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Old 3 April 2020, 04:33 PM   #61
Reign
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I could never justify going boutique vs grey for Lange. I’ve been mulling over a platinum dato for ages and thinking about pulling the trigger via a grey.

Speaking in round numbers, a new dato is $90k from a boutique vs $65k grey. I get that you might get asked to special events, factory tours in Germany and may get an allocation for an Odysseus, but unless you plan on building a large collection of ALS, spending $25k extra for these “freebies” / privileges seem like a poor decision to me.

Increasing prices won’t move the needle much if the underlying demand isn’t there...
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Old 3 April 2020, 10:51 PM   #62
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I could never justify going boutique vs grey for Lange.
I agree. For that reason, I looked exclusively on watch fora and Chrono24 when I was looking to buy a Lange last Christmas. I ended up with a current-production Lange 1, with full box and papers dated from 2017, for HALF of what a new one would cost me at the boutique.
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Old 3 April 2020, 10:56 PM   #63
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I agree. For that reason, I looked exclusively on watch fora and Chrono24 when I was looking to buy a Lange last Christmas. I ended up with a current-production Lange 1, with full box and papers dated from 2017, for HALF of what a new one would cost me at the boutique.
I am looking for the same exact thing.

Could you help with this ?
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Old 3 April 2020, 11:36 PM   #64
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+1 on going used. I got my Lange 1 for around 16.
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Old 4 April 2020, 05:01 AM   #65
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It makes sense to go grey/used for higher end Lange models, Datograph and above as you will save a lot. However, for certain models below $50K such as 1815 Annual Calendar, Lange 1 (post 2015 reference), and Saxonia thin 37, it may make sense to go with Boutique. Lange boutiques are always willing to offer some discount as per my last interaction in Feb 2020. Yes, you may still pay few $k more but that may help with watches like Odysseus and other boutique exclusive models in future. IMHO only.
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Old 4 April 2020, 12:53 PM   #66
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It makes sense to go grey/used for higher end Lange models, Datograph and above as you will save a lot. However, for certain models below $50K such as 1815 Annual Calendar, Lange 1 (post 2015 reference), and Saxonia thin 37, it may make sense to go with Boutique. Lange boutiques are always willing to offer some discount as per my last interaction in Feb 2020. Yes, you may still pay few $k more but that may help with watches like Odysseus and other boutique exclusive models in future. IMHO only.
At the very least, the boutiques and ADs will throw in a few straps...
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Old 4 April 2020, 01:36 PM   #67
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Raising prices.... must be a lot of business. Wow
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Old 4 April 2020, 11:41 PM   #68
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Originally Posted by le_baron View Post
I agree. For that reason, I looked exclusively on watch fora and Chrono24 when I was looking to buy a Lange last Christmas. I ended up with a current-production Lange 1, with full box and papers dated from 2017, for HALF of what a new one would cost me at the boutique.
I am looking for the same exact thing.

Could you help with this ?
I can tell you what I did, but there's no magic secret. I knew that I wanted to buy, as a Christmas present for myself, either a Breguet Classique 5227 (enamel dial) or a current-production Lange 1. I checked WatchRecon, Ebay, and Chrono24 for those watches every day for two months. The Langes were almost all outside my price range, typically listed in the mid to high twenties. But as decision-time drew closer I came across a Lange 1 on Chrono24 (from a trusted seller too!) at a much more reasonable price, from which the seller came down to $17,500. I jumped on it and never looked back.
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Old 5 April 2020, 01:02 AM   #69
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Wrong time to raise price given the Covid situation
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Old 5 April 2020, 01:21 AM   #70
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Originally Posted by AlyRba View Post
It makes sense to go grey/used for higher end Lange models, Datograph and above as you will save a lot. However, for certain models below $50K such as 1815 Annual Calendar, Lange 1 (post 2015 reference), and Saxonia thin 37, it may make sense to go with Boutique. Lange boutiques are always willing to offer some discount as per my last interaction in Feb 2020. Yes, you may still pay few $k more but that may help with watches like Odysseus and other boutique exclusive models in future. IMHO only.
Totally true but with qualifications; the boutique always seem to be able to offer a "small accommodation" but really nothing enough to swing someone price-wise especially when compared to the secondary market values.

That being said, Im glad I bought my Saxonia Automatic at the boutique. I paid a little more for it but the service at ALS is simply the best Ive ever encountered at any maison I've ever spent money in. They really do go to work for you especially after the sale is over. I ended up needing a service on my Auto that would have been nearly $2K (my fault, dropped it on tile, stoopid). The boutique took care of my service for free, even refinished the case, and I had the watch on my wrist in less than 4 weeks!

I was offered the Odysseus (and still might go for it) and the only way a piece like that comes out of the back is if you a client of the boutique. Lange is one of those brands that when you get one, you want another.

Richemont seems to understand that the only real way to have salespeople push this kind of product at the boutique level is to have some of the best service possible and I think they do. So I do believe it comes down to a value proposition and this is a harder brand to make the judgement on because relationships may be worth more to brands like these now than over a single individual turned off by pricing.

That being said, Im not sure how well ALS and other brands will fare considering the current state of world affairs....Just my 2cents anyway. ALS makes the best watches!
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Old 15 April 2020, 07:10 AM   #71
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I could never justify going boutique vs grey for Lange. I’ve been mulling over a platinum dato for ages and thinking about pulling the trigger via a grey.

Speaking in round numbers, a new dato is $90k from a boutique vs $65k grey. I get that you might get asked to special events, factory tours in Germany and may get an allocation for an Odysseus, but unless you plan on building a large collection of ALS, spending $25k extra for these “freebies” / privileges seem like a poor decision to me.

Increasing prices won’t move the needle much if the underlying demand isn’t there...
But a Lange AD will offer you that same dato for a little bit more than what the grey is asking for. Wouldn't it make sense to go the AD route in that case? I can't care less for the freebies, but I do care about a brand new watch and my name on the card, so to speak. Note I have nothing against greys and I've bought and sold plenty with them, just a matter of $ really.
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Old 15 April 2020, 09:48 AM   #72
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Isn’t raising prices going to make the discounts even more ridiculous, damaging the brand equity even more?
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Old 15 April 2020, 11:03 AM   #73
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But a Lange AD will offer you that same dato for a little bit more than what the grey is asking for. Wouldn't it make sense to go the AD route in that case? I can't care less for the freebies, but I do care about a brand new watch and my name on the card, so to speak. Note I have nothing against greys and I've bought and sold plenty with them, just a matter of $ really.
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Isn’t raising prices going to make the discounts even more ridiculous, damaging the brand equity even more?
Lange is increasingly pursuing a Boutique sales channel with discounting a thing of the past. Whether it works or not only time will tell.
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Old 16 April 2020, 05:30 AM   #74
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Lange is increasingly pursuing a Boutique sales channel with discounting a thing of the past. Whether it works or not only time will tell.
Indeed, my AD recently lost their Lange representation, but had to keep all the stock. This lead to the slightly disturbing image of Lange watches bunched up in the window under large red „%“ signs, as you would expect for last year’s collections of the cheapest mall brands. While it’s not necessarily a bad thing to consolidate, the way they’re doing it is often at risk of damaging the brand though.
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Old 16 April 2020, 05:32 AM   #75
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Indeed, my AD recently lost their Lange representation, but had to keep all the stock. This lead to the slightly disturbing image of Lange watches bunched up in the window under large red „%“ signs, as you would expect for last year’s collections of the cheapest mall brands. While it’s not necessarily a bad thing to consolidate, the way they’re doing it is often at risk of damaging the brand though.
That's surprising. Brands usually offer to buy back inventory when doing this to avoid exactly what you mentioned.
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Old 16 April 2020, 06:14 AM   #76
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Lange is increasingly pursuing a Boutique sales channel with discounting a thing of the past. Whether it works or not only time will tell.
Understandable and inevitable from a brands perspective, but hopefully doesn't happen to my AD soon.
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Old 16 April 2020, 09:25 AM   #77
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This strategy has been so ill-timed. Granted, no one could anticipate COVID-19's pandemic'ness.

But still, Lange, I wish you luck. I love your watches, but your business strategies are a bit questionable.
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Old 16 April 2020, 10:30 AM   #78
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i noticed timeless luxury not a dealer anymore
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Old 16 April 2020, 06:28 PM   #79
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Totally true but with qualifications; the boutique always seem to be able to offer a "small accommodation" but really nothing enough to swing someone price-wise especially when compared to the secondary market values.

That being said, Im glad I bought my Saxonia Automatic at the boutique. I paid a little more for it but the service at ALS is simply the best Ive ever encountered at any maison I've ever spent money in. They really do go to work for you especially after the sale is over. I ended up needing a service on my Auto that would have been nearly $2K (my fault, dropped it on tile, stoopid). The boutique took care of my service for free, even refinished the case, and I had the watch on my wrist in less than 4 weeks!

I was offered the Odysseus (and still might go for it) and the only way a piece like that comes out of the back is if you a client of the boutique. Lange is one of those brands that when you get one, you want another.

Richemont seems to understand that the only real way to have salespeople push this kind of product at the boutique level is to have some of the best service possible and I think they do. So I do believe it comes down to a value proposition and this is a harder brand to make the judgement on because relationships may be worth more to brands like these now than over a single individual turned off by pricing.

That being said, Im not sure how well ALS and other brands will fare considering the current state of world affairs....Just my 2cents anyway. ALS makes the best watches!
Agreed, I've been treated very well with Lange and at their boutiques (been to a few). Once you get one you really want another, very beautiful high horology timepiece, and model top top to bottom made with the same meticulous detail.
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Old 16 April 2020, 06:34 PM   #80
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Lange is increasingly pursuing a Boutique sales channel with discounting a thing of the past. Whether it works or not only time will tell.
They are not discounting at boutiques and yes are moving away from the AD model. They only make 5k watches per year so it shouldn't be too difficult to control and own their supply chain from manufactured to the end consumer. I actually prefer this as it looks like they are working towards protecting the brands value, prestige and reputation. They will be releasing new models for the Odysseus line while keeping the same production numbers we will be seeing a few favorites eventually fading out of the lineup and being discontinued such as the Daymatic and Timezone.
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Old 16 April 2020, 08:21 PM   #81
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They are not discounting at boutiques and yes are moving away from the AD model. They only make 5k watches per year so it shouldn't be too difficult to control and own their supply chain from manufactured to the end consumer. I actually prefer this as it looks like they are working towards protecting the brands value, prestige and reputation. They will be releasing new models for the Odysseus line while keeping the same production numbers we will be seeing a few favorites eventually fading out of the lineup and being discontinued such as the Daymatic and Timezone.
You’ll still need 5k people a year to actually go to the boutique and purchase the product at full retail. It’s not a bad move and as a new Lange owner, I don’t mind them protecting my investment. But there’s probably a reason why ADs were discounting so heavily in the past and why the pre owned market has stabilized so far below retail. That’s just where the demand is and whether they can draw that up along with their pricing and distribution remains to be seen. I do wish for it to work in any event. Even if that pushes that Langematik further out of range, I will take less of a bath once I get there, if I eventually had to regain the funds consumed by the piece.
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Old 16 April 2020, 11:35 PM   #82
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You’ll still need 5k people a year to actually go to the boutique and purchase the product at full retail. It’s not a bad move and as a new Lange owner, I don’t mind them protecting my investment. But there’s probably a reason why ADs were discounting so heavily in the past and why the pre owned market has stabilized so far below retail. That’s just where the demand is and whether they can draw that up along with their pricing and distribution remains to be seen. I do wish for it to work in any event. Even if that pushes that Langematik further out of range, I will take less of a bath once I get there, if I eventually had to regain the funds consumed by the piece.
I’m surprised by the amount of people who have figured this out and are buying preowned Lange at a discount (like myself). Generally these folks skew younger from what I’ve seen to. Lange has always been a great product - just needs better marketing, positioning and sign off from influencers.
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