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.  

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 Tourbillon Watches – Always Impressive

Glashutte Original continues to dazzle us with beautiful tourbillon watches, on this occasion the splendid Assmann 4 tourbillon from the Masterpieces collection. In the style of previous tributes to Julius Assmann–a legendary founding father of the 19th century Glashutte watchmaking industry–this latest limited edition features a characteristically unique detachable watchcase which allows wearing as a pocketwatch, as well as a wristwatch. The openworked dial of the Assmann 4 tourbillon watch is extremely impressive, allowing one to admire the delicate craftsmanship and motions of the tourbillon, as well as the basic structures of the mechanism.

I think this watch is fantastic, but the fact that its not my favorite Glashutte Original tourbillon shows just how many delectable “whirlwinds” have sprung from the hands of the master watchmakers in Germany. That honor would go to the Senator Karree Tourbillon watch–I can’t get over the mesmerizing beauty of this watch’s dial, nor its wonderful manual winding movement, starring the incomparable flying tourbillon which is distinct from those of the Swiss school–and uniquely attributable to Alfred Helwig, the great German master of the tourbillon complication.

The Glashutte Original Senator Navigator – Let it Glow, Let it Glow, Let it Glow

Wrist-spanning stainless steel cases, bold glowing dials, and lots of stories to tell. What I’m talking about is some of the fantastic pilot’s watches from the 1930’s and 40’s–timepieces for the wrist which which were some of earliest examples of the oversized watches which enjoy such vogue today. These days, a variety of companies have paid tribute to the classic pilot watch style, introducing their own versions of these eye-catchers.

One of the absolute best entries in this genre is the outstanding Glashutte Original Senator Navigator watch. While its internal quality impresses me greatly, what blows me away the most about this watch is the dial, which has to be one of the coolest sporty dials ever made–it’s also extremely faithful to the style of historical pilots watches. The intricacy of its gradation is impressive, and when the lights go out, the luminosity is simply unbelievable. Literally EVERY marking on both the nner and outer portions of the dial glow an eerie green. The broad sword-shaped hands are fantastic too, long and shimmering with their lovely blued finish.

Another feature that makes this watch incredibly neat, is its unique rapidly resettable second hand, which is a feature those pilots of the past would definitely appreciate–synchronizing the second hand with a time signal is as simple as pressing the button on the left side of the case. Although you can’t see it, because of the solid steel caseback (a very appropriate back for a watch like this) that outstanding Manufacture caliber 100 movement is right underneath, finished to an extremely high level, and boasting the high degree of handcraft which is a hallmark of Glashutte Original.