flopi3
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I have been told the exact same story in a German Boutique. ...
... I had to register my existing Lange watches online,fill out an order form (again with the details of my existing Langes watches) and have been informed that I will have to wait most likely two years :-(
Lange & Sohne Odysseus bundle deal
I was at ALS Boutique last Saturday to inquire the steel Odysseus. I am told in order to purchase the Steel Odysseus I have to purchase at least a Saxonia Moon Phase from Boutique in order to get the steel Odysseus guaranteed. The allocation of the Odysse...
Well, a policy is a policy...
...so in that sense it's 'fair.' But it seems silly to me if you only want a single watch but are obligated to buy two. These are not pizzas after all...must be nice to be rich.
IMO, the practice makes sense in cases like this where the desired watch trades above retail.
If the bundle deal was not available, then the watch would likely only be offered to VIP clients. I personally think the deal is very fair in this case.
No. If you're paying what is essentially a bribe, it is not 'fair.'
How about this. You want that refrigerator? No problem. Just buy that double oven first and it's yours. Do you see how silly that sounds? But for those among us (many, as it seems), what's an extra $37,000 amongst friends? Just the cost of doing business ...
If I was smart enough (I'm not)...
...I would devise some sort of Reddit strategy to drive down the price of pre-owned Lange watches. It's almost a year into covid and I'm bored...why not?
I am pretty sure this type of business practice is illegal where I live
I might pop up to the local AD to enquire...
This is a great point...
...I'm not a lawyer and know nothing about consumer protection laws, but on the surface it sounds a bit shady.
Many high end stores treat recurring customers better with added discounts, goodies, events etc.
But forcing them to buy something less in demand (and with higher margins) to get what they want, I disagree 100%
You are suggesting it is potentially illegal for a seller
to limit the ordering of an item only to existing known clients. 🤔
That was my suggestion indeed but after some research (I am no lawyer), it seems legit
But certainly against basic ethical standards. This is the problem when demand > offer.
I just can't justify this approach...
Buying a watch has become purely a commercial deal to maximize profit for supposedly a reputed brand!! Very sad indeed...
My reaction would be #($*^@#%*&)(*&
Of course, that's assuming they speak English in the boutique. If elsewhere in the world, the language may vary. It's just not how I do business, but I have learned you can't tell other people who to do their business. Cazalea
Interesting...
So, ALS needs to move their Saxonia Moon Phase because it has low sales velocity. Sounds like a plan. Get two people together, one who wants a Sax MP and the other who wants an Odysseus, and buy the pair. Win-win-win. All three parties have their dreams c...
Not only you must buy another watch first, but...
Lange will tell you what to buy. Absurd policy. Few others maisons play the same game, Rolex, PP and AP. This is the best way to keep new aficionados off this passion.
A no-no
This is just off-putting. Really kills the pleasure of pursuing your next dream piece. Of course Richemont is free to do want they want, but look at it from a customer‘s perspective. Add up the price of the Odysseus plus the Saxonia and see what a watch y...
It’s a ridiculous policy of A. Lange & Söhne
and I’m one not to play along. Furthermore, it makes the brand highly unsympathetic imo. It’s even more ridiculous, knowing that almost any other piece of ALS you can get ‘yesterday',as a manner of speaking, combined even with a small discount. I wonder i...
Honestly, since you asked, in my view there’s no way that in order to get a watch you like *one and a half years later*, you should buy one that you don’t right now...
Even more alarming from a watch enthusiast standpoint is if this “deal” is being offered by an official boutique, rather than a rogue AD...But while you are requesting an opinion, you already seem to agree with this practice. You even mention a pretty big...
Would this be your first Lange?
If so then I guess the first piece is establishing you as a owner prior to being allocated a piece which at the moment has demand far exceeding supply. I have an Odysseus and was asked to submit a list of my Lange's with serial numbers before allocation t...
I have been told the exact same story in a German Boutique. ...
... I had to register my existing Lange watches online,fill out an order form (again with the details of my existing Langes watches) and have been informed that I will have to wait most likely two years :-(
I think its fair. Much more so than when you want to buy any other
Hot piece. And people seem to misunderstand that the Sax Moon is not fixed but an example for the proper price range.
I refuse to play that game .
If i want a watch i can wait for 1,5 year but don’t give me that BS that i need to buy another one (that I don’t want) too . This will bite them in the a.. some day i think . They all think they can copy Rolex or AP . I don’t like these tactics
I hate this with a Passion
No watch is going to improve your health or true happiness IMHO so any Boutique or AD even suggesting this to me would be answered with asking if they know where the nearest (insert your favourite competition to their brands) store is and promptly walking...
This could have been my 1st Lange
Thanks all for the input. Will put off purchase till Boutique change their policy.
We want the distribution method that suits us...
If the Odysseus is the first ALS watch I will own then I want a nice orderly queue for it. I understand someone that asked before me should get their's first. If it will be the fifth ALS we've bought from that boutique we want that to count for something....
It's Lange's right to do so.....
But they better observe other brands' experience about this kind of practice, to make sure the one sports watch model it has does not dilute the value of its dress watches, I don't think it's worth it. I can't imagine Datograph or Lange 1 or Zeitwerk beco...
It makes me sad to hear this
used to hear such stories for other brands but Lange - Pfui! Best Andreas
Sought after "limited" products dilemma
If there is enough in stock to cater the demand at all times then some are mad about that aswell. Still a bit silly with all the hoops you have to jump and buy into to get some products or just to get on a list. Not like i have bloody chance in hell to ge...
Leveraging a hot product to boost sales smacks of desperate marketing strategy for the brand.
That is likely not why they do it but perception matters.
Not sure why all the outrage.
I agree, the bundle deal as recounted and presented by the AL&S boutique seems a bit unsavory. But consider how the deal approximates these positions: 1) A flat out "no, sorry, not available" [the boutique makes no further statement but given the dema...
You missed something very essential ...
.. John. The Odysseus is currently only available at L&S Boutiques, not at the ADs. I know many Lange collectors including myself who never bought a Lange at a boutique but at the ADs. And it haven been those collectors who supported a lot to move the bra...
No disagreement here on your substantive point.
If you bought a Lange from an AD you should fully be considered a Lange customer just as if you bought the watch from a boutique. Most of those objecting in this thread are not focusing on that nuance, however. Virtually all objectors seem to be offended ...
It makes me a bit sad to have to agree with this as well since I have never purchased directly from a Lange boutique but have purchased from an AD. Regardless, I remain a fan of Lange and hope they will open allocations for the Odysseus...
for true Lange fans who have not purchased ONLY from their boutiques 🤷♂️🙏🤞
i fall into this category.
I bought a Lange Perpetual Calendar maybe 5 yrs ago from AD, 2 years ago I was at a Lange boutique in Singapore to inquire Lange 1 anniversary, they have 1 but refused to sell unless I buy another piece from them. Fast forward 1 year, I am not sure yet wi...
Lange would make too many of the Odysseus as they have done with pretty much any other model.
I remember when zeitwerk was absolutely impossible to get, look at prices now. In year and a half more likely than not Odysseus will sell at a discount to retail. Buying a watch that you don't want, to get a worthless option doesn't seem reasonable to me....
This is capitalism - companies maximizing short term profits
Rather stupid but that's the world we live in. However, you can really f**ck up things as happened to me with Porsche. I purchased and drove Porsche 911 for nearly 20 years and then I moved on to purchase other brands because I did not enjoy water-cooled ...
I find it still a bargain, compared to Patek
If you have not spend 100K or more on Pateks before, you will not get any WT enamel, 5711 and likes. The Saxonia mp looks good anyway ... so nothing wrong here!
Ridiculous...
I am distressed! This might make me say goodbye to Lange. Just ridiculous and embarrassing 😩🤮. NOT that Lange wants to decide whom to sell the watch and who to take on a waiting list. BUT the way they do it is just unworthy and embarrassing. Like all show...
Disappointing to say the least. Had a similar experience which turned me a bit off and I left with a BAD taste in my mouth, even owning a Zeitwerk and a RL PLM currently and had a 39mm Datograph as well...
Lange playing the AP, Patek, Rolex game is NOT my idea of pushing the brand in the right direction but what do I know 🤔🤷♂️🤦♂️. I wish I could speak with the higher ups at Lange or Richemont as I would love to help them market the brand. I would even do ...
Not sure why you would even want one?
The only ALS I’m interested in is the dato or zeitwerk. ...
Update from Germany: even the purchase of Ltd. Editions does not qualify anymore to get an Odysseus ..
... for example: if you bought a L1 Tourbillon from the 25 year collection at a boutique you would not qualify for an Odysseus. As I have never bought anything at a boutique but only at ADs, I have been told now that I should not expect the delivery of a ...
this seems bad and I would be very upset with this
L1 Tourbillon is not a starter watch, this would make me furious. Imagine supporting them when they are a nobody and now they don't know you when they are somebody.