First released in 1994 as Lange & Söhne's prototypical dress watch, the Saxonia has had an undeniable air of elegance, sophistication, and stunning design baked into its aesthetic since it first made its way onto the wrists of watch collectors. Since then, the collection has evolved to include some of the most stunning dress watches around and the Saxonia Thin Aventurine ref. 211.088 that I have here is no exception.
Debuting earlier in 2021, the Saxonia Thin Aventurine ref. 211.088 is made of 18ct pink gold and features a perfectly round and entirely polished 40mm case with a domed bezel and simple lugs. With its unassuming profile, the Saxonia Thin Aventurine is clearly designed with the Saxonia's goal of being the ideal dress watch in mind, as its name and appropriately thin 6.2mm case might suggest. Complementing its stunningly luxurious pink gold case, the Saxonia Thin Aventurine's dial is, as its name continues to suggest, made from Aventurine – a material Lange makes by layering glass imbued with metallic flakes upon a solid-silver dial base.
Shimmering like a starry night, the Saxonia Thin Aventurine ref. 211.088's dark blue dial is kept as simple as possible with only Lange's arched branding and thin 18ct pink gold applied hour-markers punctuating its dial – along with its facetted hands, of course. Mirroring its jewellike dial, the Saxonia Thin Aventurine ref. 211.088 features an exhibition caseback with displays its incredible cal. L093.1 movement. Unrivaled by even the best names in watchmaking for their finishing, the Saxonia Thin Aventurine ref. 211.088's movement features the German brand's signature engraved balance cock, perfectly countersunk blued screws, and incredibly executed ¾ base plate.
While there has been a white gold version in production since 2018, the rose gold version you see here is limited to a staggeringly rare 50 pieces, making it extremely hard to find. With its blue aventurine dial and leather strap contrasting the warm glow of its 18ct pink gold case, the Saxonia Thin Aventurine ref. 211.088 in my opinion is much better suited than its more common and austere white gold counterpart.
