The first Annual Calendar from A. Lange & Söhne, this ref. 330.026 is one of the most quietly excellent A. Lange & Söhnes of the modern era. The 330.026 was, at launch, often overlooked for the Langematik Perpertual. However, the Annual Calendar features a less-cluttered dial without Roman numerals or indeed numerals at all, no 24 hour scale, and no leap indication. The original Saxonia Annual Calendar, a bit of a sleeper in the discontinued catalogue, is increasingly being recognized as the A. Lange & Söhne calendar watch for those who prioritize dial harmony and simplicity above all else.
The Annual Calendar was introduced first at SIHH in 2010 and available in platinum, pink gold, and this white gold. The white gold was the only to receive blued hands, which adds considerable appeal and brings out the solid gold moonphase disc. Its dial is retrained with applied black polished indices and small dot indices outside them, anchoring them to the chapter ring. It is a dial that focuses on balance, negative space, and clarity. The case is a lovely 38.5mm, in classic 3-body A. Lange & Söhne design, but a deeply impressive 9.8mm thin.
This is only possible due to the 476-component automatic calibre L085.1, which features some hidden depths that aren't knowable from images alone. The balance features a clever zero-reset mechanism which resets the running seconds hand to zero every time the crown is pulled out, which makes accurate synchronizing a complete pleasure to perform. Though a simple concept, this requires a significant degree of mechanics to accomplish. The architecture is traditional Glashütte, with the usual broad three-quarter plate only interupted by a hand-engraved gold rotor with platinum edge. All is finished in traditional German style, with a hand-engraved balance cock, wide striping, anglage, black polishing, blued screws, and much expanse given to perlage.
Now discontinued, the Saxonia Annual Calendar was succeeded by the 1815 Annual Calendar, which is manual, did away with the date at 12 and zero-reset, grew the case to 40mm, and introduced numerals. The 330.026 has been left as a highlight for the lover of clear, minimalist complicaiton. Its outsize date is simultaneously a celebration of Glashütte complication and nod to early Saxonia design. The design of the 330.026 has yet to be outdone, a ref. for all time, where current appreciation is largely limited to the most studious of A. Lange & Söhne collectors. A calendar for those who love Teutonic simplicity above all else.
