If you are looking for a classic dress watch you really cannot go past high-quality German watchmaker Glashütte Original. Combining exceptional craftsmanship with no nonsense German design, the brand continually produces highly desirable, ageless timepieces. Case in point: the Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer.
Classic Design
The Senator Chronometer features everything you’re looking for in the perfect dress watch. The silver dial provides a richly contrasting surface for the hand-polished, blued sweep minute and pear-shaped hour hands. Elegantly simplistic it features subsidiary seconds and power reserve displays along the central axis with the latter, located at 12 o’clock, displaying the energy remaining to the hour.
It’s worthwhile taking a bit of time to discuss this seemingly simplistic looking dial, as is often the case, appearances are deceiving. Although not immediately apparent, an extensive manufacturing process goes into making the dial’s seemingly simple surface. Despite the additional time and cost involved, the manufacturer has chosen to employ a vintage tradition: a technique known as l’argenture grainée, a frosted silver plating.
The first step in this complex process consists of machine-blasting the surface of the brass dial with a mixture of water, chalk, and wood. Then a paste containing silver powder and water is carefully applied by hand to the blasted surface. The end result is a truly captivating dial that draws the eye without being too flashy or shiny.
German Precision
It would not be a classic German watch, however, if the focus was purely aesthetic. As the name suggests, the movement is a highly accurate chronometer. In order to achieve this title the movement is required to satisfy a series of tests performed by official independent institutes. The focus of these tests is to determine the exacting level of rate precision of the timepiece utilizing standardized measuring procedures. Only with certification from an authorized institute is a timepiece allowed to be called a chronometer.
Whilst it goes without saying that at Glashütte Original all manually wound calibers are tested according to these strict criteria, the Senator Chronometer is the first timepiece with official confirmation in the form of a certificate.
Thanks to the redesigned Glashütte Original manual winding Caliber 58-01 which powers this masterpiece, precise synchronization of the minute and second hands has now been made possible. A stop-seconds / reset mechanism allows the wearer to set the precise time with ease. Pulling the crown stops the time display and causes the second hand to jump to the beginning position, where it remains; the minute hand moves simultaneously to the next full minute. When the crown is then turned to set the time, the minute hand stops only on the indication of the full minute, thus always guaranteeing the correct relationship between the minutes and seconds displayed.
Providing the perfect view of this finely finished movement is an anti-reflective sapphire crystal case back. Glashütte are well known for their ornate movements and this one is no exception. The owner has a privileged view of the three-quarter plate, screw-mounted gold chatons, and hand-engraved balance cock. Of special note are the newly developed planetary gears that control the display of the movement’s power reserve. When fully wound the Caliber 58-01 has a power reserve of 45 hours.
Available in either rose or white gold, and finished off by a black Louisiana alligator skin strap with a folding clasp for a secure and comfortable fit.
I think it’s fair to say that Glashütte Original make phenomenal watches. Of special note are the classic pieces such as the one shown above which provide the perfect blend of aesthetic and mechanical perfection to create truly timeless watches that can be worn on any occasion and showcase a level of sophistication not often seen.
thewatchlounge.com
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