With change being the only constant at A. Lange & Söhne, CEO Wilhelm Schmid reminds its fans that an unwavering sense of identity is equally important to the brand.
“Completely exhausted, but happy,” says Wilhelm Schmid, recalling his first day as CEO of A. Lange & Söhne. It was over 15 years ago that Schmid stepped into the company’s headquarters in Glashütte—coming in cold to the watch business after spending much of his career in the automotive industry—ready to take the reins at one of the most eminent names in German luxury watchmaking.
He remembers going to bed at 2am that day. It had been a whirlwind: meeting key stakeholders, many of whom are still with the company; touching base with employees across the manufacture; touring the facilities; and making the trip to Dresden for the Residenzschloss’s 161st-anniversary celebration. Somewhere in the course of all that, his questions about the career switch had begun to answer themselves.
“When you change careers, the chances of failure can be high. But the first day felt deeply assuring. Throughout all my interactions, there was a palpable sense of pride among the staff, the owners, the people of the city. That was when I knew we had very strong foundations to work on.”
More than 15 years on, Schmid has thrived in a role that, in hindsight, seems tailor-made for him. Beyond fortifying A. Lange & Söhne’s position at the apex of German horology, he and his team have steered the company through global crises and evolutionary challenges—steadily honouring the brand’s Never Stand Still motto while remaining true to its horological tenets.
A. Lange & Söhne was founded in 1815 and reborn in 1990. How does that legacy shape your decision-making?
I’m not sure it influences day-to-day decisions directly. But it shapes our culture. It’s something we always return to and it motivates us to push boundaries. Our legacy also gives us strength, which is particularly useful in times of uncertainty.
With so much global uncertainty right now, is this the most uncertain period the business has faced?
Maybe it’s just me, but I think we have all learnt to live with uncertainty. Since COVID especially, we have learnt to stay agile and to focus on what is important and within our control. There is no point in getting worried or angry about things we cannot change. On the positive side, and I am not able to disclose figures, I will say there has never been a time like now in terms of genuine interest in watches.
Growth and exclusivity are difficult to reconcile. How do you approach that tension?
By focusing on the core of the business: watchmaking that is genuinely unique and offers something customers cannot find elsewhere. If we focus too much on turnover and profit, we risk losing sight of what really matters. I strongly believe every great story starts with a great product. In our case, that product is watches. The rest follows.
You once described A. Lange & Söhne as having two souls: one restrained, one opulent. Is that a product of evolution or was it always there?
It was always there. There is an almost strange, understated beauty on the dial side—the Lange 1, the Datograph, the Odysseus—that people recognise immediately. Then you turn the watch over and you are struck by the opulence of the movement decoration. It is a completely different story told by the same object.
Many CEOs shape a brand in their own image. You’ve consistently used the word ‘custodian’. Why?
I once took a course in free climbing and the instructor said something that stayed with me. The secret of the sport, he explained, is to climb with three points of contact on the body and one free for the next move. Reverse that ratio — one point holding, three reaching—and you may be faster, but you become unstable. That reflects our management philosophy: never sacrifice stability for speed. Being a custodian means nurturing a culture where people are willing to accept risk but in a controlled way, so that no single mistake can impact the entire brand.
What excites you most about this year’s novelties beyond the technical achievement?
The two watches from Watches & Wonders 2026—the Saxonia Annual Calendar and the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Lumen—are a strong representation of Never Stand Still. With the Lumen, for example, we did not simply take an existing watch and add luminosity. We built an entirely
new movement to best showcase what luminosity can do in this context. People say we could have added features to an existing reference and it would have sold just as well. That is simply not who we are.
This story first appeared in the August 2026 issue. Purchase it as a print or digital copy, or consider subscribing to us here
