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And why not hope for the come-back of the Cabaret ?

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As the proud owner of a pink gold Cabaret, I was wondering if it would not be appropriate for Lange & Söhne to reintroduce it in its catalog. The simple Cabaret was present in various versions in the Saxon Manufacture's offer between 1997 and 2010. The Tourbillon Cabaret (which I must confess I have never liked) had a much shorter life between 2008 and 2013. As for the Moonphase Cabaret, it was removed from the catalog in 2009. In short, it's been 10 years since Lange & Söhne last offered simple rectangular watches.

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I remain convinced that this is a mistake. Of course, the main argument for the removal at the time must have been the sales figures: it was and still is much more complicated, with a few exceptions, to sell a rectangular watch than a round one. However, I can think of a few reasons why it should come back:

  • The Cabaret embodied one of the fundamental principles of the early years of the Manufacture: a new shape of case=a new movement. The Cabaret was distinguished by its superb rectangular movement with maual winding, adapted to the context and whose presentation contributed to the charm of the watch.
  • The Cabaret was one of Günter Blümlein's favorite watches, as he liked to find again the harmonious proportions of the Reverso in its case. Let's not forget that at the time of the launch of the Cabaret, he was at the head of Mannesmann's watchmaking pole, which included JLC, IWC and Lange & Söhne. So it's not about living with the past either, but wouldn't it be a nice way to pay tribute to the former head of the brand who was the inspiration and the main protagonist of its rebirth?
  • A brand like Lange & Söhne must have a proposal for a watch with a non-round shape. In my opinion, this is part of what we are entitled to expect from a high-end watch manufacture. There is, however, a general movement towards a reduction in the offer of shaped watches: for example, at Patek Philippe, there are no longer any unset Gondolo watches in the catalog. But the Ellipse d'Or remain. At Vacheron Constantin, only the American 1921 offers a shaped case, and it has been a long time since Audemars Piguet sent its Edward Piguet collection to the cemetery, and the Millenary now exists only in its feminine versions... And it's because the general trend is the opposite that it has to come back. It would be a surprise and a reminder that the shaped watch is one of the must-haves of the genre.
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  • Brands have of course economic constraints and it is not a question of restarting a whole collection generating few sales... but a limited production would allow to widen the offer and to re-inscribe the shaped watch in the catalog. The shaped watch is part of Lange & Söhne's roots: let's not forget that the Arkade, with its case shape inspired by the arcades of the Royal Stables in Dresden, was one of the four watches in the renaissance collection in 1994.
  • The Cabaret, with its typical art-deco inspired case would provide an alternative to the simple watches offered by Lange & Söhne which may seem redundant today. There needs to be a little more diversity in the offer of entry-level watches and I think that the Cabaret would not duplicate this offer, quite the contrary.
  • It would not be a question of reintroducing the same watch as before. Why not take advantage of some of the brand's evolutions? For example, why not offer a thinner version, without a big date, by reworking the case? Why not use honey gold? Why not use the mechanism of the old 1815 Moonphase to have a more precise complication than the one used by the Cabaret Moonphase? There are possibilities, and Lange & Söhne can completely renew the genre while remaining true to the spirit of the original watch.
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  • Finally, the Cabaret could also be a way to take a more ambitious interest in women who are more daring when it comes to choosing the shape of a watch case... a Cabaret would be a great unisex watch! In any case, the size of the simple Cabaret was ideal. Neither too big nor too small, it suited all wrists, male or female. And every millimetre more with a shaped watch feels much better than with a round watch. This was one of the problems with the Cabaret Tourbillon that I found disproportionate.
If I think about it carefully, I might find other reasons to justify the reintroduction of the Cabaret. But I'm not in the Gods' secrets and I have no idea what the Lange & Söhne team has in mind (and to be honest, I don't believe there is a plan around this come-back). After all, I already have this Cabaret. It's not as if I'm complaining about not being able to acquire an inaccessible watch... Now, I think it's a pity that the Manufacture is depriving itself of this demonstration of know-how and offering an alternative solution to its customers. I would like to make one last observation. I observe a slow rise in the Cabaret's second hand prices. We are not in a speculative bubble but this rise, reasonable but real, shows a growing interest in this watch. So wouldn't this be a sign that the context favorable to its come-back is getting closer ?

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Fr.Xavier

Comments:
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amanico January 19th, 2021-13:55
In total agreement. Pt Black for me! 
mdg January 19th, 2021-13:57
I love this watch...especially the shaped movement... ...but I also love the Arkade : ) Peter Chong Peter Chong ... 
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Uncle Chico January 19th, 2021-14:12
The harmony between the date window and case shape made this a very attractive offering. 
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Chronometer (aka yacomino) January 19th, 2021-14:14
yes pls bring it back! 
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FabR January 19th, 2021-14:17
Nice writeup with some very interesting points FX, thanks for sharing this! The most compelling of which is, IMO, it's reasonable to expect some non-round offerings from a top flight brand...Let's see if your wish comes true! ;-) Cheers. 
edtonkin January 19th, 2021-14:35
I agree. I owned a pink gold black dial Cabaret and wish I still had it. Lovely watch.   ... 
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Modernahab January 19th, 2021-15:13
I love your detailed case for reinstating the Cabaret, but I fear that fewer and fewer houses are willing to offer shaped watches these days. In fact, aside from Girard Perregaux (Vintage 45), gigantic, gaudy things from Mille and Hublot, and Lange's Richemont stablemates Cartier, Panerai, and JLC, it's hard to think of any brand that's seriously investing in shaped watches right now. Indeed, t... 
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Darron January 19th, 2021-15:52
Looks great!! I really like this rectangular look 
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dte2 January 19th, 2021-18:28
Would be a limited edition for sure 
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Signo January 19th, 2021-18:45
What is needed is a.. Cabaret Moonphase Lumen! ... 
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Hands on review of the Lange & Söhne 1815 Thin Honeygold

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On December 7, 1845, Ferdinand Adolph Lange founded his first workshop and started his business in the small city of Glashütte. History was on the move and this workshop would later become one of the most prestigious watchmaking manufactures, thus contributing to the economic influence of Saxony. To celebrate the 175th anniversary of this important date, Lange & Söhne presented a few weeks ago 3 watches in limited series that pay tribute to Ferdinand Adolph Lange. And of course, the choice went to 3 watches ...


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