A big trade

[mlcor]

I've been threatening a downsizing trade for a while, and I've finally done one. It's a six for one trade, for a piece I really think is quite special. I've had my eye out for an annual or perpetual calendar for quite some time, but couldn't pull the trigger. I liked the JLC MUT Perpetual, but putting it on made it clear that it would be very hard to read the date subdial. In fact, that was true for most calendar watches. I also rejected the really crazy priced ones like the Pateks and APs of the world. But it did occur to me that if I traded in a number of pieces that I just don't wear enough, I could (without a bunch more cash) get what I felt was the most legible annual calendar out there.

So I did:



Presenting the Lange Saxonia Annual Calendar. Annual vs. perpetual means it only needs to have the date manually advanced once per year at the end of February. IMO this results in a watch that is cleaner than most perpetuals, since it doesn't need a leap year indicator, and in the case of the Lange, since it has the big date, requires only three beautifully balanced subdials for month, date and moonphase/running seconds. The model has been around since 2010, and apparently is about to be discontinued in favor of the 1815 Annual Calendar, which I don't care for (manual wind, cut off numbers).



The other really nice thing is size--it's 38.5mm, same as my Up/Down, but amazingly is only 9.8mm thick, far thinner than most calendars (the JLC excepted), especially since it's an automatic. The movement is the Lange L085.1, 21600 vph, 46 hour power reserve and 476 parts (!). It's been around for ten years, and is the same movement used in the Lange perpetual, minus a couple of parts. It wears very nicely on the wrist due to how thin it is:



The movement is classic Lange--German silver, a 3/4 rotor, the trademark fit, finish and hand carved balance cock:







The dark brown strap helps me to justify wearing it with casual clothes.

So what left the stable?

1. Lange Saxonia Moonphase--beautiful watch, but basically duplicative of this one.
2. Breguet Marine (sorry, Walter!)--always lost the wrist time to the VC Overseas.
3. Panerai 620--lovely piece but pretty dressy and wasn't getting much wrist time
4. Damasko DA45--wasn't getting much wrist time (@Iyonk, I kept your strap, of course!).
5. MeisterSinger Perigraph--interesting and innovative, but I was only wearing it once every couple of months.
6. Schaumburg Retrolateur--see #5.

This means even when the White Wolf and the RGM Skeleton arrive, I will still be down several for the new year.

I know the date window is polarizing, but I really like it, and it enables the rest of the dial to be supremely legible.

[Henry Krinkle]

Lovely and really, who cares what others, including me, think of the Lange Big Date complication.

I love the back side. I'd paint that.

[happyscrappyheropup]

That's gorgeous. It was a good trade

-- Wayne

[CFR]

I can't hide my admiration for all the pieces AL&S has brought to this game. Again, they need to be seen in person, in order to feel and to understand their real importance.

This annual calendar is an amazing watch. I'm really happy for you, mlcor. Congrats.

[uchinanchu]

Beautiful, trade well worth it mlcor!!!

[skywatch]

Absolutely beautiful. That is quite the trade. Wow.

[Dimman]

Holy smokes. Incredible watch.

[tribe125]

Resolute and decisive! Am I right in thinking you haven’t sold or traded before?

The watch is a tour de force and I can see that the trade leaves you in a better place. I’ve considered doing something similar, at a much lower level.

[mlcor]

Resolute and decisive! Am I right in thinking you haven’t sold or traded before?

The watch is a tour de force and I can see that the trade leaves you in a better place. I’ve considered doing something similar, at a much lower level.

I’ve done a couple of minor trades, but never a sale, and never anything of this magnitude. I feel good about reducing the size of the collection and being able to enjoy what I have left (still a couple dozen) more frequently. I will probably do a couple more multiple for one trades before I’m done...


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[FuzzyB]

That was an excellent trade! Sometimes one spectacular watch is better than several great ones. The backside is lovely!