A. Lange & Söhne Buyers Guide

[BDL]

Can anyone who has purchased an A. Lange & Söhne give tips/lessons/advice?

New or Pre-Owned?
What if you do not live in an area with a dealer or boutique?
Discounts possible?
Will dealers/boutiques deal over the phone and ship?
Experience with Service?
Pre-Owned without Box/Papers a no go?
Customer service experience?
Grey dealers?

Thanks so much, any stories and photos of your timepeice would be much appreciated!!

[WatchEater666]

Yes.

New or Pre-Owned?

Depends on the model. My Zeitwerk was "cheaper" to buy new with discount after factoring in the cost of a service if I bought a used one.

What if you do not live in an area with a dealer or boutique?


Most major cities have a dealer. I've bought lots of watches used without ever seeing them in-person. Depends how comfortable you are with this.

Discounts possible?

Yes but getting harder.

Will dealers/boutiques deal over the phone and ship?


Yes

Experience with Service?


Haven't had to use it.

Pre-Owned without Box/Papers a no go?


I bought my Lange 1 with partial papers and box. I would aim for a full set if you are the type that flips often. Will make it a million times easier.

Customer service experience?



Haven't had a need.

Grey dealers?


I bought my first one used. Zero issues.

[Russell996]

Originally Posted by BDL

Can anyone who has purchased an A. Lange & Söhne give tips/lessons/advice?

New or Pre-Owned?
What if you do not live in an area with a dealer or boutique?
Discounts possible?
Will dealers/boutiques deal over the phone and ship?
Experience with Service?
Pre-Owned without Box/Papers a no go?
Customer service experience?
Grey dealers?

Thanks so much, any stories and photos of your timepeice would be much appreciated!!

I think the answer to most questions will depend on what pieces you are interested in buying and from where.
Boutique discounts are fast becoming a thing of the past but more and more pieces are either boutique only or simply harder to obtain from an AD - Lange is moving forward with a Boutique sales model.
I would always want papers, boxes can be obtained.
Service is always praised but no personal experience although I have toured the factory which was very impressive.
Customer service I would rate right at the top of all brands.
Buying used can offer a great option although prices are universally firming up.

[BDL]

I am looking either the 35mm Saxonia in Rose, or the 37mm Rose Gold Saxonia Thin. Classic and clean.

[WatchEater666]

Originally Posted by BDL

I am looking either the 35mm Saxonia in Rose, or the 37mm Rose Gold Saxonia Thin. Classic and clean.

I would 100% buy those used or see what you can beat an AD up to.

[dbfagan]

I have owned 2 Datographs. I would definitely go pre-owned. I purchased my last from DavidSW and was very happy with the price. I ended up having it serviced because I made the mistake of over winding, everything was covered under warranty and had no issues.

[Exiztence]

Originally Posted by WatchEater666

I would 100% buy those used or see what you can beat an AD up to.

I am very curious how much % off you can get on those from AD.

[NYG1121]

For used purchases, I find that it is so hit or miss finding what you are looking for, in the condition you are looking for, and with service history.

For example, I bought my 1815 U/D at retail with approx 20% off. I prob could've saved another 3-4k or so if I bought used (maybe more?). But they are just not as readily available as the other popular brands. They only make 5000 a year!! It was worth the AD route for me.

[raclaims]

I've bought ALS used and from boutique...the boutique experience is top notch but clearly used is a savings...depends on the model and your tolerance for used pieces as well.

[Pongster]

I bought my first one new at the AD. I thought i got a hefty discount already but was surprised to find out that grey dealers give a bigger discount.

So when my AD couldnt find me the second one i like, i got mine from a foreign grey AD (it helped that i had visited the store previously in person) at a significantly bigger discount than what my AD would have given me.

[myporsche]

Beautiful and truly horological works of art.

New or Pre-Owned? Depends. Pre-owned possible for common models. New for more unique pieces.

What if you do not live in an area with a dealer or boutique? I've been to most boutiques, there are not many, try an AD or grey just to get a feel. You may need to buy unseen.

Discounts possible? Getting harder, short answer is officially No at the boutiques but small slices can be arranged at ADs perhaps. They have and continue to position themselves as the premier horological experience and this is reflected in the 3 price increases in the last 2 years. After Lange the only other direction is small independents that cost way more. I prefer a brand that is small enough to be independent but has the backing of a larger brand (Richmont) rather than smaller houses.

Will dealers/boutiques deal over the phone and ship? Yes, let me know if you need referral.

Experience with Service? Top notch. They make 5k watches per year worldwide. The service is going to be more personalized. If you live in the US it will go to ONE location (the NY Boutique) who will walk it upstairs to the only ONE master watchmaker that is authorized to service the watch (google him, great story). If additional work or parts are needed it is ordered from Glashutte or sent there. EVERY service will consist of their signature double assembly method, a painstaking method to ensure the interactions of all mechanical parts are adjusted to the highest degree of perfection.

Pre-Owned without Box/Papers a no go? Absolutely not for me at this level of horology. Only ALS should work on these watches so I want my papers and history.

Customer service experience? Top notch, real boutique feel unlike some of the other brands. Personalized care.

Grey dealers? Sometimes, if it makes sense although grey prices are creeping higher towards retail price on new pieces.

[jd57]

Originally Posted by BDL

Can anyone who has purchased an A. Lange & Söhne give tips/lessons/advice?

New or Pre-Owned?

Pre-owned takes a lot of the sting out of the loss when you drive it off the lot.

What if you do not live in an area with a dealer or boutique?

Generally available from the boutique or dealers by phone.

Discounts possible?

Boutique used to do 20% except on new/exclusive models but not recently. Individual ADs will often still deal.

Will dealers/boutiques deal over the phone and ship?

Yes

Experience with Service?

Outstanding - relatively quick compared with Patek and their laser case refinishing really does make it "look like new"

Pre-Owned without Box/Papers a no go?

For me

Customer service experience?

Excellent though it was even better when the boutiques would discount

Grey dealers?

Yes - particularly for older limited models or recent models at a good price

Thanks so much, any stories and photos of your timepeice would be much appreciated!!

My favorite brand for dress watches.

[BDL]

Thanks for all the information and insight, I really appreciate it.