A. Lange & Söhne

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in white gold ... completely agree with you foversta re: the metal.

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An extra hand: 1815 UP/DOWN

The sublimely perfect four-hand 1815 UP/DOWN with a power-reserve indicator reflects the A. Lange & Söhne style in its purest form. The number 1815 in its name refers to the birth year of the founder of Saxon precision watchmaking, Ferdinand A. Lange – its design is inspired by his legendary pocket watches.


A four-hand classic: 1815 UP/DOWN

A. Lange & Söhne’s 1815 stands for noble understatement at the pinnacle of horology. Its three-day movement has now been paired with a power-reserve mechanism. In the new 1815 UP/DOWN, an additional blued-steel hand at 8 o’clock indicates how long the watch will continue to run before having to be rewound. The display with AUF for the fully wound and AB for the fully unwound movement is a traditional A. Lange & Söhne characteristic that dates back to a patent granted in 1879.


The principle employed in the 1815 UP/DOWN also relies on a patent filed by Otto Lange, one of the grandsons of the manufactory’s founder. His invention was specially conceived for slender watches: a planetary gear system integrated in the movement drives the display without requiring extra vertical space. Lange adopted the same approach for the power-reserve indicator of the 1815 UP/DOWN. On the plate side, two additional gold chatons in the three-quarter plate made of German silver refer to the presence of the power-reserve mechanism. Despite the supplementary 57 parts, the L051.2 manufacture movement has exactly the same dimensions as that of the 1815 without the UP/DOWN indicator: a height of 4.6 millimetres and a diameter of 30.6 millimetres. Beneath the hand-engraved balance cock, a classic screw balance and an indexless oscillator assure optimised rate accuracy together with a balance spring developed and manufactured in-house, which is calibrated to a frequency of 21,600 semioscillations per hour.



With its 245 parts lavishly finished by hand, manufacture calibre L051.2 features a host of hallmarks that underscore Lange’s watchmaking artistry: they include chamfered and polished edges, Glashütte ribbing on the three quarter plate, gold chatons secured with blued screws, the polished endpiece of the escape-wheel cock, and winder wheels decorated with solarisation that are visibly integrated in the plate. The case and prong buckle of the 1815 UP/DOWN are crafted from 18-carat yellow, white, or pink gold; all model variations have an argenté dial made of solid silver. Superb legibility is guaranteed thanks to black numerals and blued-steel hands. With a railwaytrack minute scale, Arabic numerals, and symmetrically arranged subsidiary dials for the power-reserve indicator and the small seconds, the 1815 UP/DOWN pays tribute to the style elements of Lange’s acclaimed pocket watches, now transposed in a contemporary way to the dimensions of a wristwatch.

I presented with details the Grand Lange 1 "Lumen" when it was released in the context of a pre-SIHH event organized in Saxony:
alang.watchprosite.com

One month later, I didn't change my mind.

This watch manages to combine the elegance of the Grand  Lange 1 design with a very contemporary style. It really highlights the big date display by showing dial side the system. Moreover, the visible perlage on the movement plate gives a more technical atmosphere.

The crystal coating is not the same than with the Zeitwerk Luminous because, with the different light conditions, it can be perceived from grey-blue to black while the Zeitwerk was exploring another colours range.

Please find below some "fresh" pics taken during the SIHH:

The Grand Lange 1 "Lumen" takes advantage of the slender case of the Grand Lange 1:

The movement L095.2 features a large 3/4 plate:

When the light conditions change, the dial becomes lighter or darker:

Fr.Xavier

the more pics I see, the more I regret the GREEN lume color of the Roman numerals... why slime-green? HMmmmmm. Well, I love the watch conceptually, but am cooling off a bit on it.

But IMHO, due to the complex dial, the colour of the figures works well here.

Thanks for your comments!

Fx


This message has been edited by foversta on 2013-02-03 08:51:28

So the green numerals are not 'green'? Or they are green, but it works to your eyes? VERY VERY interested! Thank you sincerely.

For me, they are closer to light green and the meaning of my words was to say that they combine well with the dial. Moreover, the Lumen can really change with the light conditions as you can see on the  wristshots:





Mostel, I have the feeling that the piece I saw during the pre-SIHH had a slighlty different luminous colour, closer to white. I do believe that the pictures above are now the closest to the final version.

I hope that you will be able to see it in the metal soon to get your own point of view.

Best.

Fx

you are an amazing help and really generous with replies foversta!!

The enlightenment of the outsize date

The limited GRAND LANGE 1 “Lumen” offers enlightenment: a semi-transparent dial exposes the ingenious mechanism of the first luminescent outsize date display by A. Lange & Söhne.


Legible even in the dark: GRAND LANGE 1 “Lumen”

When it was first presented, it evoked excitement and kicked off a trend that soon found many imitators: the Lange outsize date. Together with the asymmetric dial, it elevated the LANGE 1 to the status of an icon of classic design. However, the secret behind the complex mechanism responsible for this unprecedented date display format remained hidden beneath the solid-silver dial. Now, the GRAND LANGE 1 with the Latin attribute “Lumen” reveals this secret. The name of the timepiece, which comes in a limited edition of 200 watches in platinum cases, says it all. Parts of its dial consist of semi-transparent sapphire crystal. Only the outer ring and the surfaces of the displays for hours and minutes as well as small seconds are made of blackened silver. The sapphire crystal surfaces reveal the disc mechanism of the first outsize date that glows in the dark. Additionally, the time and the power reserve are also legible in the dark.



The technical challenge encountered during the development of the GRAND LANGE 1 “Lumen” was to ensure maximum luminosity for the date display, even immediately after the daily switching operation. Lange’s product developers solved this issue in an exceptional way. While the tens cross was coated with a white luminous compound and subsequently imprinted with black numerals, the units disc consists of transparent glass imprinted with black numerals and rotates before a luminous background.


The sapphire crystal sections of the dial are treated with a special coating that blocks most of the visible spectrum of light. For the invisible UV light spectrum, however, the coating does not represent a barrier. Therefore, UV radiation can pass through to the luminous surfaces of the outsize date unhindered. This produces an interesting side effect: the date platform with its manually applied perlage, normally seen only by the watchmaker during the assembly process, is now visible to the owner as well. The small, overlapping circular graining produced by hand using a rotating abrasive peg is normally concealed underneath the dial.


The craftsmanship and virtuosity invested in the L095.2 manufacture movement, which is assembled twice, can also be admired from the other side through the sapphire-crystal caseback. Indeed, the GRAND LANGE 1 “Lumen” radiates charisma from every angle. Only last year, A. Lange & Söhne endowed the GRAND LANGE 1 with a totally new, manually wound calibre. The omission of the second mainspring barrel as well as the effective arrangement of the parts reduced the overall height of the calibre without any compromise in terms of power reserve, making it possible to transpose the graceful dial, architecture of the LANGE 1 to the enlarged model. The dial of the GRAND LANGE 1 “Lumen” presents the indications of the hours, minutes, seconds, outsize date, and power reserve without any overlaps.

The Grand Lange 1 in WG is not the most surprising watch of the Salon but thanks to its black dial, it is one of my fav novelties. It is even a watch I can consider to buy.

Actually, it is much more than the a Grand Lange 1 with a mere black dial. This black dial has a lot of subtle details.

First of all, it is not a deep black dial: I had the feeling when I saw it that it was closer to anthracite grey rather than pure black. Moreover there is a small contrast between the colour of the subdials and the colour of the main part of the dial. It is due to the specific finishings of these subdials which create sunrays reflection.

Secondly, it features luminous index and hands. It is not the come-back of the previous Grand Lange 1 "Luminous"! This Grand Lange 1 is much more elegant and refined. I appreciated these luminous details which can't be found in the first 3 Grand Lange 1.

And, last point, the dark colour of the dial makes it a bit smaller on the wrist than the light dial Grand Lange 1: the watch becomes even more balanced, being a bit between the classic Lange 1 and the last year Grand Lange 1.

The true question about it is to know if the decision to keep the white big date was the right one. I think so. The white colour animates the dial and the date is more legible. Actually, I prefer the black date on the classic black Lange 1 "Darth" (platinum case) but with this size, I prefer the white one.

Thanks to these details, Lange managed to avoid to fall into monotony: this black dial is far from being boring.

The movement L095.1 and its large 3/4 plate. As you know, it features a single barrel.

Perfect on my wrist, I'm under the charm of this watch!

Of course, it is not as spectacular as the 1815 Rattrapante PC but at least, I can afford it... and I love it!

Fr.Xavier

Elegance in black: GRAND LANGE 1

Among artists, designers, and avant-gardists, black is considered to be an expression of timeless elegance and creativity. It is a colour that radiates distinction and sophistication. So does the new GRAND LANGE 1, with its black solid-silver dial as well as luminous hands and appliques.


With unique assets such as the off-centre dial configuration, the outsize date, the three-day movement, and the flawless craftsmanship of its manufacture calibre, the LANGE 1 triggered a fresh breeze in the realm of precision watchmaking when it was launched 18 years ago. Since then, it has been the face of A. Lange & Söhne.

Featuring a more slender silhouette and a totally new manufacture calibre, the GRAND LANGE 1 became an icon in its own right last year. For this model, Lange’s developers succeeded in preserving the 72- hour power reserve of the LANGE 1, but this time with a single mainspring barrel. This decision reduced the vertical space occupied by the movement. The characteristic dial architecture of the LANGE 1 was proportionally transposed to the larger model.


With its white-gold case and black dial, the new model variation of the GRAND LANGE 1 projects a striking personality. Thanks to luminous hands and appliques in rhodiumed gold, the time and the power reserve are highly legible even in the dark. The charismatic elegance of the new LANGE 1 family member is underscored with a black crocodile strap and a Lange prong buckle in solid white gold.

The manufacture calibre L095.1 features a classic screw balance, a balance spring developed and produced in-house, the brand-typical movement architecture with a three-quarter plate made of untreated German silver and lavishly hand-decorated movement components. It is endowed with all of the characteristics that have made timepieces by A. Lange & Söhne synonymous with the apex of Saxon watchmaking artistry among connoisseurs all over the world – and timeless classics for the wrist.

 

The Saxonia Annual Calendar in Platinum gives us the opportunity to enjoy one more time the Sax-O-Mat movement. Sadly, this iconic 3/4 rotor automatic movement is only available now in the Lange collection with the automatic calendar watches.

If you remember well when this Saxonia was introduced, two versions were available: WG and PG with blued or PG hands.

Even if I appreciated the perfect balance of the dial (some may find it a bit... boring because too balanced), I was less convinced by the use of the blued hands.

The new Platinum version is more than just a change of case material. It appears to be really different when compared with the WG version. The rhodiumed gold hands create a beautiful combo with the solid silver rhodié dial. The watch is in my point of view more refined. At this stage, I don't understand why when the WG version was introduced it was not presented with hands of the same material & colour than the case like the PG one. Because the Saxonia Annual Calendar looks much nicer in this platinum version.

The first two Saxonia Annual Calendar:


When I turn over the watch, I can enjoy the beauty of the L085.1 Sax-O-Mat movement. What a pleasure to see it again! Of course, its power reserve is maybe too short for a calendar watch (I would prefer at least 72 hours of power reserve to wear another watch during the end of the weak) but it is not that important.

With  case diameter of 38,5mm and a perfect dial lay-out, the Saxonia Annual Calendar is a very balanced watch. The platinum case adds weight on the wrist (you clearly feel it) and I like this.

The balance of the dial:

The moonphase indicator adds a colourful touch. The combo hands&dial is much more convincing here than with the first two Saxonia Annual Calendar:

Always a pleasure to enjoy the view of the Sax-O-Mat movement:

38,5mm is a good size for this kind of watch:

Fr.Xavier


This message has been edited by foversta on 2013-02-02 02:28:33

Sublime clarity: SAXONIA ANNUAL CALENDAR in platinum

Since it had its debut three years ago, the articulately designed SAXONIA ANNUAL CALENDAR has become a benchmark in the calendar watch category. Apart from the models in pink and white gold, it now comes in platinum as well. The rhodiumed silver dial of the SAXONIA ANNUAL CALENDAR delivers its information in a clear and well-organised manner. And its new platinum case gives this horological opus a physique that is both understated and exclusive.


In addition to the time, the dial of the SAXONIA ANNUAL CALENDAR indicates the date, the month, the day of the week, and the moonphase. An ingenious mechanical program assures that the different durations of the months with 30 and 31 days are always correctly displayed throughout the year. The date must only be advanced once a year, with pushbutton ease, by the way, at the transition from February to March. If the watch has been set aside for a longer period of time, the calendar indications and the moon phase can be updated quickly and easily with recessed push pieces.


Besides the combination of an annual calendar and the Lange outsize date, the SAXONIA ANNUAL CALENDAR features an exceptionally accurate moon-phase display. It only needs to be corrected by one day every 122 years.

The legendary self-winding SAX-0-MAT calibre is the heart of this watch. Its patented ZERO-RESET function makes it easy to accurately set the time. When the crown is pulled, the movement stops and the seconds hand jumps to the zero position. Then, the minute hand can be aligned with the respective minute marker; when the crown is pushed home again, the watch will restart precisely to the second.


A glance through the sapphire-crystal caseback of the SAXONIA ANNUAL CALENDAR reveals the magnificently finished movement. All parts are individually decorated and polished by hand. Ample power is delivered by the bidirectionally winding rotor in 21-carat gold above the three-quarter plate made of untreated German silver. The centrifugal mass in platinum on the outer edge of the rotor adds extra inertia. The rotor is positioned such that it does not obstruct the view of the beating heart of this watch: the classic screw balance. It oscillates beneath the manually decorated balance cock: the master engraver's artistic signature makes each watch unique.

Last year was presented a Saxonia Automatic with a diamond set bezel and a MOP dial.

This year, Lange unveiled a similar watch in a 38,5mm case without the MOP dial in order to meet the expectations of some male customers who look for a precious watch with a less feminine design.

I'm not a great fan of this kind of timepiece. I much prefer the combo created by the diamonds and the MOP dial, I find it warmer, more elegant with some nice shades of colour. Anyway, I can easily imagine that this version will attract customers who want to wear 76 diamonds on the wrist in a more discrete context. Because above all, the watch gathers all the qualities of a Lange watch. Of course, I would have prefered a Sax-O-Mat movement rather than a central rotor one but the L086.1 has 72 hours of power reserve which is a positive point.

PG:

Both versions:

The central rotor movement:

The 76 diamonds are quite discreet:

Fr.Xavier

Precious in every respect: SAXONIA AUTOMATIC

The diamond-studded SAXONIA AUTOMATIC in a case made of solid white or pink gold coalesces the genius of watchmakers with the virtuosity of gemsetters.


Timeless elegance: SAXONIA AUTOMATIC in white gold

Elaborate mechanical watches no longer appeal only to men. More and more women expect finesse to embrace the inside of a watch as well. For them, A. Lange & Söhne timepieces are surely the preferred choice because they combine the best of both worlds: supreme craftsmanship and timeless elegance. This also applies to the new jewelled version of the SAXONIA AUTOMATIC. For this ladies' watch, the main objective of the product developers at the eminent Saxon manufactory was to create a perfect symbiosis of engineering, artisanship, and design.


Like all members of the elegant SAXONIA watch family, the SAXONIA AUTOMATIC reflects a style that is at once classic and contemporary. Its clearly configured solid-silver dial is framed by a bezel set with 76 brilliant-cut diamonds. Both elements gracefully complement the case in white or pink gold. The watch owes its eloquent proportions to a calibre which is only 3.7 millimetres high; it is the thinnest self-winding movement made so far by the master watchmakers of A. Lange & Söhne. A central rotor with ball bearings and a platinum centrifugal mass delivers ample winding power. The maximum power reserve of three days is built up after only a short time on the wrist. The ultimate in mechanical precision and superb craftsmanship endow the movement with the sublime quality that fully befits the sparkling outward appearance of the watch.

 

 

 

The report is over now. I hope that you had the same pleasure to discover the 2013 novelties than me a few days ago in Geneva. After having written this report, my first feelings were confirmed. In my point of view, this 2013 collection is a very solid and convincing one with a good mix between exclusive watches (1815 Rattrapante PC) and more "affordable" ones (1815 Up and Down and Grand Lange 1 WG). Of course, the Grande Complication gives another dimension but I hope to be able to come back on it in the future.

Actually, this collection is a good summary of what we expect from Lange: not a wide range of novelties but several new movements with perfect behaviour and  finishings. The aesthetical approach of this year is very interesting to observe with 3 watches (Grande Complication and the 2 1815) inspired by pocket watches from the past. The two complicated watches don't use the big date display but on the other hand, this display remains one of the key parts of Lange DNA as the Grand Lange 1 WG and "Lumen" remind us this fact.

I would like to also add that I was perfectly welcome by the whole Lange team during the week. The Lange booth is a bit my "home sweet home" at the SIHH and more than the watches by themselves, the delight was to share with the Lange staff and the other Lange fans our feelings about the watchs of the Salon and the latest news. Walter Lange  could appreciate this warm atmosphere during the week. So thanks a lot to everybody!


Next year will be important because we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first collection but in the meantime, we have the full year to discover more and more details about the 2013 collection. I will of course have the opportunity to come back more deeply on these novelties during the upcoming months. So stay tuned!

Fr.Xavier

This message has been edited by foversta on 2013-02-02 02:12:34

You're a great ambassador of Lange's watches, thanks for this wide overview after the SiHH 2013.

Your seat is ready at the Boutique!



About the 2013 collection, your words are giving a perfect summary of what I think too.

Fx

Best,

--

Richard.

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Thanks for the beautiful complete report!

Although i have to say it again that i am not particularly turned on by any of the watches, this is good for me as it allows my funds to rest for awhile.

Till next year!

Tschuss

Stephen

In my case, the Grand Lange 1 WG is growing on me...



Fx

Can see one in my future. Cheers, 

As I wrote, it is a watch I can consider in my collection... the slender case + the black dial=a beautiful combo.

Thanks SteelerFan!

Fx

Excellent coverage my friend...and seeing you at SIHH,albeit for a short while.

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Which I found most interesting to read and well balanced.