A. Lange & Söhne Opens New Boutique In California
After five years as brand president of A. Lange & Söhne North America, during which time he helped spearhead a dramatic expansion of the brand, Gaetan Guillosson is relocating from New York to Hong Kong to take on a new market: Asia Pacific. Guillosson, who will spearhead both North America and Asia Pacific until a successor is named for the former, has definitely left his mark on the U.S.A. The most recent being a celebration of a new boutique at South Coast Plaza.
“We have set our sights on expanding our retail presence to California for quite some time,” said Guillosson. “The first A. Lange & Söhne mono-brand store in California is a commitment to our ever increasing number of fans on the West Coast.”
The jewel box of a shop, at 925-square-feet, officially opened on August 2 and marks the brand’s fourth U.S. boutique alongside Palm Beach, New York City and Miami Design District—and its first own West Coast retail location. It’s also the first Lange boutique to be housed inside an enclosed shopping center.
The handcrafted timepieces from Saxony are also available nationwide at 16 select retailers throughout the country—a very small and selective network, especially when compared to its nearest competitor brands.
Lange was founded in 1845 as a pocket watch maker in Germany by Ferdinand Adolph Lange. During World War II, the company also made over-sized wristwatches. After the war, the company was expropriated. In 1990 Walter Lange, Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s great grandson re-launched the company. Today they manufacture some of the most coveted—and collectible—timepieces in the world.
This new shop will no doubt be a welcome sanctuary for enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike, intrigued by the latest debuts from SIHH and Watches & Wonders—including the 1815 white-gold chronograph with blue numerals and pulsometer scale and the grey dial Datograph Perpetual. Complementing the wood paneling that’s bathed in a soothing shade of elegant grey, the brand’s distinct color, elements made of sandstone are a nod to the company’s Saxon origin and typical of the manufactory’s surroundings.
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“It has been thrilling to watch the brand grow rapidly here in the U.S. over the past few years and part of the excitement is discovering and studying where in the country will be the best fit for Lange,” said Guillosson. “And as the watch industry continues to flourish and peek interests nationwide, more and more areas are becoming viable, attractive options.”
Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging. Follow Haute Time on Instagram to catch all of the new releases as they happen.
