Lange und Söhne Saxonia Thin – a Future Classic

Last year A. Lange & Söhne restyled the Saxonia collection and introduced the all new Saxonia Thin. The thinnest Lange & Söhne ever, measuring just 5.9 mm in height. This year the pink gold Saxonia Thin gets a white gold sibling.

Classic, beautiful and typical Lange & Söhne style, however thin… While Lange & Söhne is well known for their robust movements like those in the Double Split and Datograph, an extra thin movement is something that is slightly out of the ordinary for this German manufacture.

The slim case measures 40 mm in diameter and just 5.9 mm in height. While it remains relatively classic proportions, the diameter of 40 mm gives the watch a certain presence on the wrist. The dial is very balanced, featuring nothing more than thin baton hour markers and a small dot next to it. Printed on the solid silver argenté dial is the name A. Lange & Söhne, the location, Glashütte I/SA, and ‘made in germany’ at the 6 o’clock position. The two sleek lancet-shaped hands indicate the hours and minutes.

The round three-part case has a polished tapered bezel, polished lugs and brush finished mid case. The case-back is partially polished and brushed with engraving around the sapphire crystal. Embossed on the crown is the A Lange & Söhne name.

Especially for the thinnest Lange & Söhne ever, they created a new movement, caliber L093.1. The movement has a diameter of 28 mm and is just 2.9 mm thick, or should I say thin. Lange & Söhne isn’t known for thin watches, but for extremely beautiful and robust movements, which are build to last. To accomplish their level of reliability, all new movements are subject to an entire range of endurance tests devised by the manufactory’s test laboratories. The new caliber L093.1 of course passed them.

The movement features like all Lange & Söhne movements, a superb level of finish. The German-silver three-quarter plate with Glashütte ribbing (a variation on Geneva stripes / Côte de Genève) as well as chamfered and polished edges. The gold chatons are secured with thermally blued screws and the wheels are sunray finished. The escapement bears the typical Lange & Söhne signature: the free-hand engraving on the balance cock.

The movement beats with a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour and has a power reserve of 72 hours.

In terms of reliability, robustness and beauty, Lange & Söhne created something outstanding with the new Saxonia Thin. It has the looks of a classic and if it lives up to the longevity we known Lange & Söhne for, than you (and the next generation) will enjoy the Saxonia Thin. With the ingredients (40 mm in diameter, classic and well balanced dial, thin but robust movement, 72 hours of power reserve) I think A. Lange & Söhne created a magnificent dress watch and a future classic!

For more information you can visit the A. Lange & Söhne website.

This article is written by Frank Geelen, executive editor of Monochrome Watches.