A. Lange & Söhne

My main interest to date has been sports watches but I keep coming back to wanting a classic dress watch for every day wear to work.  As I peruse the plethora of options available I keep coming back to Lange & Sohne; if not FPJourne occassionally ;-)

What would you recommend as my first Lange piece from the Collectors Market assuming a budget of circa $USD15,000 and 40mm+  ?

Any advise appreciatted 

...welcome to the enchanted world of ALS!  Although it is our rule that we do not discuss discount or secondary market price, and I haven't checked the MSRP prices either laterly, first model that comes to my mind is the 1815 (new version) and it is 40mm in size, I believe.  Very classy looking daily wear dress/business watch, I think.  Particularly WG version with blue hands would be irresistable.  Search here for Jocke's wonderful photos of it.  My wrist size doesn't let me feel comfortable with 40mm or over watches (I would rather go for the discontinued 1815 u/d PT) , but otherwise 1815 would be the one to pick first.

My 2 yen.
Ken

I only introduced my price-point to avoid  recommendations to get a Datograph ;-)  I suppose I'm feeling self-conscious that I don't know enough about the collection in its entirety, as you point out, there are discontinued models (Langematik Big Date) not to mention limited edition pieces that one can easily forget or not be aware of.

My current interests rest with the Grand Lange 1, the Saxonia is beautiful but at 37mm too small for my preferences (Dual Time is beautiful (and 40mm) but price might push me out),  which bring me back to the 1815 which your recommend.  Just wondering though, have I missed one ? is there a sleeper I should look out for ? what is considered value-for-money by collectors at this price point ?

 

... it's a difficult question to answer in this instance. It's far too subjective, individual, and relativistic (i.e., best value compared to what?). And when you're talking about $15,000 watches, most people on the planet would say, "Well, your best value would be to buy a $20 Casio and spend the remaining $14,980 on other stuff you'll enjoy -- or just use your cellphone to tell time so can spend the full $15,000 on something TRULY worthwhile."

Here's how I'd suggest thinking about it. Most of the common pre-owned Lange models and styles really do tend to hold their value on the used market. Pricing is pretty stable. You just want to do your research ahead of time, to ensure you're paying a fair price for that particular model on the pre-owned market. And keep in mind that many Lange collectors are pretty anal and perfectionistic, so it's easier to sell a watch that comes complete with boxes and papers (people like that) unless it's deeply discounted. And of course, you'll probably have more difficulty reselling a less popular model or style. For example, the first Grande Lange 1 models introduced back in 2003 had two-tone dials that many folks found really off-putting (to put it VERY kindly), and dealers had a very difficult time selling them.

When I think about this question of purchasing a pre-owned Lange, here's what I say to myself: "As long as I get my pre-owned Lange at a fair price -- regardless of what that price actually is ($10K, $20K, $50K) -- I can almost certainly resell it later, without getting hurt too badly (if at all), for about that same price. It's as if I'm putting down a (hefty) deposit to borrow a nice watch for awhile, and then I'll get my full deposit back when I sell it."   [Disclaimer: This model sort of breaks down for me personally, because I've sold only 2 watches in 11 years, and not because I got tired of them -- one I bought at a deep discount specifically to flip, and another I bought for my dad but then decided to get him a slightly different model (Langematik Big Date, in fact -- ended up getting him one with blue hands because it's easier to read). But it sure SOUNDS convincing!]

Yes, you're wise to look into the discontinued and LE models, but be warned that there are a lot of them, so it can be crazy-making at times. Some of my favorites of these include the original 1815 Moonphase series, the Lange 1A, the Lange 1 in white gold with silver dial and blue hands, and the Langematik WITHOUT big date (I've always thought the dial on that watch was beautiful -- the "12" marker especially). I also love the old 1815's -- all of them (the up/down, the classic, etc.) -- but since you prefer >40mm, they may be too small for your taste.

If you want to see the full range of Langes that have been produced over the years (mostly standard production models in their catalogs, with a few additional limited editions models thrown in) and their historic US retail prices, click here. It may help your research as you consider specific models. I updated it in April 2011 to reflect this year's models.

Good luck in your journey, and hopefully you'll find this to be a good, supportive community along the way!

 

I think you're on the right track in that price point... the Langematik Big Date or new 1815 40mm (used are hard to come by though) would both be excellent choices. Which metal are you looking for?

Not a gold person even if those pieces look fantastic, would love the Zeitwerk but it's tantalising at the moment

 

.. I am a white metal person, too.  And with your price ballpark and the size requirement, I cannot think of other models in the current line-up.  Newer moderls, such as Flach, would be a perfect one if they come up with the white metal case but the MSRP is a bit higher.  While I do not know the exact MSRP of 1815 40mm in WG, I believe that would be it for you. 

Again, if anyone wants to help him with the "market" price, please help him via PM.  Thank you!

Ken

For me, it is the best way to enter Lange world: the watch is iconic (and amongst the first 4 Lange watches presented in 1994) and the coherence of its design perfect. But of course this option is not mandatory, I didn t choose it for example. But it is the most logical.

Yes the watch has a 38.5 mm case, yes a new one is more expensive than the budget but think about it. This message has been edited by foversta on 2011-06-02 16:33:56

Appreciate your r
Advice

since you want 40mm plus. the Lange is 38.5mm, but is thicker and feels more "substantial" the FPJ is more elegant. in a nutshell -  Teutonic musculinity versus Swiss romance. also less "common" then the Lange. just watch out for the date disc on the FPJ, lotsa problems, mine included.

best,

Horo

FPJ makes some beautiful pieces for sure, thanks for responding

In the metal the Journe is more playful and elegant! This message has been edited by ChristianDK on 2011-06-04 03:30:14