A. Lange & Sohne shows off Saxonian sophistication

A. LANGE & Sohne premiered the 1815 Up/Down and Triple Split in London at the Concours of Elegance classic car showcase at Hampton Court recently, an event the German watchmaker has long sponsored. Both watches made their way to Singapore rather quickly and, true to expectation, expressed the full extent of their charms once we had them in hand. We take a closer look at both timepieces as well as the Saxonia Annual Calendar launched earlier this year at Watches and Wonders 2026.

Classical performance

Inspired by classic pocket watches made by Lange’s founder, Ferdinand Adolph Lange, the 1815 collection brims with elegant, old-world allure. The new 1815 Up/Down shares that same spirit, even as it is fuelled by modern engineering.

The compact, integrated power-reserve display is the watch’s main technical draw. Rather than being added as a module, the 72-hour indicator is built directly into the hand-wound movement via a purpose-built planetary gear system.

On the wrist, the 37.5 mm case, available in pink or white gold, is a joy to wear. It sits low and disappears under a cuff, yet still exudes presence. The blue dial and argente-coloured sub-dials lend it visual weight while keeping legibility sharp, and there is a sense of purposeful symmetry to the whole layout: the railway-track minutes and Arabic numerals frame a power-reserve display that mirrors the running seconds opposite it. 

Sportive refinement

The Triple Split, on the other hand, is an advanced chronograph that looks every bit the part of a technical behemoth. First launched in 2018, it remains the only chronograph in the world capable of measuring split times across hours, minutes, and seconds simultaneously, for up to 12 hours in total.

For context, a regular split-seconds chronograph can measure split timings of only up to 60 seconds. The Triple Split, by contrast, can capture three separate split timings – across 60-second, 30-minute, and 12-hour intervals – which is particularly useful for timing long-running events such as marathons or car rallies.

A split-seconds chronograph, also known as a rattrapante, works by pairing two superimposed chronograph hands. Start the chronograph and both hands run together. Press the split-time pusher at 10 o’clock and the top rattrapante hand – crafted in blued steel on the new Triple Split for contrast – freezes to record the first interval while the bottom hand keeps running. Press the same pusher again, and the top hand snaps forward to rejoin the bottom one, continuing the timing sequence as before.

The 2026 edition is the third to join the line-up. It follows the original 2018 model in white gold with a grey dial, and a second edition from 2021 in pink gold with a blue dial. Limited to 100 pieces and housed in a 43.2 mm platinum case with a rhodium-toned silver dial and grey totalisers, the new Triple Split’s understated palette suggests a more restrained disposition. Even so, technical excellence and mechanical gravitas remain the watch’s best calling card.

Making a date

The Saxonia Annual Calendar, launched at Watches & Wonders 2026 earlier this year, also made an appearance at the session. Like the 1815 Up/Down and Triple Split, this watch is a Lange thoroughbred, oozing class and refinement with superlative engineering to match.

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Sitting between the other two models in terms of technical complexity, the Saxonia Annual Calendar houses an annual calendar complication. That means the watch displays the day, date, month, and phase of the moon, while requiring only one manual adjustment a year – either from Feb 28 (or in a leap year from Feb 29), to the first day of March.

Measuring 36 mm across, the case is offered in white or pink gold, and wears smaller than its dimensions suggest on a man’s wrist, lending it an easy, unisex versatility.

The dial is where the watch truly shines, built around signature Lange elements: the trademark outsize date at 12 o’clock, flanked by three sub-dials that lay out the calendar information with crisp, architectural geometry.

The moon-phase display at six o’clock deserves special mention. The lunar disc, sheathed in deep blue and set with 428 stars, depicts the Milky Way rather than the usual moon and stars imagery. What is more, the mechanism behind it needs correcting by only a day every 122.6 years. It is a degree of precision that, while unlikely to matter within any one owner’s lifetime, says everything about Lange’s commitment to craftsmanship, beauty, and horological longevity.