wilhelm schmid
Elegant, classical, rarefied to a fault – I could be describing either the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court or their watch partner A. Lange & Sohne. This year marks the tenth anniversary of Wilhelm Schmid taking the reins of the most prestigious watchmaker in Glashütte – and one of the most prestigious in the world, for that matter – steering the German brand into a new era of haute horology. It would be enough to inflate any ego. And yet, as we sit in the sunshine of Hampton Court, not quite nursing champagne and surrounded by the occasional roars of a half-a-century-old engine, it’s clear that ego doesn’t come into it. In fact, our chat was broken off every now and then by Lange owners taking the opportunity to come and say hi. From his reaction, it was something Wilhelm was somewhat used to. “Ha, I’ve not gotten to see much of the concours yet because of this; but the sun’s shining, I get to meet some of our customers, who am I to complain?” He’s evidently in his element. Rather than just turning up as part of the Lange sponsorship of the Concours of Elegance, Wilhelm entered with his 1959 Porsche 356 B Roadster and I get the sense that, even if there wasn’t a business relationship, he’d be a regular. “I was actually here last year. There was that three-week window when we were allowed in? Yes please! Hampton Court took place but it just wasn’t the same. It was nice in its way because it was the only thing you could do, but not like this.” 2021 is the fourth year Lange has sponsored the Hampton Court Concours and tenth at its Italian counterpart, the Concorzo D’Eleganza Villa D’Este, a relationship originally for the twin purposes of tapping into an extraordinary level of collector and also have something to discuss with us journalists. “For us though, it’s not just a branding exercise”, explains Wilhelm. “We’re not here because it’s a platform, we want to be here. I’m a proper petrolhead. I bought my Porsche three years ago and it took us two years to bring it up to this level. After this it’ll go back to the restorer because it never ends.”
Words:
Sam Kessler
Man of Influence:
WILHELM SCHMID
THE A. LANGE & SOHNE CEO ON CARS, CRAFTSMANSHIP AND LIMITED EDITIONS
109
