A Lange showdown :-)
Both these watches although different in form and function have two things in common - superbly finished movements and elegance personified. I know the Little Lange is aimed at the female market but I cannot help but admire the beautiful guilloched dial a...
Are you looking for an elegant watch?
If you are then I cannot see how you can pass on the Saxonia Thin. Besides being simply beautiful (and beautifully simple); besides costing about 60% of a Calatrava (only a Cartier Tank is in this "elegance/price" league); and besides its stunning finishi...
Thanks Mike! :-)
Your points cover all the important areas and would be difficult to argue against!
Having agonised over this ...
Repeatedly over the past 2 years, I have come back to the conclusion the small Lange thin saxonia is a purchase you make with your brain but not your heart. It is great value and so perfect in so many ways but ... it’s just dull after a while. I would soo...
Thank you Blourenco!
I could never make any purchase without my heart being involved!! I always advise my friends never to buy a watch if they like it, buy it only if they love it! I agree that the more elaborate dial of the Lange 1 makes it a joy to ogle at especially in its...
My precise thoughts! :-)
Thank you Alkiro. Would you happen to know if it works on a single or double barrel? I ask because I once owned a 1815 up and down which worked on a single barrel to power the 72 hours power reserve and I had to wind the watch in excess of 150 turns which...
Yes it’s a single barrel. Quite consistent for an ultra thin watch
Best wishes Alkiro
That is a real pity!
I agree a single barrel is quite normal for an ultra thin watch but Lange should have settled for a 45 hour power reserve like on the saxonia 35mm. Having a 72 hour power reserve means way too much winding every 3 days.
When a manufacturer
decided to make an ultra thin watch, the power reserve should be one of its lowest priorities in my opinion. As long as the power reserve exceeds say 36 hours that would be fine as the beauty of the watch is in its thinness and in the case of the Lange, t...
I agree Alkiro!
But I doubt if any customer who wants a significant power reserve would be willing to wind a watch 150 turns!
Indeed! 😊
Think about the Lange 31 and its little handle/key to wind it (not too long in fact) 😁 Best wishes Alkiro
Winding with a key
to obtain a 31 day power reserve once a month is almost something to look forward to!!
Wrist???
My wrist is as big as Schwarzy's middle finger!! Here is my where my ankle becomes useful
Hmmmm, the Lange AD
just called me to say that despite the single barrel, it would take 40 turns to fully wind the Saxonia thin. This I must check for myself
as a matter of curiousity
do you feel that German mechanism are more pleasurable to wind that Swiss mechanisms? Just curious. The best winding mechanism I have experienced has been the Gruebel Forsey Signature One. I wish a photo had been taken of my smile while I wound that watch...
Kudos to the Germans in that case! :-)
I believe Lange has set such high standards that all the other German companies have more or less followed suit. Lucky us!
You should treat yourself to a
1815 up and down - in excess of 150 turns guaranteed!!
I love winding mechanical watches
and in fact turning the crown is one of the tests I would put any watch through before purchasing it. I may be guilty of a lack of patience here but 150 turns is too many turns even on a beautiful winding mechanism. I reckon 25 to 30 turns daily would be ...
The line is too fine at times Alkiro!
There should be a health warning on watch collecting. A passion that can make give you immense pleasure at an unquantifiable cost!
You’re right when you said that the limit is very thin when it comes to our addiction 😊
I think we should open a new section here: “the Watcholics Anonymous”! That could help all of us here 😁 Best wishes Alkiro
As a Saxonia 35mm owner for almost a year...
I would say the Saxonia Thin 37mm gets my vote. Not only it represents great value for its finishing, but it also gives you a lovely, precious, warm tranquility (in Rose Gold). The feeling of winding my 35mm is just out of this world. I can do it all day ...
I think
the argente dial on the little Lange 1 appears more white no thanks to that white strap! Should one replace it with the standard burgundy/brown strap, the dial would look less white and more silverish. I have to confess that I am arguably an exceedingly s...
My vote is for the Saxonia thin
The problem I have with the guilloche on the Lange 1 isn't that it is feminine (I don't think it is), its that I don't like it. It seems too 'aggressive' and unvaried.
I appreciate your feedback, thank you :-)
It is interesting to read that you do not like the guillloche on the Lange 1. I actually am not too keen on guilloched dials including the ones on Voutilainen watches which almost everyone love (I put this down to bad taste on my part! ) and would usually...
Ah! I'm definitely part of 'almost everyone' haha,
I like Breguet's guilloche work on the more subdued Classiques very much. Voutilainen is a little more in your face but I still like it. I think I'd like this Little Lange more if the guilloche was only on the subdials and the rest of the space was left p...
Actually, it is difficult
to disagree with you. Breguet dials are lovely in many ways and I am about to order a Voutilainen without a guilloched dial Thanks for your feedback.
Here is a link to the Little Lange 1 Moonphase on a brown and black strap
It is amazing on a black strap.
Thanks Mike for the useful link! :-)
It is probably amazing on any dark coloured strap!!
I totally agree!
It would actually boost their sales and not inhibit men with smaller wrists to consider the watch!
It is a watch I am considering...
but I must admit that if it was marketed as a unisex watch, it would be under stronger consideration.
I would wait
to see what Lange does at the SIHH in January. But if they do not bring out a similar watch for men, I think you should seriously consider changing the strap on the little Lange 1 and make it yours. I might join you
I am a few years away from my next Lange
There will be quite a few Lange watches to tempt me before I am in a position to buy! I really do believe that if Lange gives people the option of choosing a black or white strap, it will lead to an increase in sales. As for the AD in KL telling you it is...
It is quite depressing at times
when I speak to ADs in the Far East and notice how little the majority of them know of their product compared to their European counterparts. Afterall, they do attend the same training but they seem more intent on getting that 25% discount across than to ...
Here's how I think about this question...
Unless I'm mistaken, Lange isn't overtly marketing this (ref. no. 182.030) as a gendered watch (women's or men's). Lange's catalog description of the 182.030 contains no reference to gender. I inferred that Lange thought it best to pitch the 182.030 to wo...
If one studies the Lange catalogue
there is no reference made to the suitability of the watch to a particular gender and this includes the Saxonia with diamonds. That is because in some markets, it is not uncommon for men to be wearing watches with diamonds whereas in others, in might be f...
Ah, well you should consider visiting my Lange AD then!....
... because they keep this watch on a blue strap, not a white strap, for the very reason you mention!
It is quite intriguing
I noticed that one of Lange's most prominent ADs in the UK classifies the little Lange 1 as a gentlemen's watch on their website. I also understand that this watch comes with a black satin strap. Lange should just instruct all their ADs to classify this w...
That would make too much sense!
What next? Good photos of Lange watches on their website?!
Let's just call it a maketing ploy :-)
to have one watch that would appeal to men and women. Afterall, I believe the smaller 35mm Saxonia is also a unisex watch so a 36.8mm little Lange 1 moonphase can surely fall into that category. My standards must be low but I had not realised that the pho...
Look at the photos of Lange watches posted here...
and compare them to what is on Lange's website. There is a difference
I agree Mike!
But I have to say the photos on the Lange site are very good but the photos I have borrowed for this post are brilliant! I will settle for very good since my blackberry cannot take very good photos
For me, the Lange 1 would win without question...
When I look at a watch dial, I want to see something move (e.g., a second hand). I'm also not too inspired by the Saxonia Thin's dial. It's too generic for my taste, and stick markers are probably my least favorite type of marker. The Lange 1, on the othe...
Thank you so much for your feedback
I think both watches would put a smile on my face for an extremely long time. And yes as I have a 6.5 inch wrist, the 36.8mm little Lange 1 makes it the perfect fit! And you are absolutely right about the tremendous diversity of opinion here - I read ever...
I handled the Saxonia Thin 37mm once,
One little surprise that caught me offguard but makes sense - since the Thin doesnt have seconds hand, it doesn't have any hacking to stop the balance when you pull out the crown! (Which, I suppose any other non-seconds hand would do) Not mentioned in you...
Superb observations, thank you!
The 35mm Saxonia loses out to the Saxonia thin, not only due to more visible parts being shown on the Saxonia thin but if you place both watches side by side, you will notice that the dial of the Saxonia thin has a deeper an richer patina. Yep, they are n...
Noted on the dial, it indeed has a nice satin sheen to it
Such a finish is carefully needed for a clean, simple dial - I can understand why it is alluring! My only personal reservation is I like to have running seconds...but that's just me From observing the movement side of the Sax thin, I'm fairly certain its ...
You are absolutely correct!
As verified by Alkiro above and by my AD who called me a few hours ago to confirm the single barrel. However, he also stated that the single barrel only required 40 turns to fully wind the watch. I shall attempt myself this Friday and I visit the AD. 40 t...
I would go for the Saxonia Thin.
The purity of the dial is mesmerizing in itself, and offers immense value proposition.
Thank you Rhyzen!
The value proposition is something even the staunchest Patek fans will agree upon. Seldom have I seen a dial that although so empty is full of character! One can get lost in its emptiness
Hands down the Saxonia Thin 37mm
As you know I bought a Saxonia Thin 37mm recently and I can tell you first hand that this one doesn’t disappoint. The proportions are right. The shimmering dial with the polished markers is perfection. Nothing about this watch disappoints. In terms of win...
Moe, I had been waiting for your valued opinion, thank you! :-)
That is exactly what I wanted to know - how many turns it takes to wind the watch. 40 to 50 turns is in line with what my AD mentioned and is totally acceptable. By the way, do you wind it daily or once every 3 days? Yes, I agree the movement (chronograph...
My pleasure.
And yes - I personally wind all my watches every day. I enjoy the experience. Also, are you interested in the white or rose gold? I’d recommend the rose gold as it feels and looks more interesting. Here’s a pic of mine on blue Lange straps: ...
Definitelty in rose gold!
Lange is one of the few brands that have nailed their rose gold colour perfectly. I would however, keep the standard burgundy/brown strap as to me it brings out the best of the rose gold. Ah, you wind your watch daily - that explains why I had to wind my ...
Thank you Moe for the clarification!
That is most enlightening. I know many might think it is a trivial point but nothing is trivial for me when it comes to watches So assuming it is fully wound (after 40 to 50 turns) and you wind it daily, would I be correct to assume that you do not then h...
Correct.
I’m in Ottawa today an will be flying back home on Thursday. I’ll give you a more precise answer when i get back to Toronto.
Hello Moe!
I just returned from my Lange AD and can confirm that it takes 50 turns to fully wind the Lange Saxonia thin. So I am likely to get one but as I shall be at the SIHH next month, I want to make sure that there are no lovelier Lange watches on offer Thanks ...
Good morning!
Yup! Around 50- I just tried a few mins ago. Also, I’m going to be at SIHH too! And I am also thinking about waiting to see what’s coming out before I make my next meet up there!
Hi Moe!
I shall be at the SIHH on Thursday 18 January and would love to meet up. I shall be there only for 4 hours but it would be great to meet you in person. I shall PM you.