Comments:
Is this everything that is wrong with Lange, or the watch world at large?
"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 Schmid, CEO of A. Lange & Söhne. In his own words a collector is an animal who is never content? This seems a far cry from the brand I knew 10 years ago. Why must collecting be synonymous with insatiable consumption?
[Note from CR: I replaced the large image of the quoted words with the plain text of the quoted words themselves. To see this quote in context and to encourage thoughtful discussion, click here to read the full interview.]
This message has been edited by CR on 2022-06-22 14:28:45
Quote from Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of A. Lange & Söhne. In his own words a collector is an animal who is never content? This seems a far cry from the brand I knew 10 years ago. Why must collecting be synonymous with insatiable consumption?
This message has been edited by CR on 2022-06-22 14:28:45
To me that's not the correct approach to see a collector...
Though at times he/she appears to behave that way...
Do you know in what context he made these statements??
Because that would be an interesting business strategy to refer to collectors amongst his own clientele in such a manner. 🤔
Not sure if I can link to another watch site here but attached is a panned out photo for context.
Agreed…
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.
You are absolutely right that Lange is not what it used to be.
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.
This is probably not exactly what Herr Schmid said...
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 Schmid, I find it out of character for Herr Schmid to say something like this, as he's always been a gentleman in the several years that I've known him. I would suggest that the interviewer paraphrased Herr Schmid's answer and while the interviewer/editor probably did this with the best of intentions, it came off as offensive.
+1, I saw your comment after I posted mine, and that was indeed my intuition as well😉👍
I read yours and I wholeheartedly agree.
Something lost in translation or some mediocre paraphrasing.
Definitely, that is my most likely guess as well ;-) But as I offered earlier, let's see if either the Monochrome author (especially in the event the quote is not exact!) or of course the Brand itself would have further comments on this ;-) Cheers.
That would be very odd indeed.
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 their policies.
Nevertheless, their masters are a public company and their primary purpose is to grow profits every year. Can’t fault them for defining collectors the way they do. They make their choices, we make ours. There is no right or wrong here, just different perspectives.
Nevertheless, their masters are a public company and their primary purpose is to grow profits every year. Can’t fault them for defining collectors the way they do. They make their choices, we make ours. There is no right or wrong here, just different perspectives.
These kind of interviews, the quotes are altered, condensed, and clarified.
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 count efficiency is something on the back of the mind of every journalist.
Ok.
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 noted earlier, it is their prerogative to treat their customers as they wish and their customers likewise will decide if they “enjoy” such a relationship with the brand.
My treatment by the boutique was consistent with the quote attributed to the CEO, but as I noted earlier, it is their prerogative to treat their customers as they wish and their customers likewise will decide if they “enjoy” such a relationship with the brand.
That's actually not what I'm saying.
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.
I can’t speak for Mr. Schmid (whom I don’t know personally), but assuming he got quoted exactly in the Monochrome piece you are referring to, it is certainly an unusual way to express a concept for the CEO of a watch company…
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 interviews with industry leaders often contain interesting information for fans (and collectors! ;-), but when a French journalist conducts an English interview with a German guy in Italy….the resulting language might not be as accurate as intended!😄
I am sorry but I don't think there is anything lost in translation here.
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 collectors based on my understanding of the word, being blacklisted because they bought watches from gray dealers at discount or who dared to sell a rare piece at auction.
I get your point, and there isn’t actually a single thing I endorse of Lange’s recent boutique policy and allocation system…But the way this and other points of the interview got *worded* just doesn’t seem realistic for an experienced industry leader ;-)
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 sense to the section moderator, CR.)👍
Question...
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 to sell the piece in the near future. For example, "We very much try to place our high-demand pieces with clients who'll keep them for a long time. Of course, we understand that the occasional client may want or need to sell a piece sooner. If you want to part with this watch for any reason in the next 5 years, we ask that you kindly come talk with us first, before doing so. Working together if that happens will ensure that we can continue to offer you high-demand pieces in the future."
What are your thoughts?
I think your suggestion is very reasonable.
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 relationship" requirements, etc are the things that disturb me much more. Read the comments, not only here. Lange under Mr Schmid comes along as really arrogant, very different from the earlier days. Maybe it is a communication problem rather than anything else. But there is something to be worked on.
To be honest - the bundle deals, "boutique relationship" requirements, etc are the things that disturb me much more. Read the comments, not only here. Lange under Mr Schmid comes along as really arrogant, very different from the earlier days. Maybe it is a communication problem rather than anything else. But there is something to be worked on.
I'm in complete agreement.
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, once obtained, it should be a source of satisfaction.