Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar Limited Edition

For quite some years already, Glashütte Original is working hard to bring a more contemporary feel to its usual German design. Known for being one of the very best watchmakers in the region, the brand was clearly on the conservative side for decades. New collections are bringing a younger and more modern taste to these Teutonic pieces, such as the Senator Chronograph “The Capital Edition” or the casual 3-hand Senator Excellence. For Baselworld 2018, we have a new example of this strategy, with the Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar Limited Edition.

The latest addition to the Senator Excellence family combines mechanical beauty with a modern, technical feel that was rather absent from the previous collections. Based on the watch that we extensively reviewed here, Glashütte Original introduced for Baselworld 2018 a new, open-worked limited edition of its perpetual calendar. Bolder but still in line with the brand’s expectation, it is a refreshing novelty.

It is not the first time that Glashütte Original offers an open-worked watch. Yet, other watches with such decoration were usually quite baroque and old-fashioned – curved skeletonized bridges adorned with arabesques, like this one. If such watches remain technically impressive, they might not be in line with the needs of current collectors, who want more modern pieces. Glashütte Original has made use of this technique to implement a fresh, modern design.

The base, the Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar, remains equal. We then find a 42mm case, with brushed and polished surfaces, as well as the same display for the perpetual calendar – Panorama date at 4 o’clock, moon-phase at 8 o’clock, day-of-the-week, month and leap year at respectively 10, 2 and 12 o’clock, and finally, central hands for the hours, minutes and seconds. What changes is the metal in which the case is crafted; here 18k white gold – usually, the Senator Excellence collection is only available in steel or 18k red gold.

Then is the dial, in matte grey. It has been partially opened in the centre and around the indications to reveal the main plate of the perpetual calendar module. This plate is decorated with an elaborate guilloche decoration, crafted by hand in the watchmaker’s own dial manufactory in Pforzheim. This plate is partially opened to reveal the interplay of the calendar discs.

The Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar Limited Edition is powered by the in-house Calibre 36-02 automatic movement, which is visible through the sapphire caseback. Offering an impressive 100 hours of power reserve, it features 43 jewels and oscillates at 28,800vph. In true German style, the movement is beautifully decorated and features a Glashütte three-quarter plate with stripe finish, bevelled edges, polished steel parts with perlage, and a skeletonized rotor with 21ct gold oscillation weight.

To complete this modern look, the Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar Limited Edition features several blue accents that contrast with the silver and grey colours used all around – blue alligator strap, blued hands and blue minute markers. This watch will be produced in 100 pieces only and priced at EUR 32,900 on 18k white gold pin buckle or EUR 35,000 on 18k white gold folding clasp. More details on www.glashuette-original.com.