A. Lange & Söhne

I do not have an AD near me so I won't be able to compare these two watches in person for about a year.  I've been saving for the big 50th birthday and was wondering if anyone has owned both of these watches and could give me their +/- impressions on both other than the aesthetics which are personal taste.  I read on this site the winding of the 1815 was disappointing.  Other tidbits like this would be helpful for me in narrowing down my purchase.  Thank you.

Both watches are iconic for the brand. I owned both for a very short while but here are my observations. The Lange 1 bought new from an authorisied dealer had problems with the date change within a week of owning it and I sent it back to Lange for repair. It took about 6 weeks before it was returned to me in excellent condition but with me, I am a bit of a perfectionist and tend not to give a brand new expensive watch a 2nd chance and sold it off. The newly revised Lange 1 however may prove a lot more reliable.

The Up and Down was terribly accurate but the thing that put me off was that it works on a single barrel and required more than 150 turns to fully wind the watch. One could argue that because the power reserve is 72 hours, this needs to be done only once every 3 days but for me it was too much turning (20 to 40 turns per day being acceptable to me personally) so I auctioned the watch off.

Between the two watches, I would opt for the up and down simply because I do not like a date shown on a watch. I know that is part of the Lange 1. Also the slimness of the Up and Down (partly due to the single barrel) is a further attraction to me.

You see a lot more Lange 1s being sold in the used market so in terms of exclusitivity, the Up and Down triumphs. And I apologise to anyone if I am not allowed to say this here but if you are really serious about purchasing one of these watches, organise a trip or holiday to the Far East and you will be still be able to purchase a Lange for much less than the cost in Europe (not sure about the US) even after paying for a good holiday!

 

 

I am also considering buying my first entry-level Lange and have compared various models in person over the last year. My wrist size is 17,5 cm and my preferred case diameter is 38-39mm. These are my impressions:

- Lange 1 (old model): Despite its 38,5mm, the Lange 1 wears quite small, probably because of its thick bezel. I have a JLC MUT 38,5mm and a Zenith El Primero 1969 38mm and both wear significantly larger. I also found the Lange 1 too thick for my taste. I would therefore recommend trying it in person before pulling the trigger. I have not tried the new model yet.

- Grand Lange 1: Too grand for a dress watch IMO...

- 1815 Up/Down 39mm: As others have said, the movement does not wind very well. The crown even flipped back when winding. This was a deal breaker for me. The old 36mm model is very nice, though, if you can live with the small size. As regards the movement, I prefer it over the new model.

- Saxonia Thin: Similar movement issues as the Up/Down. Moreover, the Saxonia Thin wears very, very big. I don't find its proportions well-balanced.

- Langematik 37mm: Too small for my taste, maybe because I have been wearing only 38mm watches for over 10 years. I just cannot go back to a smaller size. The Sax-0-mat-movement is stunning, though.

- Saxonia Automatik: Perfect proportions, but I found that both the dial and the movement lack character and Lange DNA.

- Regular 1815 38,5mm: Perfect dial, movement and proportions. Love it. That's the one I will get.

Hope this helps.

Matthias

but I would prefer to get a Lange One in your case. I spoke about the winding feeling of the 1815 u&d in my review. Its movement belongs to the category of movements with large power reserve (3 days) and for me (I precise: for me), I prefer the winding experience of the Lange One.

Nothing bad with the 1815, it is just a question of feeling.

You have in one side the purety and the classicism of the 1815:




And on the other side the purety with the touch of originality of the Lange One:



At the end... you will make the right choice because it will be yours!

Fx

I guess I will have to see how the 1815 winding feels for myself. I find pleasure in winding a watch daily so having to wind it a lot is not a deal breaker, but it will be if it's not smooth and refined.

I own a 1815 updown in white gold. It was an easy choice for me as 1815 always had a special place in my heart from the very beginning.