Watch Collecting: A Perspective From One Who Tried, And Failed

Watch collecting is an interesting pursuit, and can mean very different things to different people.  There is no “right answer”–only what works for that individual.  Some people enjoy a rotation of 3-10 watches, happily going to the safety deposit bank or the safe to pull stuff off the winder.  Others keep a few timepieces on hand they wear regularly, and leave the others–sometimes many others–wrapped up in plastic for posterity or investment purposes (I’m thinking of the Patek crowd here, particularly)  Then there are the fanatics for vintage Rolex or Panerai limited editions, who enjoy the hyper-minutiae and sharing a latest rare acquisition with their equally obsessed buddies at get-togethers where festivity levels are just slightly less than that of a Roman bacchanalia.   Continue Reading… »

Glashutte Original Senator Chronometer Watch Epitomizes Saxon Haute Horlogerie At Baselworld 2009

The endlessly analyzed global economic turbulence of late 2008/2009 have not diminished the high horological striving of German luxury watchmaker Glashutte Original.  In addition to the fabulous Meissen Tourbillon, Glashutte has unveiled another superb novelty at Baselworld 2009–the Senator Chronometer, a wristwatch which unites the quest for ultimate timekeeping performance with the finest in the aesthetics and workmanship of the Saxon watchmaking school.   Continue Reading… »

Glashutte Original Sport Evolution Impact Watches: A “Shocking” Design Concept That Has Merit

Protecting the mechanical workings of watches from shock has been a preoccupation of horology since at least the 18th century, when Abraham-Louis Breguet invented the Parechute shock absorber for the balance.  Glashutte Original has decided to make a feature of shock absorption technology, incorporating flexible Elastomer elements tastefully into the design of their Sport Evolution Impact watches.  

Continue Reading… »

The Glashutte Original PanoMaticVenue – Utility And Beauty In One Superb Luxury Watch

Choosing a favorite among Glashutte Original’s Pano watch collection is a daunting task.  Sharing as they do the beautiful in-house Glashutte movements with finely engraved duplex Swan neck fine adjustments, gold jewel settings, and other sumptuous delights, along with styling that manages to find a near-ideal balance between classicism and the contemporary, each brings something superb to the table.  However, its hard to argue with the wonderful utility provided by the Panomatic Venue.

Continue Reading… »

Glashutte Original Senator Karree Automatic: A Great Mid-Sized Ladies Watch

The svelte tonneau form of Glashutte Original’s Senator Karree Automatic watch makes it extremely well suited for women eager to escape the “tiny watch” concept of traditional ladies timepieces. Displaying well balanced mid-sized 30 X 34.5mm dimensions and some very elegant detailing, the Karree Automatic can serve equally well for formal business attire or casually refined everyday wear. Continue Reading… »

Glashütte Original Senator Rattrapante Watch-An Exquisite Luxury Chronograph Without Compromise

The Glashütte Original Senator Rattrapante watch is one of the world’s finest split-seconds chronographs.  Beautiful and technically brilliant, this tour-de-force Glashütte Original watch was greeted with great enthusiasm by connoisseurs of German haute horlogerie–the kind of collectors who have as their benchmark for fine chronographs the Continue Reading… »

Glashütte Original Nightshade Tourbillon Takes Star Collection To New Heights

The Glashütte Original Nightshade Tourbillon is one of the ultra-high end ladies luxury watches to emerge from Baselworld that really impressed me.  Being a fan of the Glashütte Star Collection in general, perhaps I’m a bit biased, but I do feel this is an extraordinarily attractive watch, and without question a work of art both from a jewelry and watchmaking perspective.

Continue Reading… »

Glashütte Original Senator Sixties Chronograph: A Very Elegant Chronograph Wristwatch

Of the many tantalizing watches Glashütte Original has revealed to us at Baselworld this year, one of the most satisfying has to be the very handsome Senator Sixties Chronograph. Having been really taken with the Senator Sixties Automatic watch that debuted in 2007, I was pleasantly surprised by just how flawlessly the design can accommodate a chronograph; in fact, I may just like this watch even better as a chronograph than a simple automatic.

Continue Reading… »

Glashutte Original Lady Serenade Chronograph–Beauty And Technique United

Female watch lovers who appreciate non-traditional watch sizes AND chronographs will appreciate what Glashutte Original has debuted at the 2008 Baselworld exhibit. The new Lady Serenade Chronograph watch offers an elegant two-counter chronograph, within the confines of a 38mm diameter case crafted from 18K gold or stainless steel. The automatic movement is the tough yet highly refined Caliber 39, which is of course, manufactured by Glashutte Original.

Are chronographs cold and technical, appreciated only by men who care for nothing else but fancy movements? I would challenge such an absolute statement, by pointing out the lovely mother of pearl dials, which add sublime beauty and a certain feminine charm. The option of a lovely diamond-set bezel is another welcomed touch which tellingly shows that Glashutte Original is in tune with the pulsebeat of women’s desires in the realm of fine timepieces. This lovely chronograph is such an object–a timeless piece of jewelry which is also a sophisticated example of luxury watchmaking.

Glashutte Original PanoMaticChrono XL Watch Is Just Right!

The Glashutte Original PanoMaticChrono XL watch is a veritable must-have for devotees of fine chronographs.  Few chronograph watches can unite elegance and idiosyncratic design elements with such effectiveness; throw a truly world-class manufacture chronograph movement into the mix and you have a superb wristwatch. 

This Glashutte Original timepiece features a 42mm case in polished 18K white or rose gold.  The dial is a real masterpiece of intricate detailing, and has a look unlike any other watch–the off-centered time display instantly defines this watch among those in the know, as is the striking central chronograph seconds dial, which is elevated, and rises above the hour and minute counters.  The craftsmanship is truly beautiful.  Equally impressive is the Caliber 95-01 movement, with its intricate architecture that unites traditional elements of high quality (such as a column wheel), with ingenious features such as an exclusive bi-directional rotor system, which can optimize its winding motions to account for varied levels of activity in its wearer.  

Bigger isn’t always better.  However, with the PanoMaticChrono XL, Glashutte Original aesthetically one-upped the smaller (39.4mm) PanoMaticChrono watch, which uses the same movement and has the same displays.  Why?  Well, to my eyes, the unique overlapping chronograph displays appear more harmonious, and less “crowded” when given the benefit of those three extra millimeters.  While the PanoMaticChrono is undeniably nice, the 42mm PanoMaticChrono XL is like Goldilocks’s porridge–”just right!”