Paris, the place to be
We caught up with Wilhelm Schmid at the reopening of the brand’s boutique on Rue de la Paix, in Paris. The two previous boutiques were operated by Dubail but were not as successful as expected, mainly because of the pandemic. Will it be third time lucky? Schmid is convinced this is “a place to be, like Madison, Bond Street or Ginza. We’re here to stay.” Translation: a brand has to have its name on Place Vendôme and stay open… regardless of which way the economic winds blow. It’s a view not everyone shares. Many neighbouring stores have closed. Online sales are progressing. “Except at A. Lange & Söhne. Customers want to be able to see their watch and try it on, especially their first Lange.” Which is? “Often a Lange 1.” A #1 watch, a Lange 1, at 1, Rue de la Paix.
“A. Lange & Söhne is a brand apart”
Schmid believes that A. Lange & Söhne is a brand apart and that its place is that of an independent. Which again may seem counterintuitive… when you belong to the Richemont group. “That’s not how we should see things. If you don’t belong to a group, you belong to your shareholders or you depend on your retailers, etc. You’re independent when you have your own autonomous production, your own values, and you’re capable of defending them.” Objection: all the Manufactures say the same. Wilhelm Schmid retorts that, with 5,500 watches adjusted and assembled by hand each year, the brand has more in common with an independent workshop than mass production.
The tourbillon is dead, long live the chronograph?
The majority of collectors at Dubai Watch Week were of the same opinion: the tourbillon has had its day. Too much of a good thing these past 15 years? Wilhelm Schmid gives a knowing smile: the next big thing in fine watchmaking will be the chronograph. “It’s a major complication. One that is extremely technical and underestimated.” The Odysseus, the latest in-house chronograph from A. Lange & Söhne, confirms this, with a current wait list of between three and five years.
Competition? What competition?
According to Wilhelm Schmid, given its low production volume - a far cry from the likes of Patek Philippe or Audemars Piguet – A. Lange & Söhne is not in competition with these brands, which are still sought-after by collectors (for the time being: certain indicators suggest the end of a love affair). A. Lange & Söhne’s real competitors are the independents. Going head-to-head with the German firm are Akrivia, Laurent Ferrier and Philippe Dufour, among others. Names that Wilhelm Schmid welcomes with open arms: “They are an excellent benchmark for us.”
