A. Lange & Söhne

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Hands on review of the Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin 37mm

The first version of the Saxonia Thin was presented at the SIHH 2011 in rose gold and in white gold the following year. It symbolized the approach Lange & Söhne in the segment of fine and elegant watches. Although the Saxon manufactory had no desire to compete against Piaget and Jaeger-Lecoultre in the field of extra-flat movements and cases, the Saxonia Thin, however, distinguished by its high diameter (40mm) / thickness (5 9mm) ratio which gave it a very slender side. This case height was achieved thanks to the L093.1 movement featuring a thickness of 2.9mm.

The Saxonia Thin 40mm and 37mm Saxonia Thin:




Beyond this fineness, this movement occupied a special place in the collection of  Lange calibers since it offered a particular lay-out which made visible the crown wheel, the ratchet and the click wheel. Indeed, the traditional movements of the brand with 3/4 plates were hiding these elements.

Dial side, the Saxonia Thin embodied a very pure design with no second hand and offering applied indexes in the shape of exclamation mark. These indexes were enhancing the argenté-coloured dial in solid silver.
 
Lange & Söhne took the opportunity of the SIHH 2016 to slightly redesign the watch. The changes focus exclusively on the dial, the dots at the end of the indexes were removed and the later become longer and closer to the bezel. We don't have anymore the feeling to see exclamation marks but thin baton hours markers instead. The Saxonia Thin 40mm becomes purer and gains a bit in balance. All other elements such as the case or the movement remain the same.




The real surprise came a few months later with the presentation of a 37mm version of this Saxonia Thin, also available in rose gold and in white gold. What may seem like a simple evolution of the case size can actually be perceived as a true strategic direction from the brand.

I see behind this new version of the Saxonia Thin the willingness from Lange & Söhne to expand its customer base thanks to two key factors:

 - its more contained diameter allows it to address a broader target, including ladies or people with smaller wrists,
 - the price in dollar is below the psychological barrier of USD 15,000 which means about  USD 10,000 less than 40mm version!



In this context, the Saxonia Thin 37mm becomes the real attractive entry level piece of the Lange & Söhne catalogue. Moreover it is powered by a movement whose performance (a 72 hour power reserve for a 3hz frequency and the use of the in-house spiral) is higher than the one of the  L941.1 movement featured in the Saxonia 35mm, the other entry level watch of the catalogue.

However, it would be too reductive to consider this Saxonia Thin as a "strategic" watch only. Because at the end of the day, the significant case size reduction is very good news in the pure watchmaking point of view. First, the case diameter corresponds better to the movement one (28mm) and the show offered by the see-through caseback by flipping over the 37mm version is nicer and more appealing than with the 40mm version. In addition, the dial appears better "filled" and it is not insignificant for a watch that doesn't have a second hand. Finally, the 37mm size is consistent for the style and purpose of the Saxonia Thin whose aim is to be above all an elegant dress watch.



In addition, its simplicity and timelessness also make it aesthetically versatile. The Saxonia Thin 37mm can easily be worn with a very formal attire but also in more relaxed and casual circumstances. I find it even more effective on this aspect than its big sister due to the fact that its perceived size, due to the large opening of the dial, is superior to 37mm. We have to be clear on this: when put on the wrist, the Saxonia Thin doesn't seem to be a nice little watch. Its presence is stronger than we may think at first glance.


So even if this Saxonia Thin 37mm is not the most spectacular novelty of the year from the Saxon Manufacture, it is nonetheless important. It becomes a very credible entry point into the brand universe and it marks the orientation of this two hand watch toward a more balanced design. It also better enhances the movement L093.1 what makes it even more attractive. And as the great strength of Lange & Söhne is the homogeneity of its production, the quality of the execution and of the finishes meets our expectations, all of this  for an attractive price in the high horology segment. I'm even wondering if the 40mm version will not suffer from the comparison and not only due to price consideration.



Pros:
+ A welcome reduction in case diameter, the dial becoming more balanced
+ The diameter of the case is more consistent with the movement one
+ The performance of the L093.1 movement and its lay-out
+ The retail price

Cons:
- The price of the Saxonia 40mm becomes very difficult to justify now
- I would have liked a different dial color for the white gold version to offer an alternative to the argenté-coloured dials