A. Lange & Söhne 1815 UP/DOWN: 37.5 mm of Saxon Haute Horlogerie

The new 1815 UP/DOWN does not radically alter the A. Lange & Söhne collection. Instead, it adopts a highly traditional formula from the Saxon manufacture, with a compact case, a prominently displayed power reserve and, above all, one of those movements that are a pleasure to admire through the caseback.

For this new version, A. Lange & Söhne is offering two blue-dial models, one in rose gold and the other in white gold. Each will be produced in a limited edition of just 300 pieces.

A power reserve in the spotlight

The function that gives the watch its name remains easy to understand. At 8 o’clock, a sub-dial indicates the movement’s remaining autonomy. As the watch approaches the end of its power reserve, the hand moves towards the AB indication, for Down. Conversely, AUF, for Up, corresponds to a fully wound movement.

Opposite it, at 4 o’clock, the small seconds balances the dial visually.

A. Lange & Söhne gives considerable prominence here to a function that other manufactures sometimes relegate to the background. Its appeal comes not only from its position on the dial. The L051.2 calibre integrates the power-reserve mechanism directly, using a compact planetary gear train developed specifically for this function. It is therefore not an additional module placed on top of an existing movement.

Once fully wound, the 1815 UP/DOWN now offers 72 hours of power reserve.

A quintessentially Lange dial, dressed in blue

The name of the 1815 collection refers to the year of Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s birth. He founded his manufacture in Glashütte in 1845 and played a major role in the development of Saxon precision watchmaking. The 1815 draws directly on this heritage.

The railway minute track, Arabic numerals and overall dial layout recall Lange’s historic pocket watches.

The brand also retains a highly symmetrical construction, with the two subsidiary dials positioned on either side of the central axis.

The two new versions nevertheless substantially alter the watch’s appearance with their blue 925 silver dials. The silvered small-seconds and power-reserve sub-dials stand out clearly against the dark background, while their blued hands add another touch of contrast.

A. Lange & Söhne matches the central hands to the case metal. They therefore take on a warmer tone in the rose-gold version and a more discreet shade in the white-gold model.

Based on the photographs, I naturally find myself drawn to the white-gold version. The case, blue dial and matching strap form an especially cohesive ensemble. The rose-gold version offers greater contrast, with a reddish-brown strap that reinforces its more classical character.

37.5 mm

The diameter is probably one of the most obvious strengths of this new 1815 UP/DOWN.

A. Lange & Söhne has retained a diameter of 37.5 mm and a thickness of just 8.7 mm.

These proportions are particularly well suited to a watch of this style. The 1815 does not need a large diameter to give its dial presence. Its slim bezel already leaves plenty of room for the Arabic numerals and the two sub-dials.

The overall effect is balanced without becoming overly demonstrative, while the 8.7 mm thickness allows the watch to slip fairly easily beneath a cuff.

The white-gold version is fitted with a hand-stitched blue alligator strap. A. Lange & Söhne pairs the rose-gold model with a reddish-brown alligator strap. Both use a pin buckle in the same metal as their case.

The in-house L051.2 calibre

I have always had a soft spot for A. Lange & Söhne movements. Let’s take a look at the in-house L051.2 calibre through the sapphire-crystal caseback.

Several characteristic elements of the manufacture immediately stand out. The large untreated German-silver three-quarter plate occupies a substantial portion of the movement. Lange adds seven screwed gold chatons, blued screws, decorated winding wheels and, above all, the famous hand-engraved balance cock.

It is precisely these contrasts that I find particularly successful on Lange movements.

The slightly golden tone of the German silver, the jewels, gold chatons and blued screws create a highly recognisable combination. Lange does not rely solely on open bridges or spectacular architecture. Much of the beauty comes from the materials, the finishing and this deeply traditional aesthetic of Saxon watchmaking.

The hand-engraved balance cock also brings something that photographs sometimes fail to convey: each movement retains a visible element of handcraft.

One buys a Lange as much for its dial as for the pleasure of admiring its distinctive movement.

The L051.2 calibre, with 72 hours of power reserve

Beneath these decorations, the L051.2 remains a relatively conventional manually wound mechanical movement in terms of its architecture.

It measures 30.6 mm in diameter and 4.6 mm in thickness, and comprises 245 components, 29 jewels and seven screwed gold chatons. Its balance operates at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour.

A. Lange & Söhne manufactures the hairspring itself. The movement uses a screw balance, along with a fine-adjustment system featuring a lateral adjustment screw and a swan-neck spring regulator.

The manufacture adjusts each calibre in five positions.

The movement also features a stop-seconds function, which stops the balance when setting the time, allowing the watch to be adjusted more precisely. Once fully wound, it therefore delivers the 72 hours of autonomy mentioned above.

Why A. Lange & Söhne movements have such a strong identity

The 1815 UP/DOWN also provides a good opportunity to briefly revisit what distinguishes A. Lange & Söhne within the world of haute horlogerie.

Ferdinand Adolph Lange founded his manufacture in Glashütte in 1845. After the Second World War, the company was expropriated and disappeared for several decades. Walter Lange, the founder’s great-grandson, eventually revived the brand in 1990.

Since its revival, A. Lange & Söhne has developed 77 in-house calibres, according to figures released by the maison in 2026.

The brand produces only a few thousand watches a year, primarily in precious metals, and devotes considerable attention to the decoration and hand assembly of its movements.

It often takes only a few seconds of looking at a Lange movement to recognise its origin. The three-quarter plate, German silver, gold chatons, blued screws and engraved balance cock form an aesthetic vocabulary that the manufacture has preserved without making its watches look like historical reproductions.

The 1815 UP/DOWN is a fine example. The dial remains deeply classical, but the blue brings enough modernity to avoid any impression of a watch frozen in the past.

Two limited editions of 300 pieces

A. Lange & Söhne is offering this new 1815 UP/DOWN in two references.

Reference 244.037 is the 750/1000 rose-gold version with a blue dial and reddish-brown alligator strap.

Reference 244.028 features a 750/1000 white-gold case, again with a blue dial, this time paired with a blue alligator strap.

Each version will be limited to 300 individually numbered pieces.

A. Lange & Söhne chose the 2026 Concours of Elegance, held at Hampton Court Palace, to present them. The press release does not, however, specify their prices.

A Lange at its most classical

The 1815 UP/DOWN remains a relatively simple watch within the A. Lange & Söhne universe. It displays the hours, minutes, small seconds and power reserve.

But with its 37.5 mm case, perfectly balanced blue dial and, above all, its L051.2 calibre, it concentrates much of what I admire about the Saxon manufacture.

There is no need for a tourbillon or perpetual calendar here to enjoy Lange’s level of finishing.