As Old Ben Kenobi said while bequeathing to Luke his new lightsaber, “An elegant weapon, for a more civilized age”. Had he been handing over his old man’s wristwatch instead of a futures-past laser sword, a single word need only have been changed to properly describe it. That is, of course, if the timepiece he was handing down was the incredible A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Annual Calender with Moonphase in Platinum.
Alas, young Luke got a lightsaber and not a wristwatch – but I did. Thanks to our friends at Lange, I was fortunate to spend some time with this German timepiece over the past week. And while I didn’t lose it (along with my hand) in a brawl with Darth Vader, I did have to give it back. I think that was nearly as painful.
Let’s get this out of the way immediately - the Saxonia is, in short, a masterpiece of modern-classical German wristwatch design. Complementing the existing Saxonia collection is this all-new for 2013 Annual Calendar cased in platinum, released at SIHH this past January. The timepiece has been available in white and rose gold since 2010.
Personally, I am thrilled that precious metals are making a definitive return as casing materials in fine wristwatches. As much a fan as I am of steel sports watches, I’ve had my share over the past decade. It is refreshing to see exquisite timepieces with manufacture movements gussied up properly. I am a big fan of rose gold in particular, but I take issue with white gold, which proves to be incredibly soft and easily damaged. Keeping with the coloring of a polished steel watch, platinum offers an excellent alternative to white gold – and has the added benefit of increased durability.
No comments:
Post a Comment