Greater Heights

Creating mesmerising movements and world premieres seem like second nature to horological maestro A. Lange & Söhne, but the brand wouldn’t rest on its laurels. CEO Wilhelm Schmid regales MELAINNE CHIEW on its quest for bigger, bolder and even-better

- Melainne Chiew

A SAXONIA THIN and a Grand Complication may be priced worlds apart, but Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of A. Lange & Söhne since 2011, says the difference between both timepieces stops there. While one has a time-only function and the other, seven rare complications (including a grand and petite sonnerie, a minute repeater and a chronograph with rattrapante), the quality and high watchmaking finesse remain constant across the brand. Each piece is as lovingly laboured as the last, whether movement or aesthetic, and packed with a smorgasbord of technical know-how.

Of course, the experience of owning an A. Lange & Söhne watch goes beyond the privilege of wearing an exlusive, technically brilliant exemplar on one’s wrist. Taking a step further, the brand organised a House of Lange exhibition that recently did a popup in Singapore as part of its world tour. Held at the National Museum of Singapore, the four-day exhibition was a celebration of all things A. Lange & Söhne, from homage to heritage, where guests traversed halls decorated with the brand’s most notable timepieces, including six rare pieces contributed by personal collectors.