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A. Lange & Söhne’s Very-Thin Saxonia Gets an Onyx Makeover

The Saxonia Thin Onyx.

Almost exactly a year after the Lange 1 with an onyx dial, A. Lange & Söhne is following up with the Saxonia Thin Onyx. It’s essentially an upgraded version of Lange’s simplest and most affordable model, replacing the conventional silver dial with one of polished onyx stone.

Available in either platinum or Honeygold – each is limited to 200 pieces – the Saxonia Thin Onyx is even more of a formal dress watch than its regular production counterpart. Notably, both variants are unique editions of the model as neither platinum or Honeygold is part of the standard offering.

Initial thoughts

Last year’s Lange 1 30th Anniversary with an onyx dial was an exceedingly simple but extremely appealing watch. Lange has applied the same formula to the Saxonia Thin with equal success.

Admittedly, the makeover isn’t imaginative or novel, but the result is striking. The Saxonia Thin Onyx is utterly simple yet unusually reflective thanks to the polished stone dial. The look and feel is that of an ideal black tie watch. It’s probably a bit too concise and shiny for everyday wear, but I wouldn’t mind one on the wrist.

Choosing between the two is difficult. They are very different yet very much the same. Both, in fact, retail for exactly the same. The platinum version has a slight edge for me, simply because of general preference for the metal.

The new dial and case metal, however, come at a hefty premium. The standard model in gold retails for a bit under US$25,000, while the onyx edition costs almost 70% more. The premium is irrational but the upgrade is undoubtedly worth it, making it an easy decision.

Mirrored black

The basics of the Saxonia Thin Onyx are identical to the standard production model. The case is 40 mm wide and a very slim 6.2 mm high, giving the watch a wide but elegant profile.

While the standard models are available either in white or rose gold, the limited edition pair is either in platinum or Honeygold. The latter metal is exclusive to Lange in watchmaking and employed by the brand solely for limited editions.

Both share the same dial, which is a disc of black onyx. Because onyx is fragile when cut so thinly, the onyx disc is backed by a plate of solid silver, the same material used for standard Lange dials.

The onyx is polished to a mirrored shine, giving it a deep black appearance that continuously catches the light. This is matched with white print for the logo and country of origin, while the hands and hour markers are matched to the case. The Honeygold version has Honeygold hands, while the platinum model has white gold hands.

Visible through the back is a typical Lange movement. The L093.1 is one of Lange’s simplest movements in functional terms, but still retains all of the quintessential decorative hallmarks, including jewels in gold chatons, an engraved balance cock, as well as a three-quarter plate. It’s a slow beat movement running at 3 Hz, while the power reserve is a useful 72 hours.