Traditional Values, Out-of-the-Box Thinking
Innovate boldly while keeping every idea anchored to brand identity
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Time to result
- ~ongoing to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- 94%
This model separates enduring values from changeable solutions. The organization first defines the history, craftsmanship, design language, and customer expectations that make the brand authentic. Those elements remain stable, while teams are encouraged to rethink mechanisms, usability, and product expression. Innovation must solve a real problem and remain recognizably connected to the brand; novelty that contradicts its identity is rejected. Portfolio discipline provides an additional control by assigning concepts to product families and development horizons. A carefully chosen experimental family can then create productive tension and open a new design playground without rewriting the entire range. The result is innovation that surprises customers through ingenuity rather than inconsistency, allowing a heritage brand to evolve while protecting its accumulated equity.
Origin
Extracted from Masters in Business, where Wilhelm Schmid explained how A. Lange & Söhne combines traditional values with unconventional technical thinking.
Core principles
- 01Treat brand identity as a boundary, not a creative constraint
- 02Innovate in mechanisms and expression without abandoning core values
- 03Use discipline to protect accumulated brand equity
- 04Create controlled spaces for more experimental work
- 05Plan for authenticity rather than short-lived trends
How to run it
- 1
Codify the values
Define the small set of historical, aesthetic, and quality commitments customers must continue to recognize.
Pro tip Use concrete product evidence to distinguish real values from marketing slogans.
Watch out Do not confuse a temporary product convention with a permanent value.
- 2
Structure the portfolio
Give each product family a clear role and development horizon so new ideas have an appropriate home.
Pro tip Maintain a rolling roadmap that prevents every family from changing simultaneously.
Watch out Uncoordinated launches can blur distinctions between product families.
- 3
Find a meaningful friction
Look for a traditional mechanism or convention that does not fully achieve its intended purpose. Define the practical improvement before proposing a solution.
Pro tip Study where expert customers experience small but consequential frustrations.
Watch out Novelty without a customer or technical benefit is only decoration.
- 4
Think beyond convention
Develop an unconventional solution while preserving the brand's non-negotiable values and quality standards.
Pro tip Separate what must feel traditional from what can work differently.
Watch out An idea can be technically impressive and still be inauthentic.
- 5
Test recognizable authenticity
Ask whether informed customers can understand why this product belongs to the brand even when it opens a new chapter.
Pro tip Invite criticism from loyal customers before assuming acceptance.
Watch out Surprise that contradicts identity can dilute brand equity.
- 6
Use controlled tension
Launch bolder ideas in a deliberately selected family or context, allowing debate without destabilizing the core portfolio.
Pro tip Treat disagreement as useful when the connection to the brand remains defensible.
Watch out Do not extend an experiment across the whole range before learning from it.
In the wild
The tourbillon was intended to improve accuracy, yet a running seconds hand made precise setting difficult. Lange added a mechanism that stopped the tourbillon and later advanced the idea by returning the seconds hand to zero, improving usability without abandoning traditional high watchmaking.
→ A traditional complication gained a practical modern improvement consistent with the brand's technical identity.
The Odysseus introduced steel and later titanium into a brand associated with precious-metal dress watches. The deliberate tension prompted debate, but its recognizable identity and separate design language created room for experiments unsuitable for the classical families.
→ The brand entered a new category while preserving its established classical range.
Common mistakes
Chasing surprise for its own sake
An unexpected product that conflicts with the brand may attract attention while weakening long-term trust.
Treating tradition as immobility
Preserving old solutions merely because they are old can prevent the brand from improving how those solutions fulfil their purpose.
Following trends with a long lead time
Products that take years to develop cannot reliably target fashions that may disappear before launch.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for heritage businesses that need fresh products while preserving a recognizable identity.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for new brands that have not yet developed a stable identity or trusted set of values.
From the transcript
“staying traditional but thinking out of the box,”
“The moment you do things that are not in line with who you are, you may surprise people, but probably not positively and for sure…”
“you maybe can anticipate, but maybe you have to stay true to yourself.”
From the episode
Lange & Sohne CEO Wilhelm Schmid's Take on the Watch Market and Luxury Timepiece Design
Wilhelm Schmid