Anthony de Haas, A. Lange & Söhne’s Director of Product Development, describes watchmaking as a balance between open-ended design ideas and the practical limits of making a complicated watch well. In a September 2026 interview, he discusses production capacity, specialist training and his preference for striking watches; earlier conversations explain the thinking behind the Zeitwerk and Odysseus. His comments offer a view into the brand’s process, not an independently audited account of its production.
What does Anthony de Haas do at A. Lange & Söhne?
WristReview identifies de Haas as the brand’s Director of Product Development in an interview conducted at its Old Bond Street boutique in London and published September 21, 2026. Time and Watches reported in 2020 that he had held the role since 2004. That profile describes him as a qualified watchmaker with six years of micromechanics studies. These career details come from interviews and profiles rather than a separately gathered company biography.
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His earlier career, as recounted in the 2020 interview, included Seiko after-sales service in the Netherlands, IWC in Schaffhausen and Renaud et Papi in Le Locle. At the latter, he headed complications and later worked in sales, marketing and human resources. In a 2024 webChronos interview, he also described his path from aspiring drummer to watchmaker and product-development director.
How does Lange develop a new watch?
In 2020, de Haas described a process that starts with room for ideas before technical implementation filters and shapes them. The goal, as he put it, is to explore new directions without losing the brand’s design codes. He cited the Zeitwerk and Odysseus as projects that called for lateral thinking.
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Ideas meet production capacity
In the 2026 interview, de Haas emphasized that a delivery timeframe has to account for the actual capacity of specialist makers. A highly complicated watch can become a production bottleneck if only a few watchmakers are able to make it. He described the Grand Complication as demanding extensive hand adjustment, with its striking functions creating challenges for both power and timekeeping. These are his descriptions of the work, not independently audited production data.
He also described an in-house training path: a three-year course, followed by supervised work and further progression, with the most skilled watchmakers moving into complication departments. That account reflects the company’s process as he presented it in the interview.
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Why does the Zeitwerk have a visible time bridge?
The Zeitwerk’s bridge is not merely a frame around its digital display. De Haas explained that the visible “time bridge” is also a movement component, made of German silver. It carries a sapphire bearing for the arbor of the tens and units discs. Integrating the component into the dial, he said, helped reduce the watch’s overall height while framing the digital hours and minutes alongside the analog small seconds.
Why did Lange make the Odysseus?
De Haas described the Odysseus as an answer to demand for a sportier, steel A. Lange & Söhne watch for customers with active lifestyles. The design retained the brand’s characteristic lugs, while the bracelet wraps around them to create an integrated appearance. This explains the design intention; it is not a claim that the watch is suitable for every activity or wearer.
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Which complications stand out to de Haas?
Striking watches are his favorite
Asked about his favorite complication in the 2026 interview, de Haas answered, “Striking watches.” He connected that preference to his background as a drummer and to his work on grande sonneries and minute repeaters. He also described the Striking Time as the brand’s first watch with a striking mechanism and said it was no longer being made at the time of the interview. That is a historical statement from September 2026, not confirmation of current availability.
The Grand Complication and Zeitwerk Minute Repeater
In the 2020 interview, de Haas described the 2013 Grand Complication as combining a grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie, minute repeater, perpetual calendar with moon phase, rattrapante chronograph and flying seconds. He called the chance to work on it a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The same interview describes the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater as advancing the striking-watch format with a decimal strike.
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In 2026, de Haas said six Grand Complication watches were made, and that one of the two makers took nine to 12 months to make a watch. Those figures are interview-reported details, not independently corroborated production records.
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The conversation took place around the brand’s latest novelties and mentioned the 1815 UP/DOWN, Triple Split, 36mm Saxonia Annual Calendar, Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen” and Cabaret Tourbillon Honeygold. The interview describes the Cabaret Tourbillon Honeygold as presented in May 2026. The model list establishes the watches under discussion, but does not by itself confirm their current specifications or retail status.
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What should you choose as a first A. Lange & Söhne?
De Haas’s advice in the 2024 webChronos interview was personal rather than a ranking: see the collection in person and choose the watch that feels right. He said, “I think the most important thing is to feel happy and comfortable.” The English-language webChronos page is translated.
For a useful shortlist, compare the qualities that affect how a watch will work for you:
- Fit: consider case size and how the watch feels on your wrist.
- Display: decide whether you prefer conventional hands, digital discs or another layout.
- Complexity: think about the complications you want and the added operating complexity they bring.
- Material and use: consider the case material and the kind of wear you have in mind.
- Personal appeal: choose the design you want to live with, rather than treating one model as a universal first choice.
The interviews discuss models including the Lange 1, Zeitwerk, Datograph, Saxonia Thin and Odysseus, but do not provide a controlled comparison or a complete set of current specifications.
Quick Recap
Interview sources
- WristReview: “Interview: Anthony De Haas, Director of Product Development at A. Lange & Söhne”, September 21, 2026.
- Time and Watches: “Interview: Anthony de Haas, Director of Product Development at A. Lange & Söhne”, June 4, 2020.
- webChronos: “Watch Enthusiast Kurono Peace Conducts an In-Depth Interview with A. Lange & Söhne’s Anthony de Haas!”, June 18, 2024. The English page is translated.
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