A. Lange & Söhne Bourdon House Salon Retail Feature
The A. Lange & Söhne Bourdon House Salon is housed within a grand Georgian mansion located in London’s Mayfair. Offering a lounge-style experience, staffed by highly trained professionals, the German marque delivers a purchasing experience that’s fully aligned with the excellence of its products. Angus Davies, a self-confessed watch geek and occasional mystery shopper recounts the time he recently spent at 2 Davies Street.
Bourdon House, London
Bourdon House is located in Mayfair, an exclusive enclave of London where luxury abounds. Residing at 2 Davies Street, the historic building is close to Berkeley Square, yet far from the madding crowd.
The only detached house in Mayfair, Bourdon House is shaded by a huge tree, located near the building’s entrance. Despite these two notable features, the building exudes a discreet character. The Georgian mansion (built in 1723), a Grade II listed building, was once home to Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster. Reputedly the richest man in the world at the time, Hugh Grosvenor owned the building from 1917 to 1957, during which time he famously enjoyed a 10-year relationship with Coco Chanel.
A. Lange & Söhne Bourdon House Salon
A. Lange & Söhne, the prestigious German watch marque, recently opened a Salon on the first floor of Bourdon House. It is not your typical retail space but rather a home-from-home sanctuary where devotees of fine watchmaking can indulge their passion for complications and finishing.
Comprising 26m² of space, the tranquil, lounge-style environment features a high ceiling, tall well-lit display cabinets, positioned adjacent welcoming furniture. On the wall, assuming a prominent position, sits a large depiction of Lange’s legendary outsize date, serving as a reminder of the company’s watchmaking prowess.
A sense of occasion
Recently, I was invited to view the Bourdon House Salon. As an ardent Lange devotee, I made an appointment in advance, something that is recommended, but not always essential. The rationale for phoning ahead immediately became obvious as soon as I crossed the threshold. The space was temporarily mine, reserved exclusively for me. This must-experience destination is the very antithesis of the ubiquitous department store. An intimate setting dedicated to one-to-one conversations.
Over the years, I’ve occasionally engaged in a spot of mystery shopping on behalf of a concerned watch brand. Indeed, with many years of ‘watchgeekery’ under my belt, I have become very adept at stress testing a retail experience. Usually, I’m seen donning a pair of jeans, while tapping on a computer keyboard; however, on this occasion, I selected more appropriate clothing, a navy single breasted suit complemented with a shiny pair of Church’s double monks.
Within a few short moments, I realised that my visit to Bourdon House would be a memorable experience for all the right reasons. After being offered a drink by my host, I chatted about my watch buying history, safe in the knowledge that my words were not being overheard by any local scoundrels. Discretion is an essential prerequisite when purchasing a fine timepiece and the Salon conferred a safe space where I could talk freely. There was no obligation to share personal details, but it did help my host ascertain my specific horological needs and wants.
Saxony’s finest
Inevitably, conversations turned to products, and I was presented with a tray bearing three precious watches. As any Lange devotee knows, the protracted creation of each flawless timepiece means production volumes are comparatively small. Moreover, bearing in mind that A. Lange & Söhne has a global reach, it must share this limited number of watches across several boutiques. Quite simply, it’s rare to see several Lange timepieces in the wild in one place.
The first watch to be shown to me was a personal favourite, the Grand Lange 1 (137.038). Housed in an 18-carat white gold case measuring 41 mm in diameter and endowed with a grey dial formed from solid silver, the watch needed little introduction. The Grand Lange 1, launched in 2003, is a larger version of the Lange 1, a model that first appeared on the watch scene back in 1994. An endearing quality synonymous with A. Lange & Söhne is longevity. The brand does not needlessly cast aside former models in favour of new just for the sake of it. Instead, it prefers to make subtle refinements when this confers advancement. The Grand Lange 1 was last updated in 2022, albeit the 2003 release has never lost its eye appeal.
Image – A. Lange & Söhne Grand Lange 1 in 18-carat white gold (137.038)
Next, I was presented with the Lange 1 Time Zone, the perfect travel companion for those watch obsessives who spend an inordinate amount of time in airport lounges. On this model, the home hour and minutes are shown on the dominant dial, while the local time is displayed on a subdial at 5 o’clock. A small triangle located on this subdial points to the local city. Should the wearer wish to select an alternative location, they merely need to press the pushpiece at 8 o’clock to advance the city ring. Eminently logical, highly intuitive and very Lange.
Image – A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Time Zone in 18-carat white gold (136.029)
Ascending to the heights of ‘high complications’, my host revealed a perpetual calendar. A. Lange & Söhne make all four of the classic high complications, including a split-seconds chronograph, tourbillon, minute repeater and perpetual calendar. The Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar in 18-carat pink gold (345.033E) was launched in April 2021 and is a rare sight. Assuming the mainspring remains tensioned, the watch performs each date change correctly until 2100 without the need for manual adjustment.
Image – A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar in 18-carat pink gold (345.033E)
A. Lange & Söhne – product knowledge
At this juncture you may be thinking that Bourdon House only stocks Lange 1 models; not a bit of it. My host revealed a second tray. There, nuzzling the short pile of the velvet clad tray, sat a Zeitwerk, looking resplendent in 18-carat pink gold (142.031).
Image – A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk in 18-carat pink gold (142.031)
I couldn’t help myself; my inner-mystery shopper tendencies came to the fore. I knew the model had been updated in October 2022 as I had written about it at the time. “Is the power-reserve 36 hours?”, I nonchalantly asked. My host replied, “It was, but in 2022 the power reserve was doubled and is now 72 hours”. I was impressed but felt compelled to ask about the jumping hour and minute indications. “Does the jumping action affect the rate stability of the watch?”, I enquired. Once again, my host’s product knowledge was beyond reproach. “The movement is equipped with a constant-force escapement”, he politely explained. I noted that he provided his answer without patronising me or trying to bamboozle me with technobabble.
Image – A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Date in 18-carat white gold (148.038)
I then spotted another Zeitwerk, seductively flickering its eyes at me. It was the Zeitwerk Date (148.038), sporting a grey dial framed with the eponymous indication. Housed in 18-carat white gold and paired with a brown alligator leather strap, it brimmed with sophistication and elegance.
A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph
However, the pièce de resistance for me was the 1815 Chronograph. A vision in 18-carat white gold (414.028), the model is one of the finest flyback chronographs on the market. Measuring 39.5 mm in diameter, the fully integrated movement is hand-wound and unites a column-wheel and horizontal coupling, the traditional approach much loved by purists.
Image – A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph in 18-carat white gold (414.028)
As I stared at the movement, the Calibre L951.1, via the exhibition case back, I found myself lost in a world of gold chatons, thermally blued screws, anglage and mirror-polishing. For those unfamiliar with this movement, it tends to draw you in, inviting you to explore its three-dimensional loveliness. Just for a moment I entered horological heaven, surveying a multilevel arrangement of movement components. The construction approach adopted by A. Lange & Söhne bestows glorious views of wheels and levers in various states of motion.
Image – A. Lange & Söhne Calibre L951.1
And then, reality kicked in and I was back on earth. I couldn’t help it, there was a need for a bit more professional quizzing. “Is that a three-quarter plate? What are the bridges made from? The balance cock is intricately engraved…can you tell me about it?” My questions came thick and fast and yet my host remained unruffled, answering each query correctly without any trace of hesitation.
I paused for a moment and then I pointed to the stationary balance wheel within the 1815 Chronograph and enquired about the inertia weights set in-board. “They are called masselottes. By rotating them you cause the watch to run faster or slower”, he replied. I couldn’t have said it better myself. My host was clearly a kindred spirit; a fellow horophile who was eminently capable of answering my geeky queries.
Reassuringly approachable
Reassuringly my host always remained modest. He never felt the need to show-off, nor did he try to surpass my horological geekiness. At no stage was he condescending. On the contrary, whilst his knowledge was comprehensive, it was only imparted when appropriate and always delivered with affable charm.
It was obvious that the gentleman sat across from me was a consummate professional. A few more queries revealed that he was an employee of the German marque and did not work for an intermediary. Furthermore, he had spent time at the Manufactory in Glashütte amassing essential product knowledge.
Service that’s fully aligned with Lange’s excellent watches
Bourdon House is an impressive building and is home to the German brand’s London Salon. The interior décor of this haven of horology is conducive to a relaxed and enjoyable experience. Equally as impressive was the professionalism of my host. He was not only knowledgeable about A. Lange & Söhne, its history and products, but also watchmaking in general. The bespectacled gentlemen complemented my Lange experience and delivered a level of service that’s fully aligned with the German firm’s extraordinary products.
A. Lange & Söhne Bourdon House Salon – contact details
- 2 Davies Street, London, W1K 3DJ
- T: +44 (0) 203425 7316
- E: london@lange-soehne.com