Interviewed: Elena Olkhovskaya
Matthew Dupont, A.Lange & Sohne brand manager, introduced the new 2009 watch collection in Dubai. On sale, these watches will not appear earlier than autumn, but we talked about how the traditions of German watchmaking were revived, and what watchmakers from A.Lange & Sohne are ready to offer the world today, in a relaxed atmosphere.
Matthew, A.Lange & Sohne is perhaps the most famous German watch brand. Is it difficult to compete with the “sharks” of Swiss watchmaking?
A.Lange & Sohne, founded in 1845, has a rich and long history. Resuming its work in 1994 after a forced 50-year hiatus in the production of precision mechanical watches in Saxony, the company once again attracts the eyes of connoisseurs of real art.
I personally consider making watches an art. And if you relate to watches, as it was done by Ferdinand Adolf Lange, the founder of the company, then you understand that. If you have the opportunity to talk with Walter Lange, the great-grandson of the brilliant Ferdinand, who revived the family business in 1990, or one of our masters, then you will feel that they have the same passion that once moved the founders of the company.
Since the beginning of the 1990s, our watchmakers have been manufacturing exclusive watches in Glashütte that can withstand competition with the best Swiss companies. They not only contain the spirit of the past, but also demonstrate unique technical characteristics. If Ferdinand Adolf Lange was alive today, he would have made just such a watch. Therefore, today we have a great responsibility - to convey the values of A.Lange & Sohne to the current generation of customers, to keep the connection of the times, because these watches were created one hundred years ago, and will be created for 200 and 300 years, professing the same principles. Because they are beautiful, real and carry a powerful emotional charge.
Today A.Lange & Sohne watches “smile” at your wrist of every customer, because they “know” that the work of genuine craftsmen is invested in them. The owner of the Lange watch is happy because he understands that he had to wait almost six months to get this luxury. I personally, really, enjoy every detail of our watches - their finest engravings, unique materials, complex mechanisms. A.Lange & Sohne's motto is tradition on the move. Therefore, we should not stop in our quest to be the best for even a minute.
Is it true that today A.Lange & Sohne is part of a major watch alliance? Why was this step taken?
Great-grandson of Ferdinand Adolf Lange, Walter in 1990 created together with Gunter Blumlyayn, then director of the Swiss watch factory IWC in Schaffhausen, the company Lange Unheb GmbH. And then, in order to ensure financial stability, Walter Lange and his company first entered the LMH (Les Manufactures Horologeres) watch factory alliance, which in the summer of 2000 became the property of the Swiss concern Richemont. This union brings together several major manufacturers of exclusive watches: Lange, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Baume & Mercier, Piaget, Vacheron Constantin and Officine Panerai. Being the smallest watch manufactory among the group's companies, which are struggling with each other, Lange sets high goals and achieves them by ensuring the high quality of its watch products.
What is the difference between Lange watches and those made by competitors?
A.Lange & Sohne is one of a declining number of factories that exclusively operate with their own watch movements. Lange watches are produced manually, in small series, with all possible care and attention. If I tell you that each unit is completely assembled by one master, then it is tested, disassembled and assembled again, to achieve 100% confidence in accuracy and quality, will you believe it? And this is so. In this case, the masters of the company also decorate parts located on the inside of the mechanism. The necessary tools and clamps are also made in the workshops of the company. The balance bridge is engraved manually in a special way, which turns every Lange watch into a unique piece of art. Currently, Lange produces only a few thousand watches a year. A very limited circle of specialists, 150 jewelers at 211 points of sale, has the right to sell them.
Who sells A.Lange & Sohne watches in Dubai?
We work with the Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons group of companies, which are our exclusive distributors. But the company plans to open its own monobutics in some countries, including the Middle East.
What do you think of Russian customers?
It seems to me that many Russian people very subtly feel and appreciate true art. Immigrants from Russia are very emotional. When they see a beautiful picture or a good watch, they strive to keep these things near them. Not every modern thing carries a charge of such positive emotions. A watch, in my opinion, is a very personal thing. You carry them on your wrist, and feel them on your hand every second.
At Lange, we never gave ourselves the opportunity to compromise on quality or to start doing something that did not meet the original values of the company. For example, every year we hear the question: "Why do not you produce steel watches?". We can produce them in tons, only this will not be a Lange watch. "Why don't you make a sports watch, is that great?" May be. But in the world there are brands that specialize in sports watches, and again - this is not us. Each of our watches is a message from time immemorial. They are recognizable, they can not be confused with anything. We tremulously keep the traditions of the Lange family. And I think that this is exactly what Russian buyers value in A.Lange & Sohne watches.
Matthew, do you think people need watches nowadays, or are there enough mobile phones and computer monitors?
I do not believe those who believe that a modern person does not need a watch. I am convinced that a watch is no longer needed in order to find out the time, since there are many other sources for this. But watches as a symbol of status are simply necessary for people. A man with a good watch on his hand, demonstrating true values, feels and even behaves differently. If we talk about the representatives of the stronger sex, then the difference between a boy and a real man can be caught at the cost of their "toys". The more solid a person is, the more expensive his status “toys” - a car, suits, shoes, and, of course, watches. And our watches speak for themselves.
What does A.Lange & Sohne offer the market in 2009 after the SIHH in Geneva and Basel World in Basel?
Among the new products, I would probably mention the Rihard Lange “Pour le Merite” watch, named after the son of Ferdinand Adolf Lange - Richard Lange, who became the co-owner of the company in 1868. We presented a unique lineup under the name "1815" - this is the year of birth of Ferdinand Adolf Lange, and a significant date in the history of the company. In addition, the Lange 1 and Lange 1 Time Zone watches are very interesting. There are very elegant female models in the new collection, although we specialize in exclusive men's watches. I think that every buyer will be able to find something of their own in our new collections. In stores, all these models will appear in the summer and autumn.
Thanks, Matthew. We wish you further success and look forward to new products.
