By Carl Scutt
From its debut back in 2010 to its revamp in 2017 that made such a splash at SIHH, the latest incarnation is technically identical to the original. But don’t let the fact put you off, because the first thing to remember is that the A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Annual Calendar is a really nice piece and the updates on this limited edition only improve on a fine example of their work.
Tasteful?
It’s all about personal taste when it comes to watch design and that’s why every watch ever built has someone who loves it. This update for me is just great. Normally I like a subtle look and feel but depending on my mood I might become slightly more adventurous by way of colour or shade, and it’s exactly this element I like in the new A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Annual Calendar.
The practical complication encased in the 38.5mm piece is the automatic Sax-O-Mat caliber with the A.Lange signature big date display. Atop of the movement we see the delightful grey dial against the white gold casing, white markers, subdials and date. All this set against the bright blue moonphase and leather strap.
Some people might not like this but as I said, it’s all about personal taste. For the combination of a brushed grey dial with the matching white-on-grey markings are bordering on perfection.
The Details
So, it’s a 38.5mm with 9.8mm of depth making it a perfectly reasonable size, big enough to be noticed and small enough to be comfortable. The case is white gold which works really well with the grey on white dial and markers, and I’m really glad they opted for the splash of blue in the moonphase and strap to make it pop.
The movement is a known quantity so no surprises here but its got everything you would expect from the L.085.1. Hours, minutes, seconds, annual calendar including the month, day of the week, date, and moonphase.
For you guys who like the finer details, you’ll be happy to know it rocks a 46 hours power reserve, has automatic winding via micro-rotor which incidentally combines a black rhodium finish with circular graining, giving a black-and-gold appearance. This baby is made up of 476 components, runs at 21,600 vph and uses 43 jewels for a smooth performance.
Oh, and it has stop-seconds mechanism with zero-reset; plates and bridges made of untreated German silver.
Final Word
As is usually the case in the world of horology new editions are generally an iteration of a previous manifestation, and the A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Annual Calendar is no different in that respect. I really like it but there’s one problem, only 25 pieces are being made and they will only be available through Lange’s U.S. boutiques in New York City, Costa Mesa, California, and Miami for the princely sum of $54,500. For more info, visit A. Lange & Söhne online.
