A lucid design vocabulary and mechanical finesse characterise the SAXONIA OUTSIZE DATE that is now available with an argenté-coloured dial. The Lange outsize date and subsidiary seconds in a symmetric arrangement underscore the prominent look of a watch that combines technical refinement with formal harmony.
Günter Blümlein, who together with Walter Lange re-established A. Lange & Söhne 30 years ago, said: “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.” Presented in 2018, the SAXONIA OUTSIZE DATE lives up to this ambition in every respect. The two versions with black dials are now complemented by two versions with argenté-coloured dials.
Historic eminence
The name SAXONIA refers to the impressive history of Saxony. The region in south-east Germany leveraged its inventiveness and imagination as an early pioneer in the country’s industrialisation. Ferdinand Adolph Lange, the architect of Saxon fine watchmaking, also contributed to the reputation of the state with his exclusive and innovative pocket watches. His unfaltering quest to persistently improve mechanisms and thus make them more precise stillPress Release: SAXONIA OUTSIZE DATE Page 2 of 4 constitutes the foundation of Lange’s entrepreneurial philosophy. It is reflected in each of the twelve models of the current SAXONIA watch family.
A distinctive style
Starting in 1990, Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s great-grandson Walter Lange contributed significantly to the renaissance of Saxon precision watchmaking. When asked what characterises an A. Lange & Söhne watch, he said: “It was important to us from the very beginning to develop decidedly modern timepieces with sleek, classic looks.” 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. On the clearly and minimalistically designed dial 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 millimetres and a height of 9.6 millimetres, the case in white gold or pink gold exhibits classic proportions.
Mechanical finesse and craftsmanship
The common denominator of all Lange watches is the attention to detail invested in finissage and the passion for technology, artisanship, and materiality. Assembled by hand twice, the selfwinding manufacture calibre of the SAXONIA OUTSIZE DATE is an impressive example. It is based on the calibre L086.1 of 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. Thus, in the SAXONIA OUTSIZE DATE, design, mechanical prowess, and craftsmanship interact to form a fusion of the arts that lives up to the founders’ ambitions in every respect.
SAXONIA THIN
The new SAXONIA THIN presented by A. Lange & Söhne 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 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.
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