Constant Craving

'Never Stand Still' is no mere motto from A. Lange & Sohne-it defines the brand's continually elevating standards. Product development director, Anthony de Haas, sheds some light

- Alvin Wong

At the time of this interview, A. Lange & Söhne had about 16 new in-house movements that were under development. Now let’s take a moment to let that sink in for a bit. An in-house movement typically takes between three to five years to be conceived. For a niche marque that makes approximately 5,000 watches a year for a very select group of aficionados, having 16 movements in the oven is a lot.

Lange’s product development director, Anthony de Haas, agrees that the company is always working way ahead of schedule. “We are working on watches that will be ready in 2022,” he says. In fact, for him to present the novelties that we will soon see at next year’s SIHH will be “like a flashback”. “It is new for you guys, but in my head, I am showing you ‘older’ watches.”

Now, it must be said that it is not unusual for watch companies to have a few years’ head start when it comes to product development. Even then, Lange aces the pack with its unwavering standards. To put it crudely, there has never been a year, since the company’s relaunch in 1994, that Lange has had a line-up of crap watches. In de Haas’ words, Lange is still a “young brand” with a lot to learn and explore, from executing technical ideas to manufacturing capabilities.