If you want to increase the number of watches slightly, to go from 5000 to 7000 worldwide, which is not a lot, we have to train nearly 50% more watchmakers. If you have 50% more watchmakers, do you really manage to keep the same quality? The fact that we stick to the product philosophy which we have, a ¾ plate in untreated German silver, which is extremely hard to finish, which is extremely delicate, which oxidises very strongly. That [using German silver plates] means we also have to assemble, disassemble twice. (Editor’s note: Lange is one of the few companies that assembles a movement for regulating and testing, and then disassembles it for finishing and final assembly) If we wanted to do cost cutting, we will be questioning this product philosophy. The decision we have taken that in all watches, it doesn’t matter which category it is. Whether it is women’s watches, who do not really care for the time being about untreated German silver, they buy the watch for other reasons, but still we stick to our product philosophy. We do continue to use the same materials, and even if it’s not the most efficient way of producing, handling a watch, we’ll still stick to that. That is actually the duty we have, the duty is to bring A. Lange & Söhne to the next generation and we can only do it if we stick to the basic values of the brand.
