Worn & Wound
A. Lange & Söhne Introduces Limited Edition 1815 Up/Down Models in a Smaller Size
A Lange & Söhne has introduced new limited edition versions of their 1815 Up/Down model, one of the brand’s key references for years. The Up/Down is a true enthusiast favorite, prized by Lange collectors for its unique and very German presentation of the power reserve on the dial, located within a circular subdial at the 8:00 position. This style of power reserve indicator is traced back to German pocket watches made in the late 19th century, and I personally have always loved the way it looks on Lange 1815s. The new references are newsmaking primarily because they are sized down from the brand’s current standard 1815 Up/Down, which measures in at 39mm. The original Up/Down, which is highly collectible today, had a 35.9mm case when it debuted. The case size of these new limited editions, in either white or pink gold, comes in at 37.5mm. That seems to me to be a pretty good compromise for a watch like this, which has always been conceived as a pure dress piece. It remains impressively thin, with a case height of 8.7mm. The dial is a cool, desaturated blue, with silver subdials for the power reserve and running seconds at 8:00 and 4:00, respectively. The color here would appear to be a bit of a tribute or callout to the original Up/Down, which was available in a similar but not quite identical shade. Blue is a color Lange frequently returns to for special editions and limited releases. Otherwise, the dial is fairly standard 1815 Up/Down fare, which is to say it’s ...
