A. Lange & Söhne

Well,where to start?A rather disappointing year I suppose..I was expecting news yesterday and the day before but apparently that s it!These are the ALaS novelties for 2011.

Maybe we were spoiled last year with a huge new lineup(Daymatic,ZW phantom,saxonia annual calendar,165th annyversary line,RL refhur,1815 chrono....am I missing something?),but this year is disappointing not only in quantity of novelties(only 2) but for the quality as well.

Lack of vision,poor inventiveness....I wonder how big is the Lange stand in Geneva,,,just a display little box will do this year I suppose...

Lets recap

1)A rather gimmicky RL PLM:cant judge it I am sorry....hats off to Lange expertise and usual umbeatable finish and finesse but,its a busy uniteresting watch....dial appearing and disappearing?I am not sure....to be seen..

2)A super bland re-packaging of the blandest Lange line Saxonia......no comment,too austere and cold for me to judge...leaves me indifferent...

3)First long awaited striking watch for Lange.........roll of drums.....even blander than Saxonia line and rather disappointing for such a long awaited novelty.What? A petite sonnerie?Why?...Lange should have debuted with a REPEATER with a Sonnerie in it...That would have been Lange style...why settle for second best?A sonnerie would have  been good as part of striking watches...but not THE first The debut for Lange!

Then ..why on a Zeitwerk????What is with Lange recently to ruin perfect executed and designed watches?Last year the purity and beauty of the classic Richard Lange was violated with that horrible Refhur poor design....L1 was given an automatic treatment???Anyone bought that?Please let me know .....and now my fav Lange is given a" second best" striking action that on top of being a bit useless is also not very good looking(reserve judgement befor seeing it live..)....just a little sonnerie....PLEASE leave the ZEITWERK  alone!I am still dreaming of the Luminous,but this spoils it a bit..Maybe an alarm sounding like a repeater would have suited the ZW better???

A sonnerie like this one would have been more suited for a Saxonia model or 1815,a very classic watch,AFTER a big sounding watch was presented...

What can I add,,,,maybe lack of economical resources after a tough time?Maybe mr Lambert  splitting his time with 2 huuuuuge brands is not very productive?(even JLC is a bit disappointing this year compared to 2010....)

Lack of vision is to blame for me.......They should listen to sites like this a bit more ,,,,I am sure some of us can advise better....

A very disappointed Mo

I guess i am in total symphaty and empathy with you as well.

What does Lange think it is doing? To be disappointed is an understatement, i would be mad!

The RL PLM Tourbillon is courageous, and probably one of the best finished tourbillons on the market, but on the other aspects, i'v got better things to purchase.

I really do love Lange, and still do, but with a lineup like this year's, you won't see me pulling on any.

I 'd stick to my King anytime, all the time.

Cheers

Stephen

you own one of Langes milestones,no doubt....it s amazing how they can produce gems like yours (or others I like.....)and then loose their control like this year....Lange has a very hot torch to carry,they position themselves as top of the top,,and maybe that is a limit too as it is difficult to stay there all the time....

Mo

The King is still my favorite Lange ever made!

Long long long live the KING!

He is still the one that I am so proud to be an owner of.

One that shall never leave the grasps of me and my family.

I think i shall walk down the aisle on this one!

Cheers

Stephen

 

I feel a bit disappointed... the striking time had my heart beating for a while, until I discovered it's not a repeater, and not a grand sonnerie...

The rest of the updates are uninspiring. I do however welcome the Saxonia Thin... It's doesn't interest me personally, but I guess it fills in a gap that most other high end manufacture's have (Patek, VC, JLC), considering most ALS watches aren't exactly thin.

But I'm with Stephen, I still love Lange, just that this year they gave me a very good opportunity to rest my wallet.

Please bring on the Dato update next year and something more interesting!

because there is nothing to buy......

Someone saidthat all that calm before SIHH ,no prewiews,no excitement,no news....was the calm before the storm...well it was the calm before...the calm....

Andrew asked what were the expectations for this SIHH,and i said I hoped nothing too good as I have to catch up with some still in prod models on my list...that teaches me to be careful what I wish for.......

Good on one hand....

Mo

Out of all the new models I can really see myself buying this, simply due to the fact that a super-thin watch is so much more comfortable to wear with business attire. Would love to see movement shots.

So at 10 o'clock, for example, it strikes once, automatically, on the hours hammer. It doesn't strike 10 times, like a sonnerie would.

It's quite a simple complication really, although the quarter hours striking is a little more complicated.

I was optimistic to call it "petite"...even worse really...bad debut for Lange in the striking world......A honest alarm would have been much better....

Mo

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I am not disappoint to the same degree. However I sense Lange have a tough act to follow after the Datograph. Not counting the historical model of L1, Turbograph and the 1815. IMHO to this day the Datograph still represent the peak of Lange.

Of course there is uber technical Doublesplit but just short of tiny bit of finesse. Then came Richard Lange which reclaim their reputation.

The Ricard Lange itself if a marvelous piece of art but not as easy to appreciated as the Datograph. Hence we see more people pick the Datograph over Richard Lange. (Even the sales rep thinks the same way)

When the Zeitwerk came out I was shock. "What is this?!" It almost look ugly in a way. I applaud Lange of making the bold step to look for answer outside of the tradition in term of their model line up. (the Zeitwerk is actually basedon an old german clock)  The Zeitwerk is good effort but not quite the show piece.

Finally the Zeitwerk Luminous put Lange on the map of the direction.

What about the traditional way. Like I said the Datograph still represent the peak of Lange. To reach new peak require twice the original effort. Lange is not there yet but they are on the way.

Drawing example from another industry: Music

Case study: U2

When U2 reach their peak after the "Joshua Tree" album. They felt they have reached the peak and could go on further without exploring new territory and they went to release "Achtung Baby", venturing into the field of electronica. Took everyone by surprise. Most fans hate it or at least don't know what to think about it. Two more album see U2 came back to a more recognize style. A return to their roots some may say. To the fans that have been following U2 knows it very well that it is not a "return" but "refine". The last 3 albums have given U2 a new understanding as well as new ability and a new inside. The new album simply a familiar style but render in the up most mastery of U2.

Similar case can also be found on Metallica and other artist but this post is getting long enough as it is.

How is all these related to Lange current situation?

Lange is where U2 is after "Achtung Baby" (we can very well equate it to Zeitwerk). They need time and the freedom to venture out and explore new possibility. It may not end well but is a journey that must be taken in order to reach new height.

Now ask do we want Lange to stick to the tried and true models i.e. 15 variations of L1 and 1815? 

I sincrely do hope Lange end up scaling new heights. I just think all they need now is time and a little patience from the market.

Best
Tyler
 

love the compario between U2 and Lange. thanks for sharing your thoughts. well said, and the more logical it becomes as i ponder.

just a few points on U2, and i gather you are likeise  fan, you correctly pointed out that Jpshua Tree was the peak in 87, and Ratke and Hum is more tribute and self glorification. the next three from Actung was deliberate attempt to move away and experiment. Pop, Zooropa etc all foretable. but All That You Cant Leave Behind represents their return to greatness, and appeals to a much younger crowd then us. i remember a DJ mixed that into a Britney Spears hit!! so i think the Zeitwerk is like that.

to me Boy was launch of Lange One, Joshua Tree the Datograph, All That You Cant Leave Behind the Zeitwerk. i shall leave out refering Zooropa to some Saxonia models and focus on the highs of U2 and Lange. No Line On the Horizon is??

Best,

Horo

PS just realized that even Britney Spears has a serious new hit, Hold It Against Me,and it is really great.

 

but I am only judging this year s production...not lange as a Brand ,,it is still the best finish/quality on the maket to me...my consideration was just about the poorness of this year s models......probably we have been spoilt by Lange ans we always expect fireworks.....that s all...great analogy with music industry ..thanks.

Mo

I do share your view on SIHH 2011 Lange offering. I also accept that constantly topping of previous triumph is not possible. I am not pessimist but a realist who look of the brighter side of things.

BTW your DB25 is bugging me. I sense it want to be on my wrist. In order to protect myself I suggest we should never meet.

That's such a bewitching watch!

Best
Tyler

I find the novelties this year quite o.k. :

1 Ueber- watch RL PLM Tourbi ---> but sadly out of reach for the "mortals".

1 Saxonia auto with a new movement in 38.5 mm, 7.8 mm (quite thin!) and 72 h (!) power reserve.

1 Saxonia in 40 mm ( :-/ or even :-(  , but thin !

1 Dual time

And: a striking watch, after all !

 

The ZW striking time is more than o.k.!

The price tag is a bargain compared with PP striking ones, firstly and secondly:

to integrate this into a ZW without blowing too much the proportions is nice to see (still a bit big though).

To be honest: just to now that 15 min or the full hour has past is also or even more practical as it strikes by itself:

I woould be more than HAPPY to have it on my shelf at home in the office and enjoy all day an accustic signal,

from a lange ZW, telling me: "Hey Count, 15 min are over!"

We can not expect a fire work, crackers like the 165th aniversary pieces, THE PHANTOM every year.

I am very, very content with this line up as they are, except the RL PLM Tourbi, affordable, if we screw the

fuses out of our financial brain.

"Ping!" ----- 15 min later "Ping" ---- 15 min later "Ping" ---- 15 min later "Pong" ! Nothing wrong with that !!!

 

Regards

MOOOOOONET !

I agree with the disappointment in order expressed in almost of all these posts (as I wrote, a few minutes after Lange's "novelties" announcement on monday).

I am going to do my big purchase this year (6-8 months) and I was really hoping to see something to set my mind on.

But what a pity. I don't understand.

Though, I don't agree with comments expressed on the RL Tourbillon PLM. I find it gorgeous and very close to perfection, up above with the Zeitwerk Luminnous. But that watch isn't for humans price wise.

For the rest, we'll have to hope for next year... Lange is going to have surpass themselves and really present a collection like the one from last year, with many novelties, creativity, and positionning on all side of the price spectrum.

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Saxonia!

Have a look again Richard and you will see the bezel design makes it more look like a Saxonia than a RL.

But the concept of the Saxonia as a modest, prudent watch line speaks a bit against it ...

Still: Happy days at Lange!

Regards

Moritz

sincerely would you buy the new Zw? or would you choose the original one....lets face it its Lange s frst dip into striking watches ...would you have expected this?Sincerely I didn t.......A bitter taste in my mouth...Noone here doubts the Lange ability to fit hammers into the ZW ,,Lange s prowess is unquestionable....just the choice is a little short of expectations.........by the way do you know the price?Does PP have a striking en passant watch?

Mo

... Euro 92k for the platinum one and something like 75k for the WG one but not sure about this one as I can't find the WG one at the mo.

But surely Euro 92k for the platinum.

A nother note: nothing in honey gold!

I reckon it will be only reserved for anniversaries.

PP has no watch like the ZW Striking Time.

Regards

Moritz This message has been edited by COUNT DE MONET on 2011-01-19 15:10:06

as you compared with PP i thought....we cannot compare a striking en passant with a repeater from PP or with a sonnerie.....the complication is much more simple.....30k+ more for the Pt compared to the normal Zw is an awful lot I think.....

Mo

... is nothing that we will notice "by the way".

We would have to focus and count carefully.

The "by the way" watch from Lange is much more practical and absolutely o.k.!

Imagine having it on your shelf, you do paperwork and just "by the way" and by ITSELF ( !!! ) it tells you gently, calm what time has past, instead of a "stressful" count of a

grande sonnerie or a MR.

It is a nice, sensible, great watch!

Regards

Moritz

get your point....well done...

Mo

I reckon I spoiled my selling skils by that ;-) !

Nice novelties.

All !

Regards

Moritz

watch from GO with the counter..the panomatic counter is a big seller amongst MR owners...

Mo

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