The A. Lange & Söhne Thread - including daily pics...

[Russell996]

Originally Posted by CFR

I saw that too. Was there Tuesday. Asked one of the salespeople if they were moving their Lange display, and he replied, "No, that's all we have." It was a little Lange 1 with a guilloche dial. I've never seen their Lange case empty before now.

I wouldn't be surprised if Wempe loses AD status in the next year or so. And in any case, Wempe won't be receiving the more complicated Langes, from what I understand. Not sure if we'll see any chronographs, Zeitwerks, etc., at Wempe again.

Wempe partner on boutiques so I guess they’re not too worried.

[Jimbo]

I guess CH Premier will be losing their AD status soon then. They are still listed on the ALS site, but so is Wempe.

That being said, I only see US boutiques listed, NYC, Miami, Chicago and Houston. That's not gonna cut it as their only boutiques.

I'm assuming then, they will expand to major cities like LA, San Francisco, Dallas, etc. US is way too big and rich a market to just have 4 boutique stores.

[JMac6]

Originally Posted by texasmade

I wonder if Zadok Jewelers in Houston lost their AD status.

From what I understand Zadok’s Lange department is classified as a boutique. So I think Zadok is safe.

[CFR]

Originally Posted by Jimbo

I guess CH Premier will be losing their AD status soon then. They are still listed on the ALS site, but so is Wempe.

That being said, I only see US boutiques listed, NYC, Miami, Chicago and Houston. That's not gonna cut it as their only boutiques.

I'm assuming then, they will expand to major cities like LA, San Francisco, Dallas, etc. US is way too big and rich a market to just have 4 boutique stores.

If you look a little further down Lange's web page, you'll see another row with 3 more boutiques: Aspen, Las Vegas, and Costa Mesa. Boston will open next month but that's not listed. Not sure if others will soon open in the US.

Originally Posted by JMac6

From what I understand Zadok’s Lange department is classified as a boutique. So I think Zadok is safe.

Ah, ok, presumably Zadok is the Houston boutique listed on their website then. Thanks for clarifying. I can never remember who the boutique partners are -- just that they closed Les Bijoux as the Palm Beach (and Boca Raton) partner some years ago.

[CFR]

Originally Posted by Russell996

Wempe partner on boutiques so I guess they’re not too worried.

That'll be interesting to see. Limiting the types of pieces Wempe can sell (rather than dumping Wempe entirely) seems like a smart interim strategy. That keeps Wempe as a partner, and Lange can always start shipping Wempe the higher-end pieces again later on, when market conditions change. The Wempe store in NYC was always pretty packed before the pandemic, and they did a brisk Lange business. I was really surprised to see just one watch in Wempe's case a few days ago.

Today's Phillips auction results were refreshing, too -- to see the market starting to correct a bit. Other than the Lange 1 Tourbillion Handwerkskunst, Lange sales were unremarkable.

[mario1971]

Lange went outside for a moment to get some fresh air. He will spend the next weeks in a cold and dark dungeon, in good company. I would like to remind those who do not know - after the spring is fully unrolled, when the movement finishes its work and stops, the seconds hand is always set at 12 o'clock.

[Jimbo]

Originally Posted by CFR

If you look a little further down Lange's web page, you'll see another row with 3 more boutiques: Aspen, Las Vegas, and Costa Mesa. Boston will open next month but that's not listed. Not sure if others will soon open in the US.



Ah, ok, presumably Zadok is the Houston boutique listed on their website then. Thanks for clarifying. I can never remember who the boutique partners are -- just that they closed Les Bijoux as the Palm Beach (and Boca Raton) partner some years ago.

But they are still skipping San Francisco, San Diego, and places like Beverly Hills?

[Armis]

Has anyone visited the recently opened Boston boutique yet?
If so, please share your impressions if you don’t mind. I’m at least curious to know if they have any pieces to try on. I’ll have to see if I can plan a trip down there at some point.

[Ichiran]

Any thoughts on the new platinum 1815 rattrapante?

IMG_20220717_000243_(1100_x_850_pixel).jpg

[HMHM]

Originally Posted by Ichiran

Any thoughts on the new platinum 1815 rattrapante?

Attachment 1305288

I think the RG looks better for some reason.

[GB-man]

Originally Posted by HMHM

I think the RG looks better for some reason.

Honeygold ftw. Honestly though I prefer the 5370 by a wide margin.

[Russell996]

Originally Posted by Ichiran

Any thoughts on the new platinum 1815 rattrapante?



Attachment 1305288

Originally Posted by HMHM

I think the RG looks better for some reason.

Originally Posted by GB-man

Honeygold ftw. Honestly though I prefer the 5370 by a wide margin.

New piece looks very nice, I agree that the HG version with matt black dial and gold writing looks pretty striking.

[Ichiran]

Originally Posted by HMHM

I think the RG looks better for some reason.

Originally Posted by GB-man

Honeygold ftw. Honestly though I prefer the 5370 by a wide margin.

Originally Posted by Russell996

New piece looks very nice, I agree that the HG version with matt black dial and gold writing looks pretty striking.

Agreed with you gents. I tried on the platinum yesterday and I also find the HG version nicer (based on my memory when I tried that a while back). Maybe it's due to the boutique lighting but I can hardly see the blue on the hands. Pricing-wise, it is significantly lower (40%) than the 5370P.

IMG_20220718_184154_(800_x_1080_pixel).jpg

[raclaims]

I'm going to try it on this week but honestly I didn't believe the honey gold version stood up to my 5370p so we shall see!

[Russell996]

Originally Posted by raclaims

I'm going to try it on this week but honestly I didn't believe the honey gold version stood up to my 5370p so we shall see!

👍 Agreed, enamel dial and position of the rattrapante button are considerable advantages, as is the beautiful case.

[JSol1]

I was at the Boston boutique on Friday. I just picked up a Rolex next door and they brought me over and introduced me to the manager. We were in a rush so I set up a private showing for Weds. it’s a soft opening with the official opening in October…they had stock!

[raclaims]

Yeah would be pretty poor form to open a brand new boutique and have nothing there lol

[gliazzurri]

Is the Houston store a true boutique? I am getting differing answers about this.

[Screwly]

Originally Posted by gliazzurri

Is the Houston store a true boutique? I am getting differing answers about this.

It’s a boutique inside of a store, but yes they are considered a true boutique.

[texasmade]

Originally Posted by gliazzurri

Is the Houston store a true boutique? I am getting differing answers about this.

It's owned and operated by Zadok Jewelers. Like Screwly said, it's inside of Zadok where each brand has their own separate section within Zadok.

[gliazzurri]

Originally Posted by texasmade

It's owned and operated by Zadok Jewelers. Like Screwly said, it's inside of Zadok where each brand has their own separate section within Zadok.

Thanks for the info. Having said that I have to ask…if it is owned and operated by that store though is that the same as the other standalone boutiques? In a sense what you describe is how the ADs had been. It looks like it is named a boutique but your reply is part of why some have told me it is different and I actually had a boutique operator indicate he wasn’t sure it was a boutique proper and more like an AD. I know Lange doesn’t use ADs now but I just want to be sure if buying there is 100% equivalent to any true boutique as far as it goes. Whereas Lange would not strip away a freestanding boutique of its authority I don’t know if that is a different matter with a place like this. I’m asking for down the road relationship.

[diracpoint]

The widest part of each groove is about two human hairs wide, and then getting narrower towards the center. Also note the sharp ending points towards the center!

[texasmade]

Originally Posted by gliazzurri

Thanks for the info. Having said that I have to ask…if it is owned and operated by that store though is that the same as the other standalone boutiques? In a sense what you describe is how the ADs had been. It looks like it is named a boutique but your reply is part of why some have told me it is different and I actually had a boutique operator indicate he wasn’t sure it was a boutique proper and more like an AD. I know Lange doesn’t use ADs now but I just want to be sure if buying there is 100% equivalent to any true boutique as far as it goes. Whereas Lange would not strip away a freestanding boutique of its authority I don’t know if that is a different matter with a place like this. I’m asking for down the road relationship.

I'm not really sure. You'd probably need to ask the ALS collectors but I see what you mean. No point in starting a relationship with the Zadok "boutique" if they can't get you other special pieces in the future.

[gliazzurri]

Originally Posted by texasmade

I'm not really sure. You'd probably need to ask the ALS collectors but I see what you mean. No point in starting a relationship with the Zadok "boutique" if they can't get you other special pieces in the future.

Thanks again. That’s why I was asking. Anyone else have any info?

[soonasu]

Anyone know if the 1815 Chrono Boutique Edition is an Application Piece now? Been meaning to buy one as a special anniversary watch!

[CFR]

Originally Posted by gliazzurri

Thanks again. That’s why I was asking. Anyone else have any info?

Houston is a "partner boutique." I believe there are currently 4 partner boutiques in the US -- Houston, Vegas, Aspen, and Chicago. Whether you buy at a partner boutique or any other Lange boutique won't matter to you as the end user. You'll get the same warranty, etc. That's why it's hard to figure out -- because you're not supposed to notice a non-existent difference between a partner boutique and a corporate boutique.

The other designation to note is "flagship boutique." There is one flagship boutique in each region of the world. In our region, it's in NYC. From what I understand, there's no clear advantage to most mere mortals who buy at a flagship boutique.

I wouldn't put money on the future of Lange's boutique-only sales model. Maybe it'll work and maybe it won't. It's an experiment. If a Lange-owned boutique in a high-rent district isn't doing well when the lease expires, then Lange will likely close it. I'd buy in Houston if I were near Houston.

[hgg43c]

are Lange & Sohne boutiques taking deposit for watches these days? And if so how much are they asking for?

[calebb90]

Originally Posted by hgg43c

are Lange & Sohne boutiques taking deposit for watches these days? And if so how much are they asking for?

Still taking orders on some models. 30% deposit.

[gliazzurri]

[mario1971]