A shade of brown with a hint of red, “terra-brown” is similar to umber on the colour chart and is also the colour of the new Lange Saxonia Automatic. Presented for the first time at A. Lange & Söhne‘s new boutique in Tokyo, Japan, the Saxonia Automatic “terra-brown” adds diversity to Lange’s most affordable automatic watch (which is the latest in a series of entry-level timepieces including the Saxonia Thin 37mm and Saxonia Boutique Edition).

As with all Lange dials, the “terra-brown” is a disc of solid silver, finished with a fine grained surface and given a brown coating. All of the hour markers as well as the hands are made of solid gold.

Available in white or rose gold, the case is 38.5mm in diameter, equipped with the calibre L086.1, a self-winding movement with a three day power reserve. Being the brand’s basic automatic movement, the L086.1 is more simply constructed than Lange’s top of the line automatic (found in the Langematik perpetual calendar for instance). So it lacks gold chatons for the jewels and the rotor is gilded rather than solid gold, but still has high-end detailing like a platinum rotor rim, hand-engraved balance cock and blued steel screws.

Pricing and availability 

Available from Lange boutiques and retailers, the Saxonia Automatic “terra-brown” is priced at €22,800 including 19 percent tax, or US$25,800.

While much of the watch industry is making smaller watches, out of modesty in straitened times or just following the fashion of the day, Breitling is admirably hewing to its traditional formula of oversized sports watches. While often overbuilt and designed like an invading army, Breitling’s biggest watches do have a certain appeal, exemplified with the newly announced Avenger II Seawolf Blacksteel.

The steel case is 45mm in diameter and 18.4mm high (making it as thick as most chronographs), with the “Blacksteel” moniker derived from its black carbon-based coating (a type of diamond-like carbon or DLC) that is scratch-resistant (Breitling has made a slew of Blacksteel limited editions in years past). Rated to 3000m, or 10,000ft, the case includes a a helium escape valve for the improbable activity of saturation diving.

The dial is a bright yellow, with the rotating bezel sporting Breitling’s trademark rider tabs at the quarters. And the movement inside an the Breitling calibre 17, which is actually a basic but robust ETA 2824 that is chronometer certified.

The Avenger II Seawolf Blacksteel is limited to 1000 pieces with the retail price yet to be revealed. The ordinary stainless steel version of the same watch retails for approximately US$4000, so expect this to cost slightly more.