A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin And The Purity Of Design

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.

This starts with the dimensions of the watch. Even a fraction of a millimeter off can wreak havoc on the purity of its design. A. Lange & Söhne, therefore, opted for a case with a diameter of 37mm. This seems to be small by today’s fashion but has the advantage that the watch itself doesn’t cover the complete wrist, but leaves room for a supportive role of the strap, creating that sense of classic elegance.

Such a thing could only be maintained if the thickness of the watch is contained. The Saxonia Thin achieves this thanks to manufacture caliber L093.1. This manual wind movement has a height of only 2.9mm, allowing the case of the watch itself to be only a mere  5.9mm. Despite its thinness, does the movement deliver everything we have come to expect from A. Lange & Söhne. It features, of course, the three-quarter plate, so typical for German watchmaking, and each part is finished to sheer perfection. Remarkable is that the movement, despite its small dimensions, still delivers a power reserve of a very generous 72 hours when fully wound.

The most understated version of the Saxonia Thin is, without a doubt, the version with the white gold case and silver dial. Yet even this watch invokes on everybody that sees it that it is indeed something special. It does so not only by the perfect dimensions but also through perfect execution, with a flawless finish of the dial on which the polished hands and hour markers seem to float. The version in pink gold delivers this same sense of perfection, yet in a more classic configuration. Yet even a brand like A. Lange & Söhne sometimes needs to let go, and proof that the purity of design can also be highlighted by a more outgoing touch, such as they did with the Saxonia Thin in white gold with a dial in copper-blue with a gold-flux coating.