The Commute: Clock in to work with Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of A Lange & Söhne

It’s on his 40-minute commute to work that Wilhelm Schmid, the CEO of A Lange & Söhne, finds time to unwind. Since taking the helm of the Richemont-owned horological house in 2011, Schmid has overseen the expansion of its products and global retail presence. He is also a collector of classic cars. When Monocle accompanies him on his daily journey from Dresden to the company’s HQ in the small town of Glashütte in Saxony, his choice of wheels is a 1957 AC Ace Bristol.

Are you an early bird or a late riser?
I wake up at about 06.00. In the summer, this is easier, thanks to the daylight. In the winter, it might take me 30 minutes longer. But I’m an early-morning person. It’s when I exercise and go swimming. I wake up before my alarm sounds, though I make sure to set it, just in case.

What do you wish that you had more time to do in the mornings?
I would love to walk my dog but I don’t have the extra hour to squeeze it in, so my wife, Yvonne, does it. He’s the best dog on the planet, a mixed breed. We got him from a shelter when he was six months old. He’s a naughty little boy but I wouldn’t trade him for any other dog. His name is Baloo, like the bear in The Jungle Book.

Speaking of time, what watch do you strap on?
As the CEO of A Lange & Söhne, I know what’s in the pipeline, so I can’t tell you what watch I’m wearing because everyone would know what we’re launching. It’s one of the perks of being a CEO: you see early design sketches but it’s still a special moment when you wear a new watch for the first time. I have small wrists, so I’m a good guinea pig, particularly when it comes to testing whether the bigger models are comfortable.

Once you’re out the door, what does the rest of your morning look like?
When there’s no salt on the road or it’s not raining too heavily, I drive one of my classic cars. I have six and try to use them all. Cars don’t get better if you don’t drive them. It’s the same with watches. It’s also a digital detox because you can’t use a phone when you’re on the road. There’s not a lot of safety features in these vehicles, so you have to stay vigilant. They only do what you tell them to do; there’s no assistance. I use the commute to calm down. It gives me 40 minutes of breathing time, depending on the traffic. The first 7km go through Dresden but, after that, there are no traffic lights – only little countryside roads up a hill and then down to Glashütte.

Do you ever get nervous driving classic cars?
The first scratch always hurts but you have to accept that you will collect some dents from flying stones or insects. So far, nobody has crashed into my cars or damaged them while parking. People are careful around classic cars.