A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia

Saxonia is the classic line of the German manufacture A. Lange & Söhne from Glashütte and one of the first collections of the revived brand, introduced in 1994. These are formal wristwatches to wear with a suit: a round case, a calm dial and not a single superfluous detail.

Minimalism is the key to the design: slim faceted baton indices, lancet hands and a clear minute track. The case with its stepped lugs combines satin-brushed and polished surfaces.

The calibres are made in-house. The plates and bridges are made of untreated German silver, which is not electroplated and, over time, develops an even golden patina. The finishing is done by hand: Glashütte ribbing, a hand-engraved balance cock and gold chatons secured by blued-steel screws. Each movement is assembled twice: after the first assembly and adjustment it is taken apart, cleaned and assembled again for good.

Models within the collection differ in three ways. The first is the complication: the ultra-thin two-hand Saxonia Thin, the Outsize Date models, moon-phase versions and the annual calendar. The second is the winding: manual or automatic. The third is the case metal, such as white gold, pink gold or platinum.

One example is the Saxonia Moon Phase in white gold, reference 384.026: a 40 mm men's watch with a silvered dial, outsize date, moon phase and small seconds, a sapphire crystal and a transparent caseback.