A. Lange & Söhne

"A collector is basically somebody who is addicted to a certain topic and who is never happy with what she or he has. He or she is always on the hunt for the next. That, for me, is the best definition of a collector to start with." Quote from Wilhelm Schm...  

Though at times he/she appears to behave that way...

Because that would be an interesting business strategy to refer to collectors amongst his own clientele in such a manner. 🤔

...  

And by that logic everyone who collects anything should buy up all available models…and then sell them on the grey market when they get bored or dissatisfied? The whole theme of never being sated with what one has is very sad.

The last pice that I bought was the Walter Lange hommage edition. I have a lot more to say but would leave it at that.

Knowing how these interviews are transcripted, there is some creative license for the editor to quote or to phrase the answer. Also having known Schmid since his very start at Lange, and even introducing a friend of mine who is a distant cousin to Herr Sc... 

Something lost in translation or some mediocre paraphrasing.

You typically leave quotes unaltered. In any case, I’ve been supporting Lange with my $$ for 20 years primarily from the pre-boutique days. I got turned off by a boutique experience a couple of years back and switched off from the brand after that, given ... 

For instance, in interviews I've done with watchmakers and even a jewelry store owner, I had some creative licensing to condense the quote as long as I felt I kept the full meaning of what they were saying. A lot of magazines target a word count, so word ... 

So you’re saying the full meaning was likely kept. This isn’t a complicated interpretation unless both the CEO and journalist are dunces at basic communication. My treatment by the boutique was consistent with the quote attributed to the CEO, but as I not... 

As I stated before. It's possible that the journalist was paraphrasing and some things were altered even with the best intentions. I'm not surprised your relationship with the boutique is perceived to be that way. As that's how many experiences seem to be... 

The wording of other portions of the same interview struck me as odd though, including a lengthy paragraph where he insisted on “our customers who are unknown to us” (I believe in a convoluted effort to promote Lange’s boutique vs. AD sales). These interv... 

For years Mr Schmid has made it very clear that he wants his clients to be "collectors" who buy at full retail at the boutiques, have insatiable desire for anything Lange and never sell in the secondary market. I know of people, definitely Lange collector... 

It would be interesting for either the Monochrome journalist to clear up these points for us here, or also for Lange to reach out directly if they have any comments on the matter. (This is not my forum, so I want to leave any possible actions in this sens... 

I gave this feedback to Lange in the last few years and am curious what you think about it: I have no problem blacklisting a customer for selling a high-demand piece "prematurely" as long as the brand tells the customer exactly how to proceed if they want... 

I know a high end dealer who has no pre owned inventory but for special pieces and clients will make introduction to an interested party. Lange can do the same and make two customers happy at the same time. To be honest - the bundle deals, "boutique relat... 

For me a collector is someone with a deep connection to the thing being collected, has a goal in mind, and once achieving that goal, can appreciate the accomplishment and the collection. Although for some the hunt can be more exciting than the acquisition... 

If we read it without the never, the second part of the sentence (always being on the hunt) should not be offensive to anyone as this is the behavior I see here every day.

What he tries to ssy is, that some collectors are driven by the impulse to buy. That is what he means by "addicted". What a collector is, is generally not easy to define.

Nothing animalisstic about it either. He was merely stating that collectors are always out to collect new pieces as they are seldom satisfied with what they already have. That would apply to most of us.

... Mr. Schmid's view on collectors is only one questionable aspect of the story. Reality is, that ALS turned into a very arrogant brand over the past years. There is another quote that reveals how they think: "You cannot build a business model with peopl... 

With only one exception - I purchased 1815 HG at boutique, and I’m in the waiting lists… but another person came there and bought an Complication and then got in a month Odysseus as well 🤷🏻‍♂️ and I’m still waiting for it. It seems to be strange with my c... 

Lange may have other problems, such as with customer service, etc., but not this.

The difference between a collector and an accumulator is that the collector will be guided by a certain quality, theme, aesthetic or style. There is a method to the madness. A collector need not have a big budget or unlimited resources. There is considera... 

... that Wilhelm Schmid might actually agree with everything you wrote, and that this one quote, with no follow-up questions, might not fully or accurately reflect his thoughts on the subject?

Lange has changed completely in the last couple of years. Vacheron Constantin has too. Both have discarded relationships with longtime dealers and customers based on increased recent demand. It will be interesting to see what happens when demand slows and... 

And IWC policy, when they once turned from real collectors toward red carpet and celebs 🤷🏻‍♂️ And then this infected all Richemont brands WBR Serge

I appreciate threads like this, which involve some emotion and passion. Thanks to loopsandsounds for alerting us to this interview. On a general note, threads like this can go either way: They can provoke inflammatory replies that add no value beyond regi... 

Regardless of the quote, the entire article is tone deaf at best, and the reality of what Lange as a brand has become at worst, especially for those of us that were Lange fans and collectors. I read the entire article and it was as of Lange no longer exis... 

My take is this: The interviewer sets the tone and picks the focus. If the interviewer had chosen to focus on asking Wilhelm Schmid about passion or collecting or watchmaking, then we would've read an interview that was much more aligned with the interest... 

… thus focusing deliberately on the topics of the interview. A brand is so much more than its products and even though I still admire the watches from ALS, I am not accepting their business philosophies. As a result I am telling people who are interested ... 

You are probably right that the interview was biased towards business. I struggle with the content only because I had such a love for Lange and over the past few years it’s been snuffed out by the transition to the “Porsche/Ferrari” method of direct manuf...  

I like those older straps, too. Hopefully you are happy with just the Datograph Up/Down. And let's continue to hope that Lange will take active steps to embrace the longer-term collectors that have felt alienated in recent years, so they may return to the... 

Mr Schmid can phrase it as he like, one can exclude certain quotes but in the end it matters, how the brand acts in reality. And reality is that ALS is more interested in making the fast buck than to build long-term relations to customers. I know many col... 

I agree with much of what you just wrote. In recent years, Lange and/or Richemont (whoever is driving these decisions) has certainly disappointed and frustrated many longtime enthusiasts/collectors for exactly the reasons you mentioned.

… especially if you look at Richemont‘s financial statements and the profit development of the watchmaking section.

I have met Mr Schmid on 5 or 6 occasions and have had lunch/dinner with him multiple times. I have always found him entertaining, passionate about the brand and it’s values, equally interested in other brands and always looking to the future. I tend not t... 

The quote is not scandalous, just a bit honest. We can assume Mr. Schmid is interpreting the data available to him and drawing from his own perspective in arriving at his view on collectors. Insatiability and a lack of contentment are characteristic of a ...