When you tell folk that you write about luxury timepieces for a living, the immediate response tends to be, “Do you get free watches then?” The answer is a regretful no. However, every so often, we’re allowed to do more than just take stylised shots of the watches in boutiques or at events. We spent a week with Glashütte Original’s 2017 Senator Chronograph Panorama Date a month or two back to review the piece and see what it would do for the soul.
We here at AUGUSTMAN are big fans of German watchmaking and Glashütte Original is perhaps one of the best examples of that design aesthetic and watchmaking finesse put together. The Senator Chronograph Panorama Date is perhaps, a slight turn away from the usual fanfare of dress watches we’ve come to expect from the town but one that stays within the evolutionary bounds of the brand. First off, the varnished black dial is already a head-turner, thanks to the strong luminescent blue hands and indices that cover the dial.
If there’s one thing we appreciate about most German timepieces, it’s the dedication to big dates. A fellow watch journalist once remarked that many brands were taking the wrong approach when it came to dates, commenting that the inclusion of them didn’t matter if the sizes were still small. One should be able to look discreetly at his watch (say, below waist level) to read the date and not have to peer at it. We’re big fans of how Glashütte Original has used the 42mm space of the watch. The indices aren’t short and provide great legibility (thanks to the lume) even at night.
The automatic calibre 37-01 powering the watch provides a generous 70-odd hours of power reserve and the automatic winding ensured that I never got a chance to see the power reserve indicator go down to a lower level like in the picture above. When it comes to the chronograph itself, it was a smooth activation and reset, no doubt thanks to the simplified column-wheel construction that Glashütte Original has introduced in more of their chronographs.
Overall, the watch borders in between a dress chronograph and one that’s more rugged. While the brand remains fairly unknown outside of collector and connoisseur circles, the feedback I’ve received from fans of watches about the piece was positive.
When showing them the back of the watch and the meticulous finishing that Glashütte Original brings to all its timepieces, you could see that many, if not all, had never thought of that as a selling point for a watch. As with many of the more traditional brands, it’s only a matter of time that more mainstream consumers will start to consider higher watchmaking and the many facets of it. The Glashütte Original Senator Chronograph Panorama Date is for the man who knows his timepieces (or is at least willing to explore further) and one who wants something different from the crowd.
It wears well, looks well and if you, like us, love a good story, then Glashütte Original (we’ve gotten amazing at reciting this story) has that for you.
The Glashütte Original boutique can be found at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore