A. Lange & Söhne - The Fascinating Online World
Not everyone has the chance to look over the shoulder of a Lange master watchmaker or through his magnifying glass into the inner workings of a Lange watch. When designing its Internet relaunch, the primary aim of the renowned German watchmaking manufactory was to bring to life the values and special characteristics of A. Lange & Söhne.
The traditional brand has been present on the internet for six years at www.langesoehne. com. But whereas previously the website focused on user-friendly structures and easily understandable technical information, A. Lange & Söhne has now gone a step further by completely reworking their Internet presence to make it above all an emotional statement.
When you ask the master watchmakers at Lange what motivates them, the response you hear again and again is "commitment" - to craftsmanship, perfection and precision. The aim of the website is not just to convey this commitment, but also to provide a source of inspiration. "Our Internet presence is one of our most important communication tools", states Lange CEO Fabian Krone. "We use it to address watch aficionados and collectors directly throughout the world. We hope that when visiting our website, visitors catch the spark of passion for our timepieces."
Clear structures make the site more user-friendly and large-format pictures of watches and short video clips offer moments of visual enjoyment. An understated grey is the dominant colour, and behind this are unique insights into the world of A. Lange & Söhne. Clicking www.lange-soehne.com initially introduces the latest creation of Lange's master watchmakers, the LANGE ZEITWERK model. Visitors can then choose between the following two sections:
MANUFACTORY AND PASSION takes a tour through the history of the traditional Saxon brand and presents special features of Lange timepieces, such as the threequarter plate with Glashutte ribbing. Details of the superb craftsmanship behind all watch components are graphically illustrated, e.g. polishing, engraving and decoration. The inventive talents of Saxony are celebrated and Lange patents, including the zero reset mechanism, are clearly explained. Clicking the "Contemporary Manufacturing" button starts a visual tour of the Lange production facilities.
TIMEPIECES AND PRECISION opens the door to the eleven product lines of the manufactory with all watches and references. A zoom function enables the visitor to inspect the models in greater detail. In addition, all previous sold-out limited editions and selected jewellery watches are presented. Some of the historic masterpieces of The Fascinating Online World of A. Lange & Söhne, page 2 A. Lange & Söhne are also showcased, e.g. the Walter Lange Journeyman's Piece and the famous Emperor William pocket watch.
Naturally, there is also an online facility for active communication with A. Lange & Söhne. In the "Contact & Service" section visitors can order catalogues, register address details and watches or send questions to the manufactory. The website has a separate press portal with password-protected access for journalists to a comprehensive archive of articles and images with easy download capabilities.
The new website has a total of roughly 400 text and graphics pages. Once drawn into the online magic of A. Lange & Söhne, visitors can end up spending hours exploring the site. And even after exploring the online world of Lange in detail, it makes sense to come back from time to time so as not to miss out on the latest updates and new content.