Editor's Discussion: The Saxonia Moon Phase Shows the Depth of A. Lange & Söhne

This is a series of three-way discussions between Masamasa Hirota, editor-in-chief of Chronos Japan, Yukiya Suzuki, deputy editor-in-chief, and Taketo Hosoda, also known as Hosoyan, sharing their impressions of popular models. In the sixth installment, they freely comment on the A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Moon Phase.

A black dial that combines visibility with a luxurious feel

Hosoda"This is the lastLange 1 Time ZoneIt's lighter than the , and although it's an automatic watch, it's thin, so it's really a watch you can wear every day. Also, it's more legible than I imagined. The indexes and hands are polished, and the dial isn't completely matte, so I thought it might reflect light, but that wasn't the case at all. Why is that?

Hirota"A. Lange & Söhne really knows how to handle black dials. This one is made of solid silver, plated, and then painted with a matte finish. Then they paint it with a matte finish, which gives it a slightly rough texture."

(I.e."When light hits the indexes, they sparkle, but the dial doesn't shine too much, so it doesn't get lost in the light. Black is something that people tend to pick out easily, but it's actually quite difficult. If you make it too glossy, it reflects too much."

Hosoda"But if it's too matte, it loses its luxurious feel..."

Hirota"The balance is difficult to find the right balance. The treatment of the black dial of A. Lange & Söhne is actually similar to that of IWC's Flieger. IWC's is painted, though."

(I.e."Brands with military experience are good at black dials. But A. Lange & Söhne today is amazing, even though they don't have that background. Is this dial made by Cadrans et Abiages, a subsidiary of Parmigiani Fleurier?"

Hirota"yes!"

(I.e."Thanks to this attention to visibility, it's stress-free to use."

Hosoda"And now, everyone, what about the moon phase? This moon phase is so accurate it doesn't need adjustment every 122.6 years."

Hirota"I'm pretty sure the disc is pre-treated with PVD, right? When I saw it at the exhibition, I thought the blue was too bright, but when I tried it out in person, I thought it was surprisingly subdued."

(I.e."A. Lange & Söhne has been focusing on moon phase watches for a long time. We even did a feature in this magazine in the past where we just displayed A. Lange & Söhne moon phase watches. There's a wide variety, and the star patterns are incredibly detailed. Moon phase watches are generally very decorative, but I was reminded of how beautiful this one is. I often hear from women that A. Lange & Söhne moon phase watches are also beautiful."

Hirota"It's so beautiful, it really lifts your spirits. The material... both the disc and the moon are made of gold."

Hosoda"It's so shiny that you can see the grain of the needle on the back in the moonlight (laughs)."

(I.e."Wow, it's amazing. And the reflection isn't distorted at all, it really shows the spirit behind it."

High winding performance, also suitable for desk work

Hosoda"So, when you look at it as a practical watch, what do you think about its shock resistance and power reserve?"

(I.e."The power reserve is a solid 72 hours, and the case is 40mm in diameter and 9.8mm thick, so it's the perfect size."

Hirota"I used to complain about the lack of their signature chaton movement, but now I think it's a good idea to make the watch thinner. Also, because it's a single-winding movement, it's easy to wind even when working at a desk, which is super convenient! The Langematik Perpetual Honey Gold released in 2019 featured a switching rocker adapted from Jaeger-LeCoultre's Cal. 889, but that's not suitable for desk work. It never winds!"

Hosoda"Not only is the winding method the same, but the rotor itself is made of 22-karat gold with a platinum outer periphery, which allows it to rotate smoothly."

Hirota"Exactly. I think the reason they didn't include the chatons was to reduce the height of the rotor, or to prevent it from getting caught on the rotor. The chatons stick out a little."

(I.e."When I think of A. Lange & Söhne, I always think of a three-quarter plate or chatons, but this is an automatic watch, so it doesn't need them. I'd be happier if they'd made it shorter and more practical, so this is a no-brainer."

Hirota"I thought it would spin around freely because it was a one-sided reel, but it wasn't that bad."

Hosoda"But I was a bit concerned about the sound of it running idle."

Hirota"But it's far better than the ETA7750 (laughs)."

(I.e."Well, this is a matter of personal taste, so if the rotor noise bothers you, you can just wind it manually."

Hirota"It would be less noisy if the case was thicker, but I think it does a good job of suppressing the sound given the thickness of the case."

Hirota"Then what surprised me was the feel of setting the hands. Even though the hands are long, it felt wonderful. I was surprised. Generally, when the hands are long, they wobble when you set them, but with this one, the hands just fit in smoothly. A. Lange & Söhne watches generally have a good feel, but this one is especially smooth."

Hosoda"Now that you mention it, that's true. The length of the hands is long enough to reach the index."

Hirota"The movement layout is also standard, with the second wheel at the center and the fourth wheel at the six o'clock position, so it's in perfect condition."

(I.e."The design is natural. It's as simple as it looks."

Hosoda"In terms of design, the balance between the calendar and moon phase is good."

(I.e."The symmetry is very pleasing. The Saxonia is a great watch, but for some reason I feel it's underrated."