6 minute read
MAN OF INFLUENCE
Elegant, classical, rarefied to a fault – I could be describing either the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court or their watch partner A. Lange & Sohne.
This year marks the tenth anniversary of Wilhelm Schmid taking the reins of the most prestigious watchmaker in Glashütte – and one of the most prestigious in the world, for that matter – steering the German brand into a new era of haute horology. It would be enough to inflate any ego.
And yet, as we sit in the sunshine of Hampton Court, not quite nursing champagne and surrounded by the occasional roars of a half-a-century-old engine, it’s clear that ego doesn’t come into it. In fact, our chat was broken off every now and then by Lange owners taking the opportunity to come and say hi. From his reaction, it was something Wilhelm was somewhat used to.
“Ha, I’ve not gotten to see much of the concours yet because of this; but the sun’s shining, I get to meet some of our customers, who am I to complain?”
He’s evidently in his element. Rather than just turning up as part of the Lange sponsorship of the Concours of Elegance, Wilhelm entered with his 1959 Porsche 356 B Roadster and I get the sense that, even if there wasn’t a business relationship, he’d be a regular.
“I was actually here last year. There was that three-week window when we were allowed in? Yes please! Hampton Court took place but it just wasn’t the same. It was nice in its way because it was the only thing you could do, but not like this.” 2021 is the fourth year Lange has sponsored the Hampton Court Concours and tenth at its Italian counterpart, the Concorzo D’Eleganza Villa D’Este, a relationship originally for the twin purposes of tapping into an extraordinary level of collector and also have something to discuss with us journalists.
“For us though, it’s not just a branding exercise”, explains Wilhelm. “We’re not here because it’s a platform, we want to be here. I’m a proper petrolhead. I bought my Porsche three years ago and it took us two years to bring it up to this level. After this it’ll go back to the restorer because it never ends.”
Words: Sam Kessler
Man of Influence: WILHELM SCHMID
THE A. LANGE & SOHNE CEO ON CARS, CRAFTSMANSHIP AND LIMITED EDITIONS
Wilhelm is a proper petrolhead and entered the Concours of Elegance with his 1959 Porsche 356 B Roadster, which he bought three years ago and then spent two years bringing it up to this standard. It’s a consuming hobby though: “after [the Concours] it’ll go back to the restorer because it never ends”
Always get in a specialist, it seems, and for Lange that’s proven as true of watchmaking as it is in cars. It’s why Lange has some of the best horologists in the business working behind the scenes to develop their complications; and why the German brand has invested so heavily in keeping watchmaking alive.
“My biggest cost a year is school”, explains Wilhelm. “We have our own watchmaker and toolmaker school and without it we wouldn’t know how to operate our business, we’d disappear, we’d just go away. We’ve tried to expand the schools but found that greater quantity doesn’t mean better quality. We’ve found that sweet spot between 12 and 15 young students a year – it’s a three-year apprenticeship so that’s between 40 and 50 people.”
You don’t pump that level of investment into something and not expect a return, and obviously Lange having the prestige they do, surely most of those students stay on in Glashütte?
“Most often they do, yes. Sometimes they’ll leave and come back, which we also want. We want them to go and get experience as head of a department and bring those skills back to us. We also send them to master watchmaker courses.”
With so few spots its obviously a competitive course to get on. There are a good number of horology classes across Switzerland and there are even a few here in the UK, but the chance to work for a brand of this calibre is easier said than done. And even if you’re the most dextrous mechanist in the world, you might not fit the bill.
“There are three elements we look for. There’s a bit of brain, you need to have a fundamental understanding of maths and physics. Then you have to have the dexterity, some people simply
can’t control their hands. Then we have… a certain element. The social competence. We want them to fit into the company, we need them to be able to work with others, to settle in as part of the team.”
With demand beginning to outstrip supply for master watchmakers, it’s becoming ever more tempting for other brands too to expand their skill pool. According to Wilhelm though, it won’t be something investors will be looking to do any time soon.
“But there’s good reason most watch
The Cabaret Tourbillon Handwerkskunst (below, left) is limited to 30 pieces and is the result of Wilhelm’s watchmakers wanting “to push what they could do” companies don’t have their own watchmaker school; it’s pretty intense, pretty expensive and won’t give you any short term return. You need to have a long breath before it pays dividends.”
For Lange it evidently has, and not just in production levels which, though softly, softly, are going up. More impressive though are the in-house skills they’ve picked up, skills that have been hammered home with the extraordinary Cabaret Tourbillon Handwerkskunst.
A gloriously impractical deviation from the Lange norm of minimalist beauty, the Handwerkskunst isn’t just an unusual rectangular timepiece, but one that’s had an unusual amount of finishing lavished upon it.
“My watchmakers came to me and said they wanted to do more, that they wanted to push what they could do. So, I let them and the Handwerkskunst is the result. It’s also completely impractical!”
The new Cabaret Tourbillon is limited strictly to 30 pieces, which by Lange standards isn’t all that restrictive, especially for such an odd duck in the Lange flock. But compare that to many other watchmakers in the world and it looks like a very scarce number indeed. Which suits Wilhelm just fine.
“I always have to smile a little bit when I see watchmakers releasing a limited edition of 2,000. I think, ‘shit! That’s half of my annual production! If you don’t limit it for a reason, I honestly don’t think it helps.’”
So to round off it would be remiss of me not to put Wilhelm on the spot and, in the glorious sunshine of the Hampton Court Concours of Elegance, pin down his favourite entry. Which is a little unfair, given the growing group of customers at Lange’s pop-up display meant he wouldn’t be leaving the enclosure any time soon. Even so, he was quick with answer:
“Other than mine? I love that Aston Martin DB3 Coupe over here,” he says, gesturing to one of the few cars near the Lange enclosure, “it’s very appealing to me. It’s beyond beauty, it’s character.”
Again, that can apply to the Concours and Lange both.
