1815 Chronograph (Photo: A. Lange & Sohne)
The German watchmaker goes to the dark side with two Saxonia watches and a 1815 Chronograph timepiece.
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Photo: A. Lange & Sohne
Above Photo: A. Lange & Sohne

In January this year, A. Lange & Söhne revealed a new look for some of its most beloved models in Geneva. The Saxonia Outsize Date and the Saxonia Moon Phase now come in sleek black dials. And while the 1815 Chronograph debuted a black dial last year with a white gold case, this year the inky face is paired with the fine gloss of 18k pink gold.

Black evokes power and authority, making the colour an even better fit than the previous silver for the robust mechanical instruments. Although there is the option of white gold case, the pink gold case offers, in our humble opinion, a more superior match, striking and elegant at the same time.

“Of course, the same functionality and precision could also be achieved with less effort,” notes Anthony de Haas, director of product development. “But for us, the priority is always on the emotional experience.” 

Also see: The best watches at Red Dot Design Awards 2018

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Saxonia Moon Phase (Photo: A. Lange & Sohne)
Above Saxonia Moon Phase (Photo: A. Lange & Sohne)
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Saxonia Outsize Date (Photo: A. Lange & Sohne)
Above Saxonia Outsize Date (Photo: A. Lange & Sohne)

Subtle design differences between the watches reflect the meticulousness of the watch maison’s designers. For instance, the double date counters for the Saxonia Outsize Date is actually slightly smaller than the Saxonia Moon Phase because the latter’s case diameter is smaller at 38.5mm compared to the Moon Phase’s 40mm. The 4% decrease preserves the overall visual harmony that includes a small seconds counter at ‘6’, slim hands and applied gold baton indexes.

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1815 Chronograph (Photo: A. Lange & Sohne)
Above 1815 Chronograph (Photo: A. Lange & Sohne)

Small dial updates for the 1815 Chronograph, apart from the inclusion of black, include the integration of the peripheral pulsimeter scale, which necessitates the reduction of the minute scale’s radius. The hands have also been shortened and narrowed.

Attila Hartwig is responsible for the lifestyle images seen here. “The sleek dial of an A. Lange & Söhne watch resembles the elegant façade of a modern building,” surmises the Berlin-based photographer who uses clear materials such as Perspex, mirrors and prisms to produce architectural vigour.

For more cool architectural style, check out the DeGem ARchT collection

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