Is the Lange Odysseus Chrono real?

[rolexandlange]

Several collectors I know have fully paid deposits and are awaiting ALS chronos for 12-18m+, but the arrival dates keep getting pushed back.

Meanwhile, ALS has released the Odysseus Chrono. They will make 100 pieces and the first pieces won't arrive until 2024. To my mind, this watch doesn't even exist yet. It is not in production. They have shown a concept watch and they promise to make it. Someone will own one, at some point, eventually, TBD.

So one has to ask, why release a watch at W&W 2023 that no one will have until at least 2024? Maybe a few dozen deliveries at most next year, if all according to plan. And from recent anecdotes of my collector friends, they aren't able to deliver according to plans lately.

Further to my frustration is the allocation process these days at ALS. It's very important to them to know their customers so well, yet the Odysseus keeps showing up on the grey market. At this point, anyone waiting 5y or more for a Odysseus is going to flip it. Real enthusiasts will just pay the (shrinking quickly) grey market premium.

I love ALS but I am moving to entirely focusing on early Lange, 1994-2004. And I hope the experience is good when the time comes to service my Datograph given they are short handed, but we still have Alkis so I am at ease for now. I love everything ALS represents in modern watchmaking - but the executive suite pursuing the hype train these days leaves a bad aftertaste to the best dish served in haute horology IMHO.