Timed to Perfection
Words | Robina Dam German watchmakers A Lange & Söhne want to become as recognisable as their compatriots Porsche and Leica THE WORLD’S BEST watches are assumed to be Swiss. And while names such as Patek Philippe, Tag Heuer and Omega have widespread recognition and even wider advertising reach, the house of A Lange & Söhne has [...]
Words | Robina Dam
German watchmakers A Lange & Söhne want to become as recognisable as their compatriots Porsche and Leica
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THE WORLD’S BEST watches are assumed to be Swiss. And while names such as Patek Philippe, Tag Heuer and Omega have widespread recognition
and even wider advertising reach, the house of A Lange & Söhne has remained well below the parapet.
Now that is all set to change and its chief executive Fabian Krone is keen to emphasise that the handmade German watch brand is ready to stand up and be recognised.
“Although Germany remains our strongest market, where people associate us with specialist names such as Maybach, Porsche and Leica, we’re turning our attention to
the UK more,” he says. “But it’s very important at this economic time to look at other markets so in July this year we entered China and plan to do so in India soon.”
alt="Chief executive Fabian Krone is making watches that are even more complicated than before">
Ah yes, that delicate reference to the economic downturn, which Krone recognises but remains unruffled by. “Our philosophy is ‘no compromise’. There will always
be people who recognise that that is priceless. So we have doubled the number of craftsmen creating the watches and have made the movements even more
complicated.”
This mark of confidence in his sector demonstrates why the CEO is defiant about keeping A Lange & Söhne’s air of exclusivity: only 5,000 timepieces are made each
year; the closest competitors make closer to 35,000-45,000. But is there the danger of being almost too discreet when rival brands have adopted strategies such as
celebrity endorsements or long-term visual campaigns? Krone is having none of it: “There are no greater ambassadors than these timepieces themselves.”
A Lange & Söhne is available in the UK through Watches of Switzerland [+44 (0)20 7493 5916] and Hamilton & Inches in Edinburgh [+44 (0)131 225 4898].
href="http://www.alange-soehne.com">www.alange-soehne.com
