At Baselworld my favourite German brand, Glashütte Original, introduced a stunningly simplistic variation of the Senator Perpetual Calendar. Clean, precise and subtle this is German engineering at its best. The watch is practical and sensible and yet at the same time visually alluring. There is no particular stand-out feature on the dial but still I can’t seem to drag my attention away from it! This is the beauty of a quality German watch, no fancy bells and whistles, just exceptional craftmanship.
Simplified Detail
In typical German style the watch is detailed and yet at the same time precise. What other watchmaker can tell you the time, day, date, month, moon phase and indication of a leap year all on the same dial without even looking remotely cluttered!?
Everything on the dial has its place and all information is displayed in the most simplistic way possible and in a font size that can easily read. The sensible color scheme also helps immensely in this area. The white contrasts well against the black for clear and legible reading and the subtle red highlight provides just enough color to draw the eye.
There is no question that this is a very subdued looking piece, however, at the same time the matt black ceramic case gives it a modern appearance, successfully combining tradition and innovation. The leap year display with jumping indicator located at 12 o’clock indicates a leap year when its red indicator points to the 4.
Quality Engineering
The 42 mm ceramic case houses an automatic manufacture Caliber 100-07, with a rather impressive power reserve of more than 55 hours (+/- 10%). This movement also features a unique reset mechanism that allows for easy synchronization of the second hand with a time standard.
Unlike other reset mechanisms, the second hand here is neither connected to the winding stem nor the crown. Therefore, when the crown is pulled out the balance remains in oscillation and the movement continues to run. This significantly reduces material stress consequently prolonging the life of the movement.
To activate the reset mechanism you press a separate button on the side of the case at 8 o’clock (cannot be seen in the photo above). The rotor winds in both directions, providing constant power to the movement.
Finishing off this stunning tribute to Geman know-how is a scratch-resistant black calfskin strap with tonal stitching and a ceramic buckle.
As I mentioned at the start of the article Glashütte Original is pretty much my favorite German watch brand so I am inclined to be quite biased in this regard. Having said that, this timepiece and its incredible craftmanship literally speaks for itself. Smooth, clean lines, uncluttered dial and yet at the same time providing an incredibly detailed level of information.
This is German ingenuity at its best.
thewatchlounge.com
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