Now Lang Lang is a Swiss watchmaker

Now Lang Lang is a Swiss watchmaker

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norman lebrecht

November 09, 2015

Looks like he’s switching brand.

 

 

Lang_Lang_Montblanc_AD_watch

From the Xinhua news agency:

GENEVA, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) — Combining classical music with the luxury timepiece, the renowned Chinese pianist Lang Lang has offered his talent to a Swiss watch maker.

Prior to delivering his solo concert to audiences here on Friday night, Lang first impressed Swiss watch experts with his ideas and innovation in watch design.

After intense discussions and an exchange of ideas, the young pianist and watch experts worked out the plans for two new watches, which highlight the musician’s signature and musical notes.

Asked about his design philosophy, the 33-year-old pianist said he hoped the watches would be distinguished by their musical elements, as well as be modern, fashionable and high-quality.

The special watches will be manufactured by Hublot, a Swiss luxury watchmaker founded in 1980. Hublot expects the “Lang Lang watch” will hit the market in March 2016 after an unveiling at the annual Basel World Watch Exhibition.

 

Comments

  • Luca says:

    No worries, he has only rented out his left arm to Hublot, so others may bid big money on gaining access to his right arm in order to advertise their timepieces. Lang Lang is like a walking billboard or an irritating pop-up ad, appearing everywhere and selling himself to the highest bidder. He has already rented out his feet for Adidas sneakers and other body parts for sitting in cars, fingers for writing with pens, mouth for eating in restaurants and nearly every other possibility imaginable. In his case it is overkill and I doubt that anybody around him cares enough to explain that to him. When I look at him, there is something very sad, lonely and lost in his eyes.

    • Alvaro says:

      That a-hole of Heifetz appeared in Hollywood movies….and Bernstein? What a douche!! being worldwide famous and all. The 57th street metro station has his figure permanently in the wall…what a sellout.

      Luca’s post is an ode to jealousy, and insularity, precisely what keeps this dead (not dying) art form a thing of the past and of museums. Congratulations

      • Philip Amos says:

        I second your comment, Luca. The problem with Alvaro’s is that he evidently has none of the deeper knowledge of Hollywood as a community in that period necessary to understand appearances by such as Heifetz in movies. Both privately and publically, Hollywood had much to do with classical music in those days. There is no natural intersection of Hublot and Adidas with great music and circus acts in which it features. This is closer to the notorious ad that used Mozart’s Requiem to help sell stuff for unclogging toilets. That was atrocious and the ad was changed. Lang Lang and his watch are bogus and best ignored. This blog would be a prime venue from which to lead the charge against the trivial, foolish and peripheral. But such is also its bread-and-butter, as we know.

  • Max Grimm says:

    For shame Lang Lang; Involving yourself with a Swiss watchmaker (technically two)!!
    Ahem….http://www.rolex.com/world-of-rolex/the-arts.html

    • Nick says:

      I wonder what percentage of a watch is the cost of manufacture and how much the marketing – 10% – 90%?

      • Max Grimm says:

        I’d say it is marketing & development that takes up closer to 90% of the final price, rather than manufacturing. The price markup of luxury timepieces can be as “little” as 200%-300% but in many cases exceeds 2000%-3000%.

  • A Colleague says:

    So what?

  • Andy says:

    Can anyone actually give a good reason why he shouldn’t endorse/advertise products if he’s asked to? Does it diminish the quality of his playing or tarnish the reputation of his art? I’d say definitely ‘no’ to the second question, and ‘not necessarily’ to the first.

    • Milka says:

      Andy , people that ain’t got it are often jealous of people that do got it . $$$ is what keeps
      the world going ….be it a Da Vinci , Mozart , Beethoven Chopin- it always ends up $$$$$$$.
      There were Paganini dolls ,Paderewski wines , etc , you name a celebrated virtuoso of the
      past and you will find an endorsement …. the virtuous are always with us and their for shames and ahems .. it gives them a reason for being . More power to Lang Lang .

      • CDH says:

        Nobody seems to criticise the likes of Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy for signing big endorsement contracts. If so many companies sign Lang Lang, there must be some sense that he is penetrating world consciousness from the vantage point of a “niche” art form, as is so often argued here classical music has become. Woods greatly widened the interest in a sport that had — just ask the networks that cover sports — become a niche interest. (At least in watching it; participation figures have not appreciably increased in his era).

        The wide and recognisable presence of Lang Lang, a far better artist than he is credited with being around here, seems to me only to offer positive things for music. And participation as well as attendance is increasing, at least in his own far from insubstantial country, and in its neighbours.

      • Max Grimm says:

        Aim and miss.

      • Herbert Pauls says:

        …and Melba toast!

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