A. Lange & Söhne’s Wilhelm Schmidt and his Personal Relationship with Time and Watches

Twelve on Time is a conversation series that invites leading personalities from the watch industry to step beyond their work and speak more personally about their relationship with time, creativity, and craft. Through a set of twelve questions, the column aims to lift the veil on both the individual and their perspective on watchmaking—revealing not only how they see watches, but also how they see themselves within a culture shaped by precision, heritage, and emotion. For this new instalment in the series, we sit down with Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of A. Lange & Söhne.

1 – Which watch changed the way you looked at watchmaking?

For a German watch enthusiast, the first four Lange watches of the modern era, unveiled in 1994, were, of course, truly remarkable. The Lange 1 was unlike anything that had ever existed before. It was definitely a watch that I found absolutely fascinating and would have loved to own, but couldn’t afford at the time. I didn’t buy one until about ten years later.

2 – What is the quality you value most in a watch?

Legibility. And this derives from a well-balanced combination of design and functionality. For me, a watch should also evoke a certain feeling. It should bring me a little joy every time I look at my wrist.

3 – Which is your favourite complication?

I love chronographs because there’s always something happening on the dial. Unlike a perpetual calendar, which only operates at midnight, or a moon phase display, which operates more slowly, you can operate the chronograph function yourself, and it happens instantly. I think it’s a brilliant complication that you can use regularly and that makes a watch really exciting.

4 – What is the most overrated trend in modern watchmaking?

There is too much emphasis on size, and not enough on finding out whether the watch suits one’s wrist and personality.

5 – What detail instantly tells you a watch was made with care?

That’s very easy! Just turn the watch around. If the movement fits the case, at least you know that the fundamentals are right. Ideally, the parts that aren’t visible should be finished too.

6 – Which moment do you believe most fundamentally shaped watchmaking as we know it today?

The quartz crisis! Until that moment, there had been a clear correlation between accuracy and price. And that changed with the introduction of the quartz movement, which was much less expensive and much more precise than any mechanical watch. Mechanical watches became more of an expression of personality than a tool, as they had outlived their usefulness.

7 – What is the greatest challenge facing the watch industry today?

I can’t speak on behalf of the entire industry; however, at A. Lange & Söhne, we have identified three key challenges. The first results from the fact that 80 per cent of our employees live and work in the Glashütte region, whereas all of our customers live elsewhere. That’s why the first goal is to connect these two worlds and to ensure that we remain relevant. Therefore, we have expanded our global network of boutiques, creating dedicated spaces where customers can experience the sophisticated details of our timepieces up close, take them into their hands, listen to their ticking sound and hear our unique story from us.

Secondly, many of our customers wear our watches during these uncertain times because they are perceived as beautiful and valuable, but also discreet. Therefore, we must ensure that we remain a secret brand, while sharing this secret with the right people.

And this leads to our third goal: our work can only be appreciated if people know about it. We need to connect with the next generation of watch buyers, who are in their twenties today, and we need to earn their appreciation. We are currently focusing intensively on all of these aspects because it is only by doing so that we can carry our watchmaking artistry into the future.

8 – What outside sources of inspiration most influence your thinking in watchmaking?

As I consider myself a petrolhead, I’m very much inspired by classic cars. What I find fascinating is that when we look at these historic automobiles, we can’t help but smile and say, ‘Wow, they’re beautiful’, even though we know they’re unsafe, but we don’t really mind. It’s truly remarkable that timeless beauty still sparks passion today.

9 – Which watch do you wish you had created?

The Lange 1. For me, it’s one of those watches that simply stands out from everything that’s been launched over the last fifty years. If you were to compile a list of the ten most important watches, such as the Royal Oak and the Nautilus, I guarantee that the Lange 1 would be among them.

10 – Which watch do you wear most when nobody is watching?

I always wear watches, and most of the time, even in my personal life, I wear the Odysseus Chronograph.

11 – Which personality has most shaped your view of watchmaking?

Right from the start, our Director of Manufacturing, Tino Bobe, and our Director of Product Development, Anthony de Haas, played an incredibly important role in helping me to understand how we do things and why our approach differs from that of others. Without their support, I would have found it much harder to understand our way of watchmaking.

12 – What should younger collectors focus on before buying their next watch?

Only buy what you really want. If you can’t afford something right now, wait until you can. Don’t go for second best from your wish list.