Introducing – Blue Dials for the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 and Saxonia Collections (Live Pics, Pricing & Availability)

Blue dials have been one of the major trends of the watch industry for the past 2 to 3 years. As we’ve often saad: “blue is the new black“. Yet, the exercise isn’t that simple. Blue is a complex colour and, while some watches with blue dials were noticeable, many others failed to nail the right dosage of enthusiasm. A. Lange & Söhne, a brand known not to follow the trends, took its time to jump on the moving train, yet it now comes with such coloured dials on 4 emblematic watches: the Lange 1, the Lange 1 Daymatic, the Saxonia and the Saxonia Automatic – but beware, these won’t be available in large numbers, neither for a long period.

At first, you might think that the addition of blue dials to the A. Lange & Söhne collection is a real novelty. You might think, in a quite justified way, that blue dials are extremely rare at Lange, and indeed, the current collection doesn’t comprise a single blue dial watch. There are dozens of silvery-white watches, a few grey ones, some black dial versions… But nothing in deep blue. However, a jump backwards into the past is needed. As you can see on the image below, a blue dial version of the Lange 1 has already existed in the past, combined with a white gold case – under the reference 101.027, and was produced from the end of the 1990s until the mid-2000s (in various editions, not only with a blue dial).

An older edition – the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Blue Dial ref. 101.027

This year, A. Lange & Söhne brings back the blue dial/white gold case combination on the Lange 1, with a visual result that is close from the mid-2000s version (yet updated with the current specifications of the Lange 1). However, that’s not all, as this blue colour is also added to some other watches, most of them being classic offers: the automatic version of the Lange 1, the Daymatic, and two models in the Saxonia collection, the hand-wound 35mm version and the Saxonia Automatic. All of them feature deep-blue galvanised dials in solid silver (a process that offers a slightly metallic feel to the colour, and nice reflections under ambient light), paired with polished hands and rhodiumed gold appliques as well as dark-blue alligator leather straps.

The A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Blue Dial 191.028

The first watch of the collection to receive a blue dial is not even a classic, it’s a proper icon: the Lange 1. Presented here with a 38.5mm 18k white gold case, it has all the traditional features of this watch: appliqué Roman numerals and large double-window date with black numerals on a white background. It has, of course, the updated style introduced in 2015, so thinner bezel, thinner fonts – as well as the updated hand-wound movement, still with double-barrel (72H power reserve) but an entirely new architecture, and an in-house balance wheel (free sprung balance with 6 eccentric poising weights).

This A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Blue Dial ref. 191.028 will be available at all retailers and will most probably have the same price as the white gold/silver dial version, meaning 31,700 Euro.

The A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Daymatic Blue Dial 320.028

The second watch to receive a blue dial is a less coveted version of the Lange 1, featuring 2 additional attributes which are practical on a daily basis: an automatic movement and the indication of the day of the week, in lieu of the power reserve indicator. Also, the display is reversed, with the off-centered hours and minutes sub-dial being placed on the right side of the dial (quite practical when the watch is under a cuff). Finally, its case is 1mm larger than the hand-wound Lange 1, at 39.5mm. The movement has a central rotor and is decorated in a rather opulent way. This blue dial edition is also the only white gold model available for the Lange 1 Daymatic (which comes in pink gold or platinum) and it features a slightly different dial (different texture for the hours/minutes sub-dial).

This A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Daymatic Blue Dial ref. 320.028 will most likely be priced the same as its pink gold sibling, meaning 38,700 Euro.

The A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Blue Dial 219.028

A. Lange & Söhne is also adding blue to the “little Saxonia”, meaning the hand-wound, 35mm version of this watch – a sort of entry-level unisex proposition. While already available in white gold with a silver dial or in pink gold (as well as a mother-of-pearl version with diamond bezel), this blue dial version is the only one to offer a bit of colour for the small case. Entirely equal in terms of design and mechanics, it remains the elegant and well-proportioned watch that we’ve seen in the past. The touch of blue, however, brings some more presence to a watch that is otherwise very discreet.

The A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Blue Dial ref. 219.028 will most likely be priced accordingly to the white gold/silver dial version, meaning around 15,000 Euro.

The A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Automatic Blue Dial 380.028

Last but not least, A. Lange & Söhne adds a blue dial to the Saxonia Automatic, with its 38.5mm white gold case. Already available in 4 different editions, including some with galvanized Terra-Brown dials (in addition to the classical silver dials), this classical and modernly sized watch now benefits from a splash of colour – with the usual distinction of Lange. Inside the case is a nice self-winding movement with a central rotor and the typical high-end decoration of the brand. With the exception of this new colour, this watch remains identical to the other editions.

The A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Automatic Blue Dial 380.028 will certainly be priced as the other white gold versions, meaning 23,200 Euro.

Note: these blue dials are not limited editions, however, Lange told us they will be made in low numbers and as a one-off production. In fact, retailers will be available to order them once and only once during the SIHH 2018 (meaning that they will be available later in 2018), so be prepared if you want to get your hands on one of these blue dials.

More details on www.alange-soehne.com.