Goldarth's Review

Characterized by elegant, distinctive watches with an extraordinary level of movement finish, A. Lange & Söhne is a brand admired by enthusiasts for their attention to detail. This year, they impressed the crowd at SIHH with their 2007 novelties, which include a watch with an astounding month-long power reserve.



New at the Lange stand at Geneva's 2007 SIHH show was the manually-wound Lange 31, which features an amazing month-long power reserve. The 31 in the name, therefore, starts to make sense, as it refers to the number of days the constant-force escapement takes to unwind – that's 744 hours, when most watches last just 40-odd. This incredible innovation is brought about by having two stacked mainspring barrels with mainsprings that are over six feet long – up to ten times longer than is the norm. This has necessitated the reintroduction of key-winding – commonly used in the days of the pocket watch – which makes winding these strong, long springs much easier. Just as impressive as the length of the power reserve is the way it is delivered – with constant rate accuracy throughout the month. To ensure this, Lange used a constant-force escapement. The Lange 31 is made of platinum in a diameter of 46 mm.



Although the model is now six years old, the Langematik Perpetual from A. Lange & Söhne is now available in a new version with a precious pink gold case with a precious metal dial. The self-winding watch has an outsize date and a perpetual calendar function with separate push pieces for individual correction of the calendar's indications – although once set, the calendar should be accurate up till 28 February 2100. Internally, there are 478 hand-finished parts, with movement plates and bridges made from untreated German silver. The power reserve is 46 hours, and comes with a patented “Zero-Reset” mechanism. The 38.5 mm case is made of pink gold, while the dial is made of solid silver.



For 2007, the Saxonia family of classically-styled watches from A. Lange & Söhne has been redesigned 13 years since it was first launched. The Saxonia watch combines sleek contours with a legible dial. Understated simplicity and high-quality finish combine to create an elegant watch for any occasion. The 37 mm case is available in yellow, pink, or white gold with a solid-silver dial. The Saxonia Automatik and Grand Saxonia Automatik share the elegant, classic design of the Saxonia, but have a movement that has an automatic-winding rotor, and a “Zero-Reset” feature which causes the seconds hand to jump to zero when the crown is pulled, aiding the wearer with time synchronization. Both the 37 mm Saxonia Automatik and 40.6 mm Grand Saxonia Automatik are available in white or pink gold.