Der Meister

FOR TWO DECADES, A. LANGE & SOHNE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR ANTHONY DE HAAS HAS HELPED SHAPED THE GERMAN BRAND INTO ONE OF THE LEADING NAMES IN HAUTE HORLOGERIE.

- SUFFIAN HAKIM

IN OUR AUGUST ISSUE, I wrote about the small German town of Glashütte near Dresden and its contributions to the world of watchmaking. It is the birthplace of brands such as Moritz Grossman, NOMOS and A. Lange & Söhne, and the innovations created there through the years have influenced watchmaking developments.

In 1845, Ferdinand Adolph Lange, along with Julius Assmann, Adolf Schneider, and Moritz Grossmann - known as the fathers of German watchmaking - established the foundations of haute horlogerie in Glashütte, over a century after the Swiss masters built theirs. But it didn't take long for the Germans to catch up. Even today, A. Lange & Söhne receives respect equal to the most prominent Swiss maisons because of their truly unique, technically outstanding timepieces.

It helps that there is visionary leadership at the brand, led by CEO Wilhelm Schmid. An important component of Schmid's leadership team is Product Development Director Anthony de Haas.

De Haas joined A. Lange & Söhne in October 2004, four years and three months after Richemont Group acquired the brand. A sharp increase in the brand's international profile has marked the nearly two decades since de Haas joined, even as it braved the 2007-2008 global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

De Haas is responsible for developing new products and the processes associated with them. This includes A. Lange & Söhne's famously strict quality control, which happens in every step of the creation process.