A watch shook my core.

It did so with neither complication nor flare. It did so with three hands, twelve applied indexes, a silver dial, a three-piece case, and a technically simple but perfectly executed movement.

It is the A Lange & Sohne Saxonia - 35mm manual wound in white gold.
View attachment 180754




On the wrist: the case and dial

I’ve set my eyes on the Saxonia for quite some time now. The previous iteration, housed in a larger 37mm case, wears beautifully on my 6.5 inch (or 165mm) wrist. However, in my opinion, the dial lacked a certain "umph" that's customary in the brand's other offerings, and the movement seemed a bit small for the case diameter. For these reasons, I was able to resist its temptation.



A subtle change in dial layout, from the dot-dash indexes to the more assertive double-dash design, and a minor contraction in case diameter did wonders to the overall appeal of the watch. In my opinion, the current Saxonia embodies more presence and purpose even though it is 2mm smaller. And thanks to the reduced case size, the calibre now fills up the watch, resulting in a more balanced view on the movement side.

Off the wrist : the movement

Despite being the simplest movement of ALS, the L941.1 took my breath away the very first time I laid my eyes on it, and it continues to impress.

The use of German silver (an alloy of copper, zinc, and nickel) and the perfectly applied Glashutte stripes give the movement an aged and creamy character, which contrasts nicely against the cool, brushed, white gold casing.



The signature ¾ plate doesn’t feature any sharp and challenging interior angle. Nevertheless, the finishing on those round edges is executed to perfection. The red jewels on the top plate are enclosed by gold chatons, which are then secured by heated blue screws; all polished to perfection. The cap jewel for the escape wheel is placed in a black-polished steel setting, which is chamfered so that it blends perfectly into the anglage of the ¾ plate.

Another feature I love is the small opening on the top plate, through which I can observe the “click” as I wind the watch; amazingly, even the tiny click mechanism has beveled edges!

The hand-engraved balance cock is another draw. This is the one place on the movement that has the most human touch, as the superwomen at ALS carve out the markings one by one. This is the unique identifier of my Lange, as no other movement will feature the same engraving. I would love to meet the engraver of my Saxonia, and have her signature (much like the photo below!)



The list of perfectly executed details continues, some of which I have yet discovered. And that’s the most amazing feature of the watch – the closer I look, the more pleasantly surprised I am.



Why the impact?

I recently went through a phase chasing after complications and heritage. I firmly believed that the only watches worth collecting are the rare, technical, and historically important pieces.

When I saw this 35mm Saxonia, something sparked inside. I simply loved the watch, and I could care less about collectability. True, this watch doesn't house any complication, isn't technically important to the industry or brand, nor is it rare; but this is the watch that I love wearing - and that's that.

Besides loving how it looks on my wrist, I also admire its character: beneath the simple yet elegant appearance, there is a soulfully executed calibre. There is more than what meets the eye - and the closer and longer I look, the more I appreciate the piece. That's the kind of gentleman I strive to be.



Just like that, my priorities have been realigned - while collectability is important, nothing should come before genuine passion for a watch. The 35mm Saxonia rekindled that passion in my still-maturing collection.

Thank you all for reading.

Pete

Epilogue: I want to give a shout-out to the newly re-opened Marshall Pierce in Chicago, through whom I acquired my beloved Saxonia. This family owned shop has an incredible inventory of Richemont pieces, including the enamel dial JLC Duometre a Quantieme Lunaire, the platinum Vacheron Patriamony Traditionelle with slate grey dial, and a good number of Lange complicated watches that I lust over. The owner and his associates are all passionate and knowledgeable watch collectors, and will make you feel at home even if you’re just there to admire and chat about timepieces.

 

nice watch

 

Beautiful!

 

Thank you!

 

A most excellent and classic dress watch Pete.

 

oh; I forgot to coment on the poetry -- good job -- vinn

 

Great watch and great post.

 

Telling the time without complication

My current trend of buying non date watches, I understands you completely

 

thanks @ulackfocus ! Part of the challenge now is to dress this baby down to business casual. If you have strap suggestions, please do let me know

Thank you both @vinn2 @DTMwatch !

Yes - simplicity is trend-proof. I am 100% with you @STANDY

 

That subdial is very catching.

Nice watch. Nice write up. Respect for your passion.

 

Thank you @oddboy !

 

Simply beautiful

 

Blow away all of the weird dial layouts, extra subdials and overly ornate hand styles. Then reduce the case to a classic style without huge crowns/buttons and pushers and you arrive at something like the Saxonia.

This is indeed a classic.

I think the only way it could be improved would be heat blued hands and indexes (my opinion only).

Now that would be a watch that would give me a real problem with finances

 

"heated and blued" hands. very artistic and easy to do. BUT, will sacrifice originality on newer watches, and may lose the temper in the steel.

 

terrific watch, Pete.

I am a vintage collector exclusively. But this model has long been one of the few contemporary models that I would consider owning.

Regards,

Tony C.

 

You know, I really really love the blue hands of the original 1815 36mm. Even after owning the Saxonia, I still would love to own the 1815 up down, precisely because of the blue hands. But I think blue applied indexes might make the dial a bit too busy.

Thanks Tony. I think this new Saxonia, with the reduced case size, really make the case-back proportions perfect. So for the vintage collectors who want an occasional (yet awesome) movement view, this is a fantastic option. And I think the 35mm is a comfortable size for most vintage lovers (myself included)

 

Exquisit.

 

white gold, my favorite, as opposed to gold

 

Nice one Peter! As MikiJ will tell you, once the Lange bug bites, it bites hard ;-)

Lange's blue hands are exquisite, esp with a WG case, and I'd agree with you that the 36mm 1815 /down would be a very nice companion.

And congrats on a return to simplicity - three hands, time-only, manually-wound - sometimes one doesn't need anything more than that.

 

Thank you Nigel! Yes the Lange bug has bitten hard. Good thing that I have a wife/police at home to stop the madness. But the 36mm 1815 up down is definitely on the radar....

A toast to simplicity