“Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.” – Confucius


Glashütte Original at Baselworld 2018

In 2018 the Saxon manufacture brought newly designed versions of its successful classics. The two most interesting novelties were the Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar in white gold and annual editions of the Sixties and Sixties Panorama Date models with striking green dials.
 

‘We are very pleased to see the high levels of interest in our manufactory and collection and consider the exceptionally positive feedback to be a confirmation of our product strategy’ – Thomas Meier, CEO, Glashütte Original summed up Baselworld this year.

GO belongs to an elite circle of watch companies that maintain freshness around their brand, soundness about their strategy and their models set in collections are also coherent with this image. It is amusing to see how these lines are developed in a very German and conscious way. Even experimental trips, such as sewing an edgy face to the statue of classical horology the Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar this year, can seamlessly fit into the rock solid collections. They are envisioned, planned and evaluated carefully inside and out before a decision is made and the expectations are set accordingly. Because of the clarity and the logic behind Glashütte Original’s product lines, building up something like this might seem self-evident – but it is far from it. I visited them in Glashütte last year to witness the amount of effort people behind the desk and the workbench are putting into it.

The same watchful eyes safeguarded the creation of the 2018 novelties. Below I highlight a few models that I particularly liked.

Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar

Although the company is actively bringing issuing new designs, it does not happen very often that the result is definitely divisive. Based on the conversations I had and the articles I read, the new Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar is just that.

GO defines the Senator line with attributes like ‘classically elegant’, ‘understated’ and including ‘traditional design elements’. This model goes against this and it doesn’t. It is like the youngest member of an aristocratic clan who left years ago as a good boy to a faraway land to study and now he returns to the Sunday family lunch – slightly bohemian and stubbly, but irresistibly handsome. The same breed with the same case and movement as last years’ model, but far removed from its mood. Replacing the sober white dial, this one is made of a combination of a strong anthracite contour around the indicators and the outer scale and a ‘randomly’ cut-out guilloche panel. The latter is actually the cover plate of the 36-02 automatic movement itself.

Even though it is distinct from the Senator line, it looks complete and fits in the family perfectly. Especially because it mixes the unorthodox look with traditional GO trademarks, such as the classic blued hands, the excellent mechanism under the hood and the traditional Glashütte script logo. It speaks to the creative power and a sense of humour at the company. Limited to 100 pieces, the new Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar will surely find its devotees.


 

Senator Excellence Panorama Date and Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase

In 2016 the company introduced the new generation automatic Calibre 36. It was intentionally designed to serve as a reliable and serviceable base movement, which would be used in many different models and serve as a starting point to movement variations. Both the Senator Excellence Panorama Date and the Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase incorporate the same calibre in two editions: the 36-03 and the 36-04 respectively. There is a choice of a galvanised silver grey dial with vertically brushed finishing, a galvanised blue face with sunray decoration and a varnish matte white dial.


 

Sixties and Sixties Panorama Date

A collection is dedicated to the models directly inspired by great vintage pieces. The Sixties line within the Vintage collection recalls the ‘60s with its round case and the cool typography. The new edition received a green dial which looks like green glass with water splashed on it. Just like every other dial, it was made by Glashütte Original’s dial manufacture in Pforzheim. The effect is achieved by an imprint pattern, varnished in green and black with a dégradé effect (a colour graduation from a lighter centre to the darker edges). The Arabic numerals are in the usual Sixties’ style; the hour markers are diamond-cut with luminous spots besides them.

The new Sixties has the 39 mm stainless steel case and the automatic calibre 39-52 of its predecessors. The same with a date function, the Sixties Panorama Date is somewhat larger (42mm) and is powered by the calibre 39-47.

Both timepieces are available in Glashütte Original Boutiques and from selected retailers worldwide only for the limited duration of one year.

 

Photo credits: Loupiosity.com.
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