Haute horlogerie takes prominence once again at the hotbed of German watchmaking. Classic in silhouette yet fearlessly technical, Glashütte Original’s new PanoMaticCalendar flaunts everything it’s got!
The principles of German craftsmanship are somewhat universal, no matter where you look. Whether you get behind the wheel of a BMW, lace up a pair of Adidas shoes, or don a Glashütte Original timepiece, the country’s engineers and designers always seem to effectively marry ruthless technicality with elegant lines. Today, of course, we’re talking about the latter, as the Saxon brand has once again struck at the hearts, minds, and — for some — the wallets of the watch enthusiast community. As the OG (or in this case, the GO) representative of the eponymous town’s horological spirit, it has carved out a niche for itself beyond its neighbours. There remain some similarities, given founding members included names like Moritz Grossmann and Ferdinand Adolph Lange, but Glashütte Original has proven time and again that it is worthy of standing on its own as a monument to German watchmaking.
And while German pragmatism still informs every facet of their design and engineering process, it does not mean they are unable or unwilling to express their art and science in modern, contemporary ways. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Pano collection, where, for the last 24 years, the Swatch Group company has perfected its own brand of elegant asymmetry. In 2022, another landmark line joined the fray — the PanoMaticCalendar — which integrated the exceptional Panorama Date complication with an annual calendar movement. This year marks a new chapter in the Pano line, as the latest release from Glashütte Original refines the concept with a graceful timepiece inspired by the early hours of the morning.
Encased within a classically finished case of solid platinum, the new Glashütte Original PanoMaticCalendar ‘Blue of Dawn’ measures a contemporary 42 mm in diameter, with a 49.28 mm lug-to-lug and a thickness of 12.4 mm. It’s a sizeable watch, yet still accommodating and familiar for most wrist sizes. As you may have guessed, however, the platinum case makes the wearing experience anything but familiar; platinum’s density is about 21.45 g/cm³, compared with steel’s 7.85 g/cm³. This means that, per cubic centimetre, the watch weighs roughly three times as much as a standard steel timepiece of a similar profile — an intimidating wrist presence for a noble watch.
Within, the skeletonised dial — and by extension, the movement — has been given space to shine, with deep blue tones inspired by breaking dawn. While this watch won’t force you to choose between Team Edward or Team Jacob, the finishing still sparkles nonetheless. Extensively skeletonised and coated in a matte ‘vinyl’ blue finish, it reveals the mechanics beneath while maintaining readability through white-gold indexes, luminous dots, and blued hands filled with Super-LumiNova. All of this is framed by the asymmetric display that has become the signature of the Pano line. Off-centre hours and minutes, a small seconds register, and the Panorama Date at 4 o’clock anchor the design — odd at first glance, yet ultimately well-balanced. The retrograde month display, positioned between 3 and 6 o’clock, arcs across a tinted sapphire crystal window. Only one numeral is highlighted at a time, keeping the complex system clean and intuitive. Completing the calendar, a moonphase at 2 o’clock presents a hand-crafted starry sky set against deep midnight blue.
At last, Glashütte Original’s masterpiece is complete with the in-house automatic Calibre 92-11, a skeletonised evolution of the Cal. 92-09 that debuted only three years ago. Beating at the standard 4Hz (28,800VpH) with a remarkable 100-hour power reserve, this pragmatic article of German engineering features a magnetic-resistant silicon balance spring and solid white-gold regulation screws for enhanced accuracy. These elements only underscore the true beauty and sophistication at hand, found within the annual calendar mechanism. Unlike most calendar complications, the annual calendar requires adjustment just once per year, on 1 March, with demonstrations of this function’s logic mirrored in the enlarged Panorama Date and retrograde month. Viewed through both the dial and the sapphire case back, the finishing of the Cal. 92-11 speaks in a distinctly Saxon accent: a rhodium-coated three-quarter plate with Glashütte stripes, hand-bevelled edges, heat-blued screws, polished steel parts, and the engraved ‘Double G’ rotor.
My Thoughts
Recently, I had the privilege of touring the beautiful town of Glashütte alongside the amazing watch brand that started it all. But while I certainly hope you look out for the article I’ll be doing on my time there soon enough, what truly stood out to me was how dedicated everyone was to the watchmaking craft. While Glashütte Original is by no means an ‘entry-level’ watch for most beginner watch enthusiasts, it seems to be one of the last bastions of horology that eschews luxury perception for extremely luxurious craftsmanship. Put simply, it’s easy to tell where their budgetary priorities are: Not in bombastic, aspirational marketing stunts, but in the unrequited love for all things watchmaking.
While I’m sad that my visit didn’t include a look at this piece, I can confidently say this: If you are among the lucky few who have the opportunity to get your hands on one, you should seriously consider it. While the Glashütte Original PanoMaticCalendar ‘Blue of Dawn’ is priced at AU$64,600 and limited to only 150 pieces, if you are in the position to add it to your collection, I highly doubt you’d be coming out disappointed. This probably won’t make any sense to you now, considering that you have perhaps only seen the watch online, but when you get your hands on it – whether in passing or in consideration – you’ll understand where I’m coming from.
References: 1-92-11-01-03″-61″ (Leather Strap)/”-64″ (Fabric Strap)
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 42mm case diameter x 49.28mm lug-to-lug x 12.4mm thickness
- Case Material: Polished platinum
- Dial: Skeletonised blue with matte ‘vinyl” finish & white gold accents
- Movement: Automatic Cal. 92-11 with micro-rotor, small seconds & annual calendar (Panorama Date, moonphase, retrograde month) complications
- Power Reserve: 100h
- Beat Rate: 4Hz (28,800VpH)
- Water Resistance: 50m (5bar)
- Strap: Blue fabric strap or Blue alligator strap with platinum folding clasp