In search of the best annual calendar, A. Lange & Söhne's "Saxonia Annual Calendar" has been updated.

The once-popular "Saxonia Annual Calendar" has been updated with a smaller case. The slim new 36mm diameter case aligns with current trends, but that wasn't the original development objective. A compact dial layout and a focus on utility—this is the perfect solution for an annual calendar you want to use every day.

Why were small-diameter annual calendars created?

　A. Lange & Söhne has updated the "Saxonia Annual Calendar" with a completely new case size. While the small 36mm diameter might seem to reflect the recent trend towards smaller watches, it appears to be completely unrelated. In fact, development began as early as 2020.

"This model wasn't initially planned as a product. It started as a research and development assignment I gave to my engineers: a more compact annual calendar. But when I saw the finished prototype, it was a perfect match for our sweet spot. We started making the actual case after that."

　According to Antony de Has, Director of Product Development. However, both the L085.1 used in the previous model and the newly developed L207.1 have the same movement diameter of 30.4mm. In terms of thickness, it has only increased slightly due to the adoption of a full rotor.

"What's important isn't the movement diameter, but the balance of the dial layout. More specifically, the distance between the hour and minute hands and each indicator is crucial. In the new L207.1, this aspect has been made more compact."

　Now that you mention it, the hand placement on both the old and new Saxonia Annual Calendar models is remarkably uniform. The slightly offset sub-dials from the center and the sense of distance to the oversized date display are truly characteristic of the Saxonia's balance. You might not even notice the smaller size unless you hold the actual watch in your hands.

"Initially, we didn't have a target case size. We were planning to choose something that was well-balanced, whether it was 36.5mm or 37mm. In the end, 36mm turned out to be the best, which was an unexpected surprise even for me."

Simultaneous feeding and safety mechanisms enable utility.

　The L207.1 movement is featured in the new Saxonia Annual Calendar. This is the third generation of A. Lange & Söhne's annual calendars.

　The first model was the L085.1 (30.4mm diameter/5.4mm thickness), a former Saxonia Annual Calendar released in 2010. It featured a micro-rotor automatic winding mechanism called Saxomat and was housed in a 38.5mm diameter case. Its prototype was the Langematik Perpetual L922.1, which appeared in 2001. The L085.1 was a simplified version of this perpetual calendar mechanism, omitting the leap year indicator and the hand-movement mechanism for the end of February. Functionally, it was a perfectly adequate design, but the simultaneous calendar advance mechanism present in the original model was deliberately omitted.

　The first dedicated annual calendar movement the company ever produced was the hand-wound L051.3 (30.6mm diameter/5.7mm thickness), featured in the 2017 1815 Annual Calendar. The 1.4mm thick annual calendar module in this model is a discontinuous type classified as a "lever type," but instead of using a cam to control the lever, the gear train connected to the 24-hour wheel performs that function. A pawl on each indicator's advance wheel flicks the lever, resulting in instantaneous advancement of all displays. When setting the calendar, the collector is pressed to move the lever, allowing for individual adjustment of each display, but all levers can also be operated simultaneously via pushers, allowing for simultaneous advancement of all displays. This is advantageous if the watch has stopped.

　The third-generation L207.1 (30.4mm diameter/5.7mm thickness), released in 2026, is more accurately described as a direct upgrade of the 1815 Annual Calendar rather than a refinement of the old Saxonia Annual Calendar. In line with the Saxonia design code, the date display has been changed from a pointer at 9 o'clock to an oversized date at 12 o'clock, requiring a revised arrangement of the calendar train and a completely new design for all the levers, but the basic concept remains the same. The moon phase also continues to be a highly accurate type, with an accumulated error of one day over 122.6 years.

　The biggest change is the security system added to the simultaneous advance pusher. Specifically, a locking mechanism has been built in so that the pusher cannot be pressed unless the crown is pulled out. At one point, the company had eliminated pushers from perpetual calendars and other models and switched to a collector type. This was because there were frequent repairs for the calendar display advancing unintentionally. However, no problems were found anywhere. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that all the repaired items were using folding buckles. In other words, when the watch was placed horizontally on the crown, the pusher was being pressed. In the 1815, this problem was avoided by placing the pusher at the 2 o'clock position on the crown side, but the Saxonia's pusher is at the 10 o'clock position. Therefore, the locking mechanism was completed by linking three thin, wide levers so that they pass under the oversize date. Because it is a watch that you want to use every day, the design that takes utility into consideration is what makes it so valuable.

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