The 2018 edition of the Concorso d'Eleganza of the Villa d'Este will take place from the 25th  to the 27th of May on the shores of Lake Como. Lange & Söhne will be present for the 7th consecutive year as sponsor of the event and as usual, will give the coveted prize, the Lange One Timezone "Como Edition" to the winner of the category "Best of Show". This white gold watch is distinguished from the catalog model by its engraved lid and the replacement of Berlin as a reference city of the GMT + 1 zone by Como.

This afternoon I was walking along the windows of the Bucherer boutique in Paris and I realized that the watches from the Saxon manufacture were displayed in front of a new very successful artwork, consistent with the elegant and retro atmosphere of the Concorso.



This artwork, which is part of a group of images made in the same context, marks a significant change in Lange & Söhne's communication strategy. Admittedly, this is not a 180 degree turn, but there is still a significant change in style.

The stakes are indeed important for the brand: it is about finding new sources of growth and renewing its customer base. But I also want to add: to continue to retain its traditional clientele. As a Lange & Söhne customer for many years, I want the brand to evoke themes more alive, more relaxed, more related to lifestyle to make its communication more dynamic. I have nothing against the images of Dresden, the gray furniture of the boutiques or the bust of F.A. Lange in the shop windows. But in 2018, I want to wear a watch whose image it reflects doesn't give me the impression of being close to the retirement residence.



Lange & Söhne has forged since 1994, the year of the presentation of the rebirth collection, an image of excellence and great respect for the German watchmaking tradition thanks to the beauty of the movements, the incomparable quality of the finishes and a strict and timeless design. 24 years later, customers need other lines of communication, other messages. Certainly, the tradition, the rigor, the key features of the manufacture must remain present but more as a background music than as a main argument. These themes are more or less acquired. But the brand must once again make us dream and transport us into universes more in line with our aspirations.



As a result of its involvement with the Concorso and the past career of Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of the brand and who worked in the automotive industry before joining the watchmaking world, Lange & Söhne has developed many relationships and synergies with the world of vintage cars. This is certainly not the first time, far from it, that a watch brand is interested in this universe. But for Lange & Söhne, the opportunity of these relations was  couldn't be missed to inject a new impulse to its communication.