A. Lange & Söhne - By people, for people
Tribune des Arts - A. Lange & Söhne Special Issue - June 2010
Born from ideas
No one would ever guess that Helmut Geyer is 69. Perhaps that's because his work at A. Lange & Söhne has preserved the youthfulness of the legendary engineer. In the meantime, he has handed down his function as senior developer to a younger colleague, but nonetheless, the manufactory is not inclined to relinquish his 45 years of engineering experience. Then again, Helmut Geyer, whose son works in the same department, doesn't have any imminent plans to quit. He is interested neither in a contemplative retiree's life nor in a reduction of his weekly work regime. For what reason? "I have absolutely no regrets regarding any facet of my occupation. And every day that I have spent in this company since I signed up in 1991 has been great fun." In this respect, the graduate engineer has the same feelings as the vast majority of his colleagues at A. Lange & Söhne. Many of them have been in the service of the company for years and cannot even imagine a professional career with another employer.
Helmut Geyer considers it a "moment of epiphany when I dream up something that is totally new." The soft-spoken but also self-confident engineer knows no lack of technical creativity. After all, he proudly takes credit for six patents, among them the Zero Reset function, the synchronisation mechanism of the Lange 1 Time Zone, and the tourbillon balance-wheel stop. And one of his works of art, the impressive watercolour sketch of the Sax-0-Mat, elicits many an approving glance in the company museum. As far as painting is concerned, Helmut Geyer says: "I could no doubt take up this hobby again, but at the moment, I simply don't have the time." His time, apart from Lange, is devoted to his family and the garden.
Art that makes itself useful: the Lange style
In Dresden, where the tall and slim individual works and lives, people often refer to him as "the Swiss". Indeed, Martin Schetter's nationality is something like an oddity considering that most of his colleagues are natives of Saxony. But there's nothing odd about what he does. All of the faces of time that the 53-year-old senior designer and his team have developed are outstandingly brilliant. It is fair to say that the ensemble consisting of the case, dial, and hands is the visiting card, so to speak, of a watch. In many instances, tiny details make a big difference. Thus, it is not unusual for two years to elapse from the first drafts to the final go-ahead for a new model. Ultimately, what counts is the notion of timelessness, that attribute which perpetuates the currency of the design even after decades. When Martin Schetter is asked about his philosophy of gestalt, he can rattle off the answers in rapid fire. His formula is both simple and compelling: lucid, succinct, reduced, puristic, distinctive, and assertively classic. In this sense, the Swiss is engaged in an ongoing quest for what represents Lange, something which exists but can hardly be described because it does not comply with defined templates that could be imposed on a given object. Martin Schetter considers it to be the contemporary interpretation of traditional values. And, looking at the current collection of Lange watches, that comes fairly close to the essence of it all.
Serving the customer
A watch is always only as good as the service provided by its maker. That, in a nutshell, is the horological ideology of Stefan Baar, 29. Considering how young he is, the trained watchmaker has already come a long way. At A. Lange & Söhne, he heads up the service workshop where a team of 10 specialists takes care of wristwatches sold since 1994 and at some point require the attention of an expert. In Stefan Baar's opinion, each mechanical wristwatch should be thoroughly overhauled by competent watchmakers every three to five years. But unfortunately, this is not always the case, and sometimes, a precious Lange timepiece ends up in the hands of a corner watch emporium employee. The rude awakening comes later when the sensitive German silver bridges turn out to be seriously scratched or the watch was tampered with beyond repair. "That can involve a considerably higher cost than if the watch had been entrusted to us or an authorised dealer from the very beginning." It is self-understood that a dealer's staff members are not allowed to perform any repairs unless they have been trained by the manufactory and appointed authorised service partners. Where complications are involved, there are absolutely no shortcuts. Such master-pieces must be returned to Glashütte under all circumstances. Upon arrival, patients of this category are all subject to a photo shoot and a cross-check with the archives for the purpose of gathering evidence and confirming authenticity. Stefan Baar and his team forward all of the insights gained during their interventions to colleagues in product development and the test lab so that the movements can be further optimised. After an average of six to ten weeks, the watch is returned to the owner. Carefully serviced. Makeshift measures contradict the traditions safeguarded by A. Lange & Söhne.
Always on the ball
The fear of a career snap was what prompted Kerstin Richter to adopt a totally new role within the company. The watchmaker joined A. Lange & Söhne on 1 September 1991 and gradually advanced up the ranks to become remontage group leader. But somehow, she felt that she had arrived in a cul-de-sac. So she didn't hesitate for the blink of an eye when offered an unusual job in the so-called task force. For a company rooted in Saxony, the Anglicism might sound alien, but it precisely describes the scope of activities: whenever a calamity occurs at A. Lange & Söhne, Kerstin Richter and two colleagues come to the rescue. It is exactly the erratic nature of such missions that calls for extensive artisanal competence and familiarity with many different calibres. On any given day, the issue might be to recondition a watch returned from an exhibition, the next day might involve standing in for a member of the assembly team who called in ill, and the day after that, it could well be that Kerstin Richter is asked to travel to an event and present precision watchmaking à la Lange there. But that's exactly what thrills the buoyant family-minded woman from Saxony. "I never know today what I will have the privilege of doing tomorrow. And it's not unusual for me to switch workstations within minutes. That eliminates daily routine, something I don't relish at all."
[Rating: 5 / 5 stars]
Sale Price:US$269.00
Sale Price:US$259.00
Sale Price:US$258.00
Sale Price:US$288.00
Sale Price:US$249.00
Sale Price:US$279.00
Sale Price:US$239.00
Sale Price:US$248.00
Sale Price:US$278.00
Sale Price:US$258.00
Sale Price:US$299.00
Sale Price:US$258.00
Sale Price:US$269.00
Sale Price:US$289.00
Sale Price:US$259.00
Sale Price:US$258.00
