So here it is! The 2017 collection landed on Paris and it will be displayed till the 24th of May at the Lange boutique located rue de la Paix. Well, when I say the 2017 collection, it is not the full one since the complicated watches are missing and I regret it. These pieces obviously contribute to the Lange prestige and it is a pity that the people who couldn't/can't attend the SIHH don't have the opportunity to see them. So the Honey Gold Zeitwerk Decimal Minute Repeater, the Tourbograph Perpetual Calendar and the Lange 31 days in WG didn't join the party. I hope to have the ability to see them one day...



Having said that, I was happy to discover the two key pieces of the year: the Lange One Moonphase and the 1815 Annual Calendar. I will prepare reviews of both watches. In the meantime, I propose you to discover the first pictures I took during my visit and of course my first feelings.

If we consider that the Lange One Moonphase was actually introduced at the end of 2016 with the pre-SIHH event, the keystone watch of the SIHH was the 1815 Annual Calendar. It is not a surprise to see such timepiece and the way Lange designed the watch and the dial lay-out is not surprising either.

The watch is available in PG (my fav version) and in WG and of course, we find again some similarities with the 1815 Perpetual PC lay-out. The date is displayed here again with a small hand and I have to confess it is not very legible at least for me. Maybe I shall start to wear glasses.

The question is to know which is the most convincing Annual Calendar between this watch and the Saxonia Annual Calendar. In a pure design point of view, I prefer the 1815 which embodies a more "Lange" style. But when it comes to the practical point of view, the Saxonia is a clear winner. The data are more legible and I don't even speak about the big date display. After all, for a calendar watch, what is the most important display? The date... And the fact that it is an automatic watch allows the use of the winder what is not the case of the 1815 (but it is an easy watch to set). 

The 1815 Annual Calendar offers a great balance thanks to its 40mm even if the dial looks busier than with the Saxonia Annual Calendar. A positive point is that this watch gives the ability to enjoy a moonphase display in an 1815 context with a more affordable price than with the 1815 Rattrapante PC:




The white gold version:



Both watches are powered by the caliber L051.3 with a 3 day power reserve. You will notice the typical click and click spring. I appreciate that the ratchet and the crown wheel are visible:



The Lange One Moonphase is a classic of the Lange collection. It is the reason why the new version should bring something new and not just the "copy and paste" version of the previous Lange One Moonphase in the context of the new Lange One (which is in its case a very close version, aesthetically speaking of the previous one). Kudos to the Lange team who had the great idea to add a complication which is perfectly integrated in the dial lay-out. By combining the moophase and day night displays, Lange brings an extra animation on the dial even if the complications remain slow. But what a pleasure to see the sky moving all day long...

And the blue color of the disk is beautiful, even when there isn't any star on it... we also appreciate it!

No star on the disk... but who cares? The blue is beautiful!



Stars are back!



The Lange One Moonphase is available in PG, Platinum and White Gold. This last version is by far my fav one due to the contrast between the subdial and the black dial.

The Lange One Moonphase is powered by the movement L121.3 with a 3 day power reserve:



Lange has the objective to be more ambitious toward ladies customers. And this Little Lange One Moonphase is a proof of this ambition. The pink gold case diameter is 36,8mm vs the classic 38,5mm of the Lange One. The watch features a beautiful guilloché dial which makes it very refined if not sophisticated.

The Little Lange One Moonphase is a really beautiful watch but which would have deserved, in my point of view, a different color range.  I'm not sure that the very clear and white details are always welcome. The other question I have is to know if women are seduced by this type of watch or if they prefer the classic Lange One Moonphase. To be honest, the concept of ladies' and men's watches is fading and I'm sure that several men will buy this watch and several ladies will buy the classic Lange One Moonphase.

The beautiful dial of the Little Lange One Moonphase:



The watch is powered by the movement L121.2 with a 3 day power reserve. It is obviously based on the new Lange One movement as you can see it with the location of the balance wheel by the crown:




Please note that the Saxonia with MOP dials are also visible. They are very difficult watches to shoot so I prefer that you see them by yourselves, my pictures gave a poor rendering of the shades of light of the dial.

I would like to thank a lot the staff of the Lange boutique of Paris.

Fx