A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Moonphase

Where does one turn when the typical, minimalist dress watch fails to inspire? To A. Lange & Söhne, of course.  The Glashütte-based manufacture is world-famous for its absurdly beautiful, complicated timepieces, but their simpler watches are similarly the pinnacle of elegance. This Saxonia Moon Phase, with its contemporarily sized case, distinctly Saxon, oversized date complication, and moon phase, sits somewhere in the middle.  Dating to circa the late 2010s, this piece features a 40mm white gold case with a sapphire crystal, a signed crown, and a smooth polished white gold bezel. Inside, it has a satin black dial with applied white gold indices, a beautiful moon phase/subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock with a matching white gold 'lance' handset, and an 'outsize' date below the 12 o'clock position - controlled via a pusher at 10 o’clock — a holdover from the simply unbeatable Lange 1, which debuted in 1994.  This piece comes fitted to a signed black alligator strap with a matching signed white gold signed pin buckle, and is powered by Lange's Calibre L086.5 manual winding movement — which can thankfully easily be viewed via the exhibition case back. This Saxonia is the type of watch that — at least aesthetically — pairs well with everything from a t-shirt to a tuxedo. (Though, to be fair, we might opt for something less precious while wearing a t-shirt!) There’s nothing wrong with a classic dress watch from a member of the “Holy Trinity.” But for a modern stunner like this, the Saxonia is virtually unbeatable.