Haute CEO: On The Clock With Wilhelm Schmid, The CEO Of A. Lange & Söhne

To reintroduce our Haute CEO series, Haute Time sits down with A. Lange & Söhne’s CEO Wilhelm Schmid in the new Boston boutique.

By Adrienne Faurote

Haute Complication: A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar

Within the collection of A. Lange & Söhne, the Lange 1 holds a unique position. After being introduced 27 years ago, it quickly became almost synonymous with the brand. With its prominent case and asymmetrical dial, it also quickly achieved the status of an icon. Not surprisingly, as it combines its good looks with a superb movement, both in design, execution, as well as finish. What might come as a surprise is that the Lange 1 was never available with just a perpetual calendar but always combined it with other complications. With the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar, this all changes and brings A. Lange & Söhne this complication in its purest form to its signature collection.

Three Stunning New Models Join A. Lange & Söhne’s Saxonia Line

The Saxonia has always been an intriguing collection from A. Lange & Söhne. Not only has the brand introduced some stunning complications over the years in this line, but it also offers the perfect balance between classic and contemporary design. The Saxonia Outsize Date combines A. Lange & Söhne's signature oversized date with a subtle subsecond. Until today, this watch was only available in either white or pink gold, with a black dial, but are now joined by two silver dial siblings.

Haute Complication: A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual

This year it has been fourteen years ago since A. Lange & Söhne launched their Datograph Perpetual, yet it is still holding a prominent position as one of the most desirable pieces within the collection of the brand. As with many of the watches from this esteemed brand, is also this timepiece an elegant and classic creation. Day, month, and leap year are indicated in a traditional way, with hands on subdials. In between them, we find a window for the moon phase display. The outsize date is perhaps the most eyecatching feature of this watch, placed just below the twelve o'clock position, in two rectangular gold-rimmed windows. With this complication does the Datograph Perpetual also honor that typical A. Lange & Söhne tradition of displaying the date in such an oversized fashion.

The New A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus: Fit For Fight?

The wait has been over as today A. Lange & Söhne launched their very first sports watch crafted from stainless steel. They called this watch Odysseus, and one of the first things you notice about the watch is that it is different from all other watches by A. Lange & Söhne, yet it is strongly infused with its DNA.

Golden Rules: Proprietary Gold Alloys From Top Watchmakers

Why settle for off the shelf gold when you can make your own? In the battle of the best materials to use to manufacture watches, some watch brands tinker with secret formulas to produce gold that they can call their own. Depending on the specific blend, the results vary from distinct tones to improved durability. Here are four examples of proprietary gold alloys from top watchmakers.

Punchy Petites: Smaller Versions of Well-Known Luxury Watches

For those of us with slender wrists, there has been a welcomed trend in the luxury watch space towards smaller timepieces. When wristwatches first became a thing at the turn of the 20th Century, they were small. However, as we approached the new millennium, watches gradually became larger and larger. Thankfully, some brands have caught on that not everyone can successfully pull-off oversized timepieces and have introduced smaller versions of well-known luxury watches. Here are some of our favorites right now.

Four Watches For Which Understated Is No Overstatement

Understated watches are a realm of their own. They often require a connoisseurs eye to recognize them as something special, but special they are indeed. They please their owners with refined movement, subtle details and the knowledge that they have something exceptional around the wrist. They are the 'sleeper cars' of the watch industry, and these are four of the most desirable.