A. Lange & Söhne Sports Watch

[jag32]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kURDWGB1n70

Coming possibly as soon as next month...

[_speedmaster_]

I hope it's a new model. I can't see the Lange1 or Dato working as a sports watch.

[jag32]

Originally Posted by _speedmaster_

I hope it's a new model. I can't see the Lange1 or Dato working as a sports watch.

I’m guessing 40mm and using the Saxonia movement and then a Chrono/datograph variant.

[hangukman]

Originally Posted by jag32

I’m guessing 40mm and using the Saxonia movement and then a Chrono/datograph variant.

Agree, hoping for 39.5mm, saxonia auto movement, hopefully comes with rubber and leather straps like Overseas

[Ichiran]

This would be huge and will help Lange clear their dress inventory in no time.

[GoingPlaces]

Another waitlist hot mess?

[capote]

ALS sport watch sounds like bad idea, dress watch design doesn’t translate well, just look at Urban Jurgensen’s sport watch. With the watch industry’s boring heritage obsession maybe they will dust off the old Luftwaffe B-uhr in a more managable size.

[jag32]

Originally Posted by GoingPlaces

Another waitlist hot mess?

Waitlists don’t make company’s profitable, UNLESS they were profitable to begin with. ALS is cash flow negative and this sports watch will be their Porsche Cayenne to make them profitable. I bet this will be produced in high numbers to make it accessible to people who can’t get a RO or Nautilus and strategized as such.

[mongrelnomoad]

A steel 39mm Zeitwork date you say? With integrated bracelet you say?

(Hey, we can but dream.)

In all seriousness, though, if they do a sport watch, it has to be very different from their current offerings. None of those really lend themselves to the sport treatment. If (really, if) they do this, please keep it at or below 40mm, make it thin and light with an integrated bracelet and/or rubber, and make sure it has a big date and at least 50m water resistance.

And for the love of god, don't increase production to meet demand...

[kunlun]

Originally Posted by capote

ALS sport watch sounds like bad idea, dress watch design doesn’t translate well, just look at Urban Jurgensen’s sport watch. With the watch industry’s boring heritage obsession maybe they will dust off the old Luftwaffe B-uhr in a more managable size.

A person with a very dark sense of humor could imagine how such a B-uhr would look...but it's not fair to ALS at all. I think they will do better.

The UJ sports watch, other than being a bit big, actually seems lovely to me. The bracelet matches the guilloche pattern on the dial. Did you notice? Sporty and classy with UJ DNA.

[locutus49]

I'm guessing they have had this in the works for a couple of years. I hope it does not look like a Genta clone.

[AlyRba]

Most likely scenario is a new collection with 1-2 models this year. A time and date-only model and another model with a small complication like power reserve/moonphase, maybe a chrono. I don't see Lange making the mistake of introducing a steel variant of an existing dress model. Now we can all hope that size is 40mm or smaller and aesthetics are a killer.

[MichaelFlash]

The Lange sports watch should not be so rare it is wait listed. It needs to be manufactured in enough quantity and at a reasonable price in order to get people more acquainted with the brand and develop a larger client base.

[AK797]

Originally Posted by MichaelFlash

The Lange sports watch should not be so rare it is wait listed. It needs to be manufactured in enough quantity and at a reasonable price in order to get people more acquainted with the brand and develop a larger client base.

No, I think they want it wait listed, best way to get interest up is when you can't get it, now we are in the internet age hype precedes actually seeing it.

[vman]

Another watch expert youtube channel...

[jag32]

Originally Posted by vman

Another watch expert youtube channel...

No, not just another watch expert YouTube channel. This is Watchbox Tim.

[DoraTheExplorerII]

Will it likely retail for less than a Saxonia Thin or even the Saxonia 35mm?

[jag32]

ALS can go two ways with this. Price it high and in low numbers to exploit the current market, causing their brand to not expand, or do the opposite and build their brand and put ALS watches in the hands of a lot of people who otherwise would never consider it. There are thousands upon thousands of people who can’t get a RO or Nautilus and ALS has a real opportunity at a critical juncture in the market to not only expand their brand, but in the process get a lot of Patek and AP fans who want a sports watch and can’t get one. I eventually got my RO blue dial, and frankly the wait lists, the attitudes of SA at the boutiques, etc. kind of ruined the experience. At my peak I had 5 Patek and still couldn’t get a reasonable spot on the Nautilus list at my AD because I’m in a high wealth area and just can’t compete with the heavy hitters spending $1m+ a year. ALS has a real opportunity here and I would be happy to buy one if their business strategy is to make them available to guys like me who have never bought an ALS and can buy the sports model without a BS sales pitch of “oh you need to buy 4 Saxonias before we will consider you for the Lange sports piece.” I heard it with Patek and AP and it was a major turnoff. If I hear it from ALS, they will just lose my future business on other pieces beyond the sports model.

[TJMike]

Originally Posted by DoraTheExplorerII

Will it likely retail for less than a Saxonia Thin or even the Saxonia 35mm?

No chance at all. Will be around the $20k mark (if they are smart). It has ben confirmed it will be in SS.

[jag32]

Originally Posted by TJMike

No chance at all. Will be around the $20k mark (if they are smart). It has ben confirmed it will be in SS.

Confirmed where?

[TJMike]

Originally Posted by jag32

Confirmed where?

Confirmed by Tim Mosso.

[TJMike]

Unless the sports watch becomes the next RO (incredibly highly unlikely), at best it will turn a struggling brand into a profitable one (obviously a good thing). Lange only produces about 6000 watches per year. I doubt more than 500 sports watches will be produced per year; probably a lot less (at least at the start).

A comparison can be made with FPJ. The Bleu is very hot, but other Journe watches can still be had at discounts. Thus, even if the sports watch is a hit, I doubt it will make that much of a difference to a niche brand in a niche industry (high end watches).

[AlyRba]

Originally Posted by jag32

I eventually got my RO blue dial, and frankly the wait lists, the attitudes of SA at the boutiques, etc. kind of ruined the experience. At my peak I had 5 Patek and still couldn’t get a reasonable spot on the Nautilus list at my AD because I’m in a high wealth area and just can’t compete with the heavy hitters spending $1m+ a year.

Wow, 5 Patek’s and still couldn’t get a Nautilus/Aquanaut. When was this? I am assuming before the late 2017 craze. Didn’t you try to go for an out-of-state AD?

[cascavel]

Whatever it is, it will be completely sold out instantly. It will only be available to existing Lange clients. Collectors who already have every stainless Patek they want and every other hot unobtainable sports watch and boat loads of money left over will be wearing this watch before the rest of us have ever seen one. Guys, the list is already closed.

[Pongster]

Is a diver within the realm of probabilities?

[Ceaiu]

I'd like to see an automatik 40mm round watch in steel, with display case back from Lange.
More like a VC Sixtyfive than an Overseas.
Large applied Roman numerals, big date at 12 and small second at 6.

[Pongster]

Originally Posted by AlyRba

Wow, 5 Patek’s and still couldn’t get a Nautilus/Aquanaut. When was this? I am assuming before the late 2017 craze. Didn’t you try to go for an out-of-state AD?

I must be fortunate. I am not a heavy hitter by any means.

My first sports luxury watch is the 15400 blue from an AP boutique (with no purchase history at all) who even gave me a discount. That was 2016.

My first (and so far only) PP is the 5711 white that i also got from an AD (where i have purchase history) but no discount. Just SRP. That was 2017.

Ironically, where i had trouble was sourcing the VC i want to complete my sports horological trinity. Had to go grey to get the 4500V choco that i like. Good thing found one from a TS here in TRF. This was just this year 2019.

Am all set to have a Zeitwerk as my second ALS. Hopefully next year in 2020. But will now wait to see what this new sports ALS would look like.

[kunlun]

Originally Posted by jag32

ALS can go two ways with this. Price it high and in low numbers to exploit the current market, causing their brand to not expand, or do the opposite and build their brand and put ALS watches in the hands of a lot of people who otherwise would never consider it. There are thousands upon thousands of people who can’t get a RO or Nautilus and ALS has a real opportunity at a critical juncture in the market to not only expand their brand, but in the process get a lot of Patek and AP fans who want a sports watch and can’t get one. I eventually got my RO blue dial, and frankly the wait lists, the attitudes of SA at the boutiques, etc. kind of ruined the experience. At my peak I had 5 Patek and still couldn’t get a reasonable spot on the Nautilus list at my AD because I’m in a high wealth area and just can’t compete with the heavy hitters spending $1m+ a year. ALS has a real opportunity here and I would be happy to buy one if their business strategy is to make them available to guys like me who have never bought an ALS and can buy the sports model without a BS sales pitch of “oh you need to buy 4 Saxonias before we will consider you for the Lange sports piece.” I heard it with Patek and AP and it was a major turnoff. If I hear it from ALS, they will just lose my future business on other pieces beyond the sports model.

ALS already restricts their high complications to people who have ALS watches. It makes sense to avoid gray marketers and flippers since they want to get the watches to people who will enjoy them and they want to keep the value of their brand (which they are getting more savvy about).

[Ichiran]

If I'm running ALS, I will use this sport watch as a reward for loyal customers who have purchased multiple dressy pieces over the years. Will definitely limit production of said sport watch to drive demand on the other dress pieces.

Will keep it to 40mm, ensure perfect finish on the case and bracelet, a display case back, a dial with ALS DNA, and spend heavily on a marketing campaign to drive initial interest. Price it cheaply but make it unobtainable at AD and boutiques to non-whales. Let the secondary price soar.

[Fat_ninja]

Pass