SIHH 2010: A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia Annual Calendar

A. Lange & Sohne went a long way developing the most complicated in-house movements and an addition to their extensive line of models of an Annual Calendar watch was only a matter of time. I am so glad it is a Saxonia model that successfully combines elegant appearance with intelligent design.

A little bit of total disclosure here: when it comes to dressy watches, I am a sucker for Lange. Okay, now that I have said it I can more or less safely admit that my heart is bleeding when I read a torrent of press releases issued by the German manufacture.

I mean, some of these models cost like a decent three-bedroom suburbian house and are still out of my reach especially now, when the global financial crisis finally starts showing its ugly face (Yeah, I think this is just the beginning of the real crisis and Greece is just one of the first real countries to call it quits on its enormous sovereign debt. God, I wish I was too pessimistic about this.) Let’s get down to business, though.

The new A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia Annual Calendar comes powered by their recently developed L085.1 SAX-0-MAT automatic movement. Designed and built totally in-house, decorated and assembled by hand, this terrific example of German ingenuity sports Lange’s Zero-Reset function that makes the small second hand at 6 o’clock either fall back or spring forward to zero depending whether it is between 0 and 30 or 30 and 60 seconds position.

Being an Annual Calendar, the watch is capable to show current date, day of week, month and even moon phase. It is not a perpetual calendar, so you will have to adjust the watch once a year, which is, let’s face it, still rather annoying. On the other hand, a perpetual calendar with leap year function would be a lot more expensive and more demanding to proper servicing, too.

The movement seats inside a rather compact white (Ref. 330.026) or pink gold (Ref. 330.032) case 38.5 mm in diameter and only 9.8 mm in height, which is really wonderful for an automatic watch.

Photos: A. Lange & Sohne

A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia Annual Calendar watch specification

Price range: N/A
Movement: Lange L085.1 SAX-0-MAT, automatic, 476 parts, 43 jewels, 21,600 vph, in-house, 5.4 mm high, 30.4 mm in diameter
Complications: Annual calendar, date, day-of-week, month, moonphase, stop seconds
Power reserve: 46 hours
Case material: White gold (Ref. 330.026) or Pink gold (Ref. 330.032)
Bezel material: White gold or Pink gold
Case shape: Round
Transparent case back: Yes, sapphire crystal caseback
Case size: 38.5 mm
Case height: 9.8 mm
Dial: Solid silver
Numerals: N/A
Hands: Rhodiumed pink gold or Blued steel
Strap: Hand-stitched crocodile strap, Lange prong buckle in solid white or pink gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: N/A