To round up the year, and traditionally on December 7, Lange announces novelties. This year, three new models – two automatic winding Lange Saxonia Outsize Date in 18k pink gold and 18k white gold, both with an argenté dial and a handwound Saxonia Thin in 18k white gold in a black dial with gold flux.
Press Release information with commentary in italics. We have also requested for a hands-on and photography session with the novelties, and will report back with detailed reviews when we have had the opportunity to do so. Stay tuned.
A. Lange & Söhne presents new Saxonia for 2020
All three novelties are line extensions to previously existing models with variations in dial colour and material.
“A Lange watch is a fusion of the arts. It melds the passion of watchmakers for mechanical solutions and craftsmanship with the inimitable style of the manufactory and its venerable history.”
Günter Blümlein, who together with Walter Lange re-established A. Lange & Söhne 30 years ago
Lange Saxonia Outsize Date
The recommended retail price in Germany including VAT is € 26,300 , and in Singapore is SGD 39,700 inclusive of GST.
First presented in 2018, the Saxonia Outsize Date which was presented in two versions with black dials are now complemented by two versions with argenté-coloured dials. The pricing of these two new models have seen a small increase (due to inflation?) since the 2018 launch. The 2018 German retail was €24,500 incl. German VAT.
The dial is designed to be clean and clear, and minimalist with applied baton indices in solid gold, it is positioned at 12 o’clock. The subsidiary seconds dial at the 6 o’clock position counterbalances the face. With a diameter of 38.5 mm and a height of 9.6 mm, the case in white gold or pink gold exhibits classic proportions.
In the Saxonia Outsize Date, the true Lange style embraces numerous design details such as the chamfered and polished solid-gold baton appliques.
The outsize date is another typical element featured in the launch of the first wristwatch collection in 1994, which included the first Saxonia model. The 1994 model was originally fitted with the L911 handwound movement, a movement which was then shared with the Arkade. The L911 movement was replaced later, likely in 1996, with the L941.
The movement in the new Saxonia Outsize Date is the calibre L086.1 derived from the Saxonia Automatic. Due to the complex date mechanism, the number of parts increased to 286, up from 209 in the basic movement. The extraordinary design features two separate display surfaces for the units and tens that are at least twice as large as in watches of a comparable size. This significantly enhances legibility.
A large central rotor with ball bearings and a platinum centrifugal mass assure efficient winding of the automatic L086.8 movement.
The strong mainspring barrel delivers a maximum power reserve of 72 hours. Further mechanical highlights include a classic screw balance and a freely oscillating balance spring manufactured in-house. The characteristic Lange style comes to the fore in various movement details such as the three-quarter plate made of untreated German silver decorated with Glashütte ribbing and the hand-engraved balance cock with the elegantly curved whiplash spring for precision beat adjustment. The finissage of the tiny movement parts with lavish polishes and exquisite decorations corresponds to the high artisanal standards for which A. Lange & Söhne is known.
Specifications: Lange Saxonia Outsize Date
References 381.026 / 381.032
Movement
Lange manufacture calibre L086.8, self-winding, crafted to the most exacting Lange quality standards, decorated and assembled by hand; precision-adjusted in five positions; plates made of untreated German silver; balance cock engraved by hand
Movement parts: 286
Jewels: 40
Escapement: Lever escapement
Oscillation system: Shock-resistant screw balance; balance spring crafted in-house, frequency 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour, precision beat-adjustment system with lateral setscrew and whiplash spring
Power reserve: 72 hours when fully wound
Functions: Time indicated in hours, minutes and subsidiary seconds with stop seconds; outsize date
Operating elements: Crown for winding the watch and setting the time; rapid-correction pusher for the outsize date
Case dimensions: Diameter: 38.5 millimetres; height: 9.6 millimetres
Movement dimensions: Diameter: 30.4 millimetres; height: 5.2 millimetres
Crystal and caseback: Sapphire crystal (Mohs hardness 9)
Case
18-carat white gold / 18-carat pink gold
Dial
Solid silver, argenté / Solid silver, argenté
Hands and appliques: Rhodiumed gold / Pink gold
Strap: Hand-stitched leather, black / Hand-stitched leather, red brown
Buckle: Prong buckle in 18-carat white gold / Prong buckle in 18-carat pink gold
Lange Saxonia Thin
The recommended retail price in Germany including VAT is € 24,500, Singapore price is SGD 37,000 including GST. The launch price of the Saxonia Thin in 2018 was €20,800 incl. German VAT.
The new Saxonia Thin is a special white-gold version in a limited 50-watch edition. Its gently shimmering dial in solid silver is coated with black gold flux that contains tiny copper-coloured particles, which make the deep-black surface sparkle. A shiny black leather strap with a prong buckle in 18-carat white gold accentuates the radiant prominence of the timepiece. The 2018 model was also in white gold, but was equipped with a copper blue dial. Here is our hands-on review of the Saxonia Thin Copper Blue.
The solid-silver dial, coated with subtly shimmering black gold flux, makes the new SAXONIA THIN sparkle on the wrist. But it takes a closer look to recognise the reason. Tiny spangles distributed across the deep-black surface reflect the light to produce a copper-coloured sheen. A shiny black leather strap with a prong buckle in 18-carat white gold accentuates the distinctiveness of the timepiece.
This rare black gold-flux version is a premiere in an A. Lange & Söhne watch. It follows a SAXONIA THIN model presented in 2018 that was graced with a blue-red sparkling dial achieved with blue gold flux. The production process for gold flux was discovered in Venice in the 17th century. It is a type of glass with copper constituents. While it is being heated, the copper forms microscopically small crystals. To attain a homogeneous surface, it must be cast onto the silver dial with extreme caution.
With slender hour and minute hands as well as applied baton-style markers, the dial of the SAXONIA THIN is reduced to displaying the time in hours and minutes. The narrow bezel of the round gold case gives the dial ample space and emphasises the unusual material. Thanks to the characteristic camber of the strap lugs, the elegant watch assures a snug fit on the wrist. With a case diameter of 40 millimetres, the two-hand watch is merely 6.2 millimetres high.
As for the movement, the Saxonia Thin offers everything that makes it a typical Lange watch. With a height of only 2.9 millimetres, the manually wound calibre L093.1, developed and crafted in-house, is the thinnest A. Lange & Söhne movement so far. Despite the compact size, it offers a power reserve of three days. Two-fold assembly and the artisanal finissage of the parts comply with the manufactory’s high standards.
Brand-typical quality hallmarks include the three-quarter plate with Glashütte ribbing as well as bevelled and polished chamfers. To achieve visual balance, the chamfer of the flat-polished end piece is manually finished to match the three-quarter plate. The ratchet and crown wheels are decorated with solarisation and visibly integrated into the plate. Three screwed, manually polished gold chatons serve as bearings for the wheel train that transmits power from the mainspring barrel to the escapement. The freely oscillating screw balance beats at a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations an hour. It is located beneath the hand-engraved balance cock that carries the whiplash spring.
Lange Saxonia Thin Specifications
Ref. 211.087
Movement
Lange manufacture calibre L093.1, manually wound, crafted to the most exacting Lange quality standards, decorated and assembled by hand; precision-adjusted in five positions; plates made of untreated German silver; balance cock engraved by hand
Movement parts: 167
Jewels: 21
Screwed gold chatons: 3
Escapement: Lever escapement
Oscillation system: Shock-resistant screw balance, superior-quality balance spring manufactured in-house, frequency 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour, precision beat-adjustment system with lateral setscrew and whiplash spring
Power reserve: 72 hours when fully wound
Functions: Time in hours and minutes
Operating elements: Crown for winding the watch and setting the time
Case dimensions: Diameter: 40.0 millimetres; height: 6.2 millimetres
Movement dimensions: Diameter: 28.0 millimetres; height: 2.9 millimetres
Crystal and caseback: Sapphire crystal (Mohs hardness 9)
Case
18-carat white gold
Dial
Solid silver, black gold flux
Hands and appliques: 18-carat white gold
Strap: Leather, shiny black
Buckle: Prong buckle in 18-carat white gold
Limited edition: 50 watches Special boutique edition
