Glashütte Original, Watch Reviews

Glashütte Original – Senator Excellence

In developing the new manufactory Calibre 36 the designers and watchmakers at Glashütte Original have made time for what is essential: the basic form, as substantial as it is innovative, of a new generation of timepieces.



The automatic movement with classic hour, minute and seconds functions has been thought through with care; exceptionally user-friendly, it meets, at the same time, the highest standards of the watchmaker’s art. Fittingly, it celebrates its debut beneath a classic face of modern time measurement in Glashütte: the Senator Excellence.

 

 

The German watchmaker’s designers were guided, as they created the new core movement, by four principles: extreme stability – in rate as well as overall construction; maximum precision; extended running time; and an aesthetic of timeless beauty. Accordingly, a calibre has emerged that represents the quintessence of the manufactory’s broad range of craft skills and is destined to serve as a solid foundation for future challenges and flights of the watchmaker’s art.

 

 

Reliability and robust construction have always been valued highly in the making of watches at Glashütte Original. These timepieces are made to accompany their owners reliably as they go about their busy lives, and are duty-bound to uphold the reputation of their “Made in Germany” seal of origin. As a result, a great deal of attention was paid during the development of the compact automatic movement to assure a sustained high performance: optimal design enabled a reduction in the number of components and the elimination of components that were potentially vulnerable to wear and tear, such as the winding system’s traditional detent click, which the bi-directional-wind reduction gear renders superfluous. Contributing to substantial stability as well is an innovative bayonet mount used to settle the movement in the case – similar to a bayonet mount for a camera lens. This renders the construction as a whole extremely shock-resistant and, at the same time, easy to assemble and service.

 

 

In watchmaking, time necessarily plays a big role – even when the objective is to assure the longest possible running time. The new calibre features, for the first time at Glashütte Original, a power reserve of up to 100 hours, at a frequency of 4 Hertz (28,800 alternations per hour). An authentic rarity. The wearer can thus leave the fully wound watch at rest for up to four days without having to re-set the time. This unusually high degree of autonomy is achieved with the use of only one spring barrel, developed specifically for this purpose: increased diameter and a smaller barrel arbour made it possible to lengthen the mainspring and sharply increase the number of winding turns. The result offers maximum comfort for the wearer and is an authentic example of the modern art of watchmaking.

 

 

The Calibre 36 celebrates its debut, as is only fitting, in a classic of the watchmaker’s collection. With its minimalist design, the Senator Excellence mirrors the pure essence of Glashütte Original. A slim bezel and the domed sapphire crystal, anti-reflective on both sides, offer superb views and lend this timepiece its simple elegance. The finely ribbed crown bears the brand’s representative double-Glashütte logo, carried by all mechanical watches in the collection. The polished and satin-brushed surfaces of the case reflect the light and are harmoniously attuned to each other.

 

 

The hour, minute and seconds hands follow their paths above a gently understated dial that heightens the focus on what is essential: the newly designed dial now presents the typical Roman numerals only at hours 6 and 12, thus making room for the distinctive indexes. Thus the Senator Excellence presents an open, elegant and contemporary face.

 

 

 

Three versions are available: two present a dial with a light, silver-grained lacquer surface along with laser-cut, galvanised black indexes and a corresponding railroad minute ring. The stainless steel model presents finely drawn minute numerals inspired by those of historic pocket watches, laser-cut and galvanised in black, while the red gold version offers these numerals printed in luminous red. Both timepieces are rendered easily legible by long, slim poire hands and a filigreed seconds hand; black Louisiana alligator leather straps with pin buckles assure elegant comfort for the wearer.

 

 

A third model evokes the famous observation watches that are representative of the art of watchmaking in Glashütte. It presents a stainless steel case with black dial and finely curved Arabic numerals. Generous use of Super-LumiNova assures optimal legibility even under less than optimal lighting: on the slim white gold hands, the arrow-tip of the seconds hand, and on the hour indexes, the luminous coating guarantees clarity in the dark. A white railroad minute ring and 5-minute markers create additional contrasts and are enhanced by a black calfskin strap with pin buckle – for pure watchmaking beauty.

The specifications:

Case:
– Diameter : 40mm
– Material : 18K red gold / stainless steel
– Water resistance : 50 meters
– Sapphire crystal – anti-reflective cozting on both sides

Movement:
– Calibre : Calibre 36
– automatic winding
– Frequency : 28,800 vph
– Power reserve : 100 hours
– Jewels : 27

error: