A. Lange & Söhne

Humanist
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sure, with pleasure

In order to make a new watch like the Cabaret, they would have to construct a new case and a movement for this form. The investment cost for this needs to be earned by the number of watches that you are going to sell in this model line. I. e. all types and variations. Since ALS does not work with base movements and modules on top of it like PP (which does not make them bad), they would also need a movement for the basic type and different movements (alterations) for all complicated models (moon phase, etc.). Rectangular watches are much less popular in the market than round ones. ALS makes 7.500 watches a year. They would sell less than, let us say for example 5% of their production, rectangular ones. That makes 300-400 in this form. Investment for this divided by expected production=cost/piece. This would be relatively high. Prices you could ask for the basic ones on the other end would not be higher than round ones. So your profit is low per piece with the rectangular one. Investors like Richmont would make a development decision based mostly on thoughts of investment - profit considerations (which does not make them bad per se), so they would not go for a niche watch like a rectangular line. Making the Odysseus sports line was a year-long and well thought project for ALS. It is their only line that uses different cases and materials. The situation here is completely different. Steel sports watches are the best selling watch type. In the same case, they can make different versions (f.e. Chronos and GMT- that will follow next IMO). Demand is huge, so they can ask high prices for it - more than for a comparable basic dress watch. So the Investment/cost=profit consideration tells you to make a sports SS watch and not a new Cabaret. They could of course take out the old plans for the original Cabaret and just remake it. But then the general (not the collectors) market would bash them for not doing something new.

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