The Surprising New 34mm Diameter of the A. Lange & Söhne 1815

The name of A. Lange & Söhne‘s 1815 watch family refers to the year Ferdinand Adolph Lange was born, the founder of precision watchmaking in Glashütte, Germany. Inspired by F.A. Lange’s pocket watches, all 1815 models are hand-wound and feature classical details like the peripheral railway-track minutes scale. One of the most traditional, understated yet refined references is the 1815 time-only model. Today, the brand unveils a surprisingly small 34mm edition of the 1815, making it the most compact version of the 1815 in its 30-year history. While the diameter has been reduced, the new movement has a robust power reserve.

While the 1815 has popped up in different metals and different coloured dials since its debut in 1995, the case size fluctuated from its original 36mm to 40mm in 2009 and settled down to a mid-sized case of 38.5mm diameter in 2014.

It’s worth pointing out that Lange has not created the 34mm case of this new 1815 Small Seconds as a women’s watch. Instead, ALS insists on saying that it responds to market demand from watch fans for a more “discreet version of this classic three-hand watch…the ideal companion for a business day.” That being said, it feels like a bold, slightly questionable move knowing that, on some markets, even a 36mm is difficult to sell to a masculine audience.

Available in 18k white or pink gold cases, the new 34mm diameter is complemented by a slim height of 6.4mm. Decorated with polished and satin-brushed finishes, the slender stepped bezel frames the blue dial. In honour of F.A. Lange’s pocket watches from the 1870s, a design that laid the foundation for practically every pocket watch made in Glashütte until WWII, the signature railway-track minutes scale is featured on the periphery, along with the three dots on each quarter hour and the Arabic numerals. Interpreted here in crisp white to contrast with the deep blue dial, legibility is impeccable. The central area is slightly recessed, and the intersecting small seconds counter is snailed. The traditional lancet hands are 18k gold.

Shrinking the diameter meant the development of a new calibre, the brand’s 75^th manufacture movement. The manual-winding calibre L152.1, which measures 28mm across with a height of just 2.9mm, is remarkable in that it surpasses the 55h power reserve of the L051.1 with its 72 hours. Decorated to Lange’s exacting standards, the hand-engraved balance cock and three-quarter German silver plate with Glashütte ribbing can be admired through the caseback.

The white gold 1815 model is paired with a blue leather strap, the pink gold with a reddish-brown strap, both with polished prong buckles in the same gold as the case. The price of the new 34mm 1815 watch is upon request.

More information at alange-soehne.com.