The Unexpected Proportions of the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 34mm

Now that the dust has settled after Watches & Wonders, it’s time to cast an eye on an unexpected watch from A. Lange & Söhne. While the trend for more compact case diameters has taken hold of the market, A. Lange & Söhne’s 1815 watch takes a much bolder step with its surprisingly small 34mm 1815 watch. As one of the few, if not only, 34mm high-end dress watches, it takes guts to go below the invisible 36mm ceiling. Just to be clear, though, the diminutive proportions of the new 1815 were not, as the brand points out, created to appeal to women. Instead, the catch-all concept of the 1815 is “an even more discreet version” of the classic three-hand watch, designed as “the ideal companion for a business day”.  While the word ‘understated’ is repeated over and over again, this watch is by no means a demure wallflower and has undeniable wrist presence. And while the case has shrunk, the power reserve has increased thanks to the incorporation of Lange’s 75^th in-house movement.

The Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon’s exile to St Helena and the birth of Ferdinand Adolph Lange in Dresden all occurred in 1815. For anyone outside the realm of watchmaking, the third item on the list would be met with a blank gaze. However, for watch lovers, the name Ferdinand Adolph Lange is synonymous with the very finest tradition of German watchmaking, a tradition he established in the small town of Glashütte, just outside Dresden.

The 1815 collection, which honours the founder’s birth year, is as classic as they come. Amidst the more complicated models is the straightforward time-only 1815 reference that debuted in 1995 in a 36mm case. Over the years, the case size has fluctuated from 40mm in 2009 back down to a mid-size 38.5mm in 2014, which is still in the catalogue. Despite changes in case size, the 1815 has always been faithful to the founder’s refined precision pocket watches with Arabic numerals and the signature railway-track minutes scale.

One thing is downsizing a watch; another is creating a balanced, well-proportioned case. Combining its 36mm diameter with a slim height of just 6.4mm, the refined measurements are closer to vintage dress watches than anything else you might find on the market. Patek Philippe’s new Calatrava 6196, long considered the sovereign of dress watches, has a 38mm diameter coupled with a thickness of 9.3mm.

Without provoking a debate on the ideal proportions of a dress watch, I was concerned that the 1815 would be too small to be taken seriously. Well, seeing the watch and the photographs of the 1815 on Brice’s 16.5cm wrist, I stand corrected. Far from looking small and fussy or even too thin and delicate despite its profile of 6.4mm, the watch has character and presence on the wrist.

Contributing to its personality is the round and polished bezel, which lends the watch a sense of volume. However, unlike many dress watches that are polished throughout, the 1815 plays with different finishes. Coupled with the pleasing heft of solid gold, the brushed case middle transitioning to the curving lugs is framed between two thin polished chamfers, giving the watch corporeality and packing a visual punch.  It’s curious to note that the white gold model appears slightly larger than the rose gold…

The dial is made of solid 925 silver and features a blue finish, a colour usually reserved for limited editions. Subtly layered, the centre is recessed, and the small seconds counter is decorated with snailing. Like historical Lange pocket watches, the numerals are Arabic, the subsidiary seconds counter is placed at 6 o’clock, and the minutes are indicated in a railway-track scale. Charming details of the 1815 include the white dots placed inside the peripheral minutes track with three dots and a line marking 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock. There is always a risk in smaller watches for the minute hand to be shortened, making it harder to tell the two apart. The elegant lance-shaped hands, which are a hallmark feature of the 1815 family, are clearly differentiated, and the elongated minutes hand reaches all the way to the edge of the dial.

According to CEO Wilhelm Schmid, the smaller case size called for a smaller movement. The calibre L152.1 marks Lange’s 75^th in-house movement, not too shabby for a company that was resuscitated in 1994. We have yet to determine whether the new calibre is a re-engineered version of the existing L051.1 used in the 38.5mm 1815 models or a brand new calibre, but suffice it to say, it pumps up the power reserve from 55 hours to 72 hours, which is a big plus. Measuring 28.1mm across with a thickness of 2.9mm, the ultra-slim movement beats at 21,600vph. Decorated to Lange’s exacting standards, the hand-engraved balance cock, the three-quarter German silver plate with Glashütte ribbing, the gold chatons, blued screws and swan neck regulator can be admired through the caseback.

The 1815 is paired with an alligator strap and matching gold pin buckle. Price, as is the case with Lange’s watches, is said to be upon request, but we can confirm it to be EUR 27,000. More details at alange-soehne.com.