this. Uniquely amongst his Richemont friends (A. Lange & Söhne is a Richemont model), Schmid, de Haas and Bobe have been round a very long time certainly. The latter two, together with communications boss Arnd Einhorn, have been with A. Lange & Söhne virtually because the starting (collectively). These guys wouldn’t have caught by Schmid if he was not the straight shooter that he appears to be. Schmid himself wouldn’t have made it this lengthy (he grew to become CEO in 2011) if he had not been a constructive drive for A. Lange & Söhne.
After all, we realise that opinions of A. Lange & Söhne and Schmid have modified dramatically over the past 5 years because the model’s watches have turn into considerably unattainable and costs have reacted accordingly. The person on the high has solutions to these questions, which boils right down to reiterating that A. Lange & Söhne shouldn’t be enthusiastic about making extra watches to chase progress.
“Our technique is to extend our capability as a result of we’ll want the elevated capability throughout the completely different segments of watches,” mentioned Schmid. “This implies growing the capability of watchmaking hours that we will apply to every watch. Progress will come from extra complexity all through the vary and never from increased manufacturing numbers.”
And on that word, we invite you to observe our dialog with Schmid and keep until the top for an vital word concerning the Odysseus Chronograph.
It’s the twenty fifth anniversary of the Datograph and you might be presenting two very particular watches to honour this second. Provided that these are, shall we embrace, variations on a theme, how have individuals obtained them thus far (at WWG)?
Let me start with the Datograph Up/Down – you already know that’s with a white gold case and a blue dial; this can be a mixture we’ve by no means used earlier than. And bear in mind, our shoppers are watch collectors, in order that they at all times search for the factor they don’t have (and that will be the earlier restricted version with a blue dial). This they’ll’t have as a result of we by no means did it once more. For this restricted version Datograph Up/Down, we’ll produce in a barely greater quantity – I imply, 125 for us, that’s rather a lot. For many manufacturers, that’s simply nothing.
After which the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold Lumen, which has two issues we like: particular supplies and a brand new calibre. After all, the calibre has rather a lot in frequent with one thing acquainted to collectors. Inform us about what’s completely different right here.
Initially, sure the calibre relies on the present one (that debuted in 2016), but it surely we needed to do a number of work on the reworked model right here. For instance, we needed to rearrange the entire moon section indication (which will not be apparent at first look) and eliminated the facility reserve show.
(The dialog then went into the technical weeds so we current the official A. Lange & Söhne response on this level from the FAQ on the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold Lumen. We current the data under because it was communicated to us.)
Why does the motion solely include 684 components in comparison with the 729 components of the usual model? The additional growth of the motion additionally led to a discount within the whole variety of components. For instance, the absence of the power-reserve indicator reduces the variety of components, however the extra parts for realising the “Lumen” perform don’t compensate for this distinction.
Is the motion new in comparison with the present Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon? Sure, because of the particular design options of a “Lumen” mannequin and the omission of a power-reserve indicator, the motion has been considerably enhanced.
So it’s not like the identical motion, simply with lumen. Sadly, that doesn’t work. If you see the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold Lumen alongside all of the chronographs (commonplace datographs), tourbillons, perpetual calendars and the honeygold (restricted editions), this one watch represents the whole lot.
On that word about gold, a few factors – first, is that this a sign on instructions?
We’re very clear in our course. We’ve 5 conventional watch households and one that’s fairly up to date in its design. So principally, we’re about very conventional watchmaking; we launched the Odysseus household in 2019 (to do one thing completely different), however one purpose is certainly to present us an area the place we will play with metal…if we play with titanium, if we play with the mixture of white gold and rubber, that is what we might do with (within the Odysseus assortment). We produce very, only a few metal watches a 12 months. That is to say we don’t produce even within the a whole bunch. We don’t contact the opposite 5 households (with this form of up to date experimentation). So, on this method we will prolong the playground of our design a bit bit with out shedding our DNA and we shield the 5 households that historically have been round for a very long time. Metal (and different non-precious supplies) shouldn’t be our core enterprise. Treasured metals like white gold and platinum, yellow gold and honey gold, that’s the form of watches we’re making. That’s our core enterprise.
And so honeygold then, which we’re at all times enthusiastic about! Will we see extra watches on this materials? It is likely one of the uncommon treasured supplies that has a purposeful profit to match the aesthetic ones.
Yeah, however honeygold will at all times be used for restricted editions, and we by no means produced so many. I feel it’s about 2,000 in whole. That’s what number of we made in honeygold in whole since we launched it in 2000. It’s a very onerous materials so it is vitally onerous to work with; it requires particular remedy, and even within the occasion of refurbishment (for servicing), it additionally requires (particular dealing with). You realize, you say the hardness is a bonus to wearers and sure that’s true; it’s also a legal responsibility when it comes to manufacturing and servicing. Honeygold is troublesome to machine as a result of it is vitally onerous (versus common gold, thus requiring particular instruments and procedures). Subsequently, there are usually not many who can do it and you must be smart about what number of you wish to make. In the event you make hundreds, that can imply hundreds to ultimately service and the case requires an oxygen-free atmosphere to refurbish it. Making extra (than we do) is simply not sustainable.
The brand new watches this 12 months are each boutique editions, however A. Lange & Söhne is especially out there solely in your individual boutiques. Inform us how far alongside you might be within the strategy of bringing the retail enterprise in-house and the way that has impacted availability and accessibility.
We’re about 90 % (own-boutique) worldwide. On the identical time, it’s not that we simply despatched our retail companions an e mail telling them we aren’t working with them (with speedy impact). Often, we’ve had an important relationship with them over time, and it takes time (to port issues over to our personal boutiques). There are clients behind (any given) retailer, and we attempt to serve them as a lot as doable on no matter was promised on our behalf. We’re nonetheless in that course of; nonetheless, as a result of we’ve diminished (the exterior retail community) rather a lot, I can inform you that there’s a sure degree of availability at boutiques now. It’s not excellent however it’s higher than what it was 18 months in the past… or six months in the past! We expect we’ll solely see the complete influence of our technique within the subsequent 18 months <this dialog happened in April so it means the third quarter of subsequent 12 months.
There’s a course of, sure, and there’s even a system for it as a result of I don’t like issues that can’t be systematised. I feel you get questions like that from individuals who don’t have a relationship with us as a result of in any other case they might know! All of it begins with attending to know somebody on the boutique <which suggests visiting and having an off-the-cuff chat, to summarise – Ed>. I’m at all times amazed by this sort of factor… I imply, if you wish to make a pal, you don’t exit into the road and shout ‘I desire a pal!’ and a pal comes alongside. In our private lives, everyone knows the right way to make pals…the right way to set up relationships. It’s based mostly on (people) attending to know one another and establishing belief. Going past one thing purely transactional. So yeah, within the watch business, there are these individuals who wish to have the rarest watches instantly. They complain rather a lot, and everyone knows or have an concept about what they might do with the watches once they get them.
Has that state of affairs improved, with the flippers?
Completely! As a result of we now know who’s shopping for our watches. You realize, anybody can do what she or he needs with their property – that’s not for me to resolve. What we wish is to know if (somebody visiting the boutique) is an actual collector as a result of collectors are our core market. Or is that this individual somebody that buys after which sells rapidly? We are able to do this ourselves; we don’t want a intermediary. You requested additionally about individuals who need one nice watch from us, and simply the one. We’re completely happy to do this however (the one who needs one piece for an important day) shouldn’t be our goal. We goal collectors who purchase watches! They undergo our collections to see what they like, and construct up their collections. It’s a longer journey that doesn’t take only one 12 months however years! That’s why we’ve to ship novelties yearly…that’s why we’ve to go the additional mile (on a regular basis) as a result of the collector is a really educated individual.
Allow us to shut on each availability and manufacturing with a follow-up on the Odysseus Chronograph, which Tony informed us can be prepared to enter manufacturing this 12 months.
Sure, it’s… It has moved from prototyping to manufacturing however it can take longer than standard (per commonplace chronographs at A. Lange & Söhne) as a result of that is new territory for the watchmakers, as you heard from Tony already. It has no comparability for us from something current so the calibre is admittedly being comprised of scratch. The watchmakers nonetheless want observe and expertise to determine a routine for the automated chronograph
This text first appeared on WOW’s Legacy 2025 Problem
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