Being understated seems to be a thing that appeals in particular to the German watch brands. A. Lange & Söhne is no exception to this and has made a name for itself, with classic designs in which less is more. The Saxonia Thin is the watch that highlights this in its purest form, with nothing but two elegant hands, aided by twelve hour markers to tell time. But while it seems to be so easy to create a watch so pure in terms of design, brands like A. Lange & Söhne know all too well that the devil is in the details.

Sometimes it seems almost mandatory; diamonds on a ladies watch. As if the use of these precious stones marks the difference for which sex a timepiece is created. While they can certainly add something, a watch without diamonds can be just as feminine, as these four watches prove!

Understated watches are a realm of their own. They often require a connoisseurs eye to recognize them as something special, but special they are indeed. They please their owners with refined movement, subtle details and the knowledge that they have something exceptional around the wrist. They are the 'sleeper cars' of the watch industry, and these are four of the most desirable.

The Saxonia Dual Time from A. Lange & Söhne is in many ways a very discreet watch. This starts with its size. Measuring just 38.5 millimeters in diameter, and with a height of only 9.1 millimeters, is this watch modestly sized. On the wrist, it wears slightly larger as the vast majority of its diameter is dedicated to the dial. While also available in pink gold, the white gold version adds even further to its discretion.

Being A. Lange & Söhne comes with expectations, and at this years SIHH, the brand had once again no trouble meeting, and even exceeding, them! The beauty is that for this they used the full extent of their collection, paying homage to the perseverance, and excellent taste, of the man who resurrected A. Lange & Söhne to its current glory, Walter Lange, as well as introduce a unique complication!

Yes, we love highly complicated watches, but sometimes you want something pure and elegant, something understated yet with a powerful design, something like the Saxonia Automatik by A.lange & Söhne.

A look at a handful of the most inspiring dress watch designs in recent history and some thoughts on why they're perfect the way they are.

Introduced at SIHH 2017, the new collection from A. Lange & Söhne is currently touring major capitals to provide you with a first-hand experience of the timepieces months before their expected delivery dates in stores.