Glashütte Original looks back at its delightfully retro 70s collection, at long last releasing it in a trio of new three-hand models!
The 1970s were not an era known for its restraint. In the watch world, this is absolutely apparent. Spurred on by mechanical watchmaking’s oncoming obsolescence under the shadow of the Quartz Crisis, this decade of horology is marked by rapid, desperate and highly unconventional horological innovation. That’s the story most people are told about the Crisis, which is mostly from the Swiss perspective. But while it had massive effects on the Swiss watch market, the same can’t be said for Germany’s watchmaking industry.
If you know your watch history, you’ll already know I’m referring to Glashütte. For all the challenges the Cold War brought, one good thing that the then-GUB got was near immunity to the Quartz Crisis from behind the Iron Curtain. So, they continued on, creating watches that were still in keeping with the period’s design ethos, but without the enormous pressure of quartz watches on their backs.
In the present day, GUB maintains its lineage through Glashütte Original, which has made a concerted effort to uphold the heritage of both brand and town. They even have a museum for it! As part of this endeavour is their Vintage catalogue, which refines and reintroduces designs from the 1960s and ’70s. This year, they focus on the latter, launching three new interpretations of their TV-screen square ’70s collection in a three-hand layout.
Hip To Be Square
If you’re familiar with Glashütte Original, then you’ll know this isn’t the first time the brand has introduced a three-hand square watch to its roster. The ’70s design was first seen in 2011, back when it was still categorised as part of the Senator line. But since the Seventies Panorama Date Chronograph was introduced in 2014, the collection has only seen minor adjustments and colour changes.
With these new ’70s three-hand references, Glashütte Original looks to change that up significantly. As opposed to their 40mm older brothers, the new watches stand at a more universally wearable 39mm case diameter. Also compact is the lug-to-lug, which keeps things close to the wrist at 43.6mm long.
Keep in mind, though, that a square watch will always wear larger than expected, as the case diameter might suggest for a round watch. Still, it should be easy to wear for most, especially with a 9.6mm thickness that slips beneath any shirt cuff or jacket.
Each watch is available on one of two strap options. First is the classic integrated steel bracelet, terminating at a butterfly clasp that allows the watch to wear flush to the wrist. Otherwise, Glashütte Original has always been known to make excellent synthetic straps.
The new ’70s trio are no exception, offered in either black or beige straps with a butterfly clasp and buckle combo. Should you wish to make the switch, the brand’s own Groove Lock System allows for easy interchangeability. But if you can’t decide between one or the other, the black-dial limited edition comes with both!
Kraftwerks
Though the silhouette of the watch remains familiar to fans of the brand, the dial of the ’70s lineup has been completely revised from the original release. Starting with the dial, the ’70s comes in three new colours: black, beige and white, complete with an embossed pattern the brand calls ‘Hexagrid’. Uniquely designed to catch light at various angles, it adds a sense of depth and dimensionality that wasn’t otherwise seen through the sunray-brushed finishes of old.
The hands and indexes have also gone through a slight revision, with squared-off, faceted ends that replace the sharper features seen previously. Set with solid gold, the hands and indices are filled with a respectable amount of lume and finished in rhodium, black, or kept as they are, depending on the dial tone. A slanted minute track, printed in white, runs around the periphery of the dial, again replacing the flat printing seen on prior references. Combined, this gives the watch a distinctly present-day quality whilst not detracting from the overall silhouette.
One feature I will say I miss, though, is the omission of Glashütte Original’s signature Panorama Date. Though the three o’clock date window works just fine, I believe that the unique complication would have perhaps been more fitting to keep rather than leave out entirely. Overall, the watch feels delightfully sporty and modern, even with its heritage-inspired lines and missing iconic complication.
The Bee G’s
Despite my commiserations for the loss, the movement within does well to fill that Panorama Date-shaped hole in my heart for this watch. Visible through the open caseback are the Cal. 36-11 and 36-10, new renditions of the automatic Cal. 36 series introduced by Glashütte Original in 2016. Beating at the luxury standard of 4Hz (28,800VpH), the movements also carry a staggering 100 hours of power reserve.
It’s a fairly uncomplicated movement for functionality’s sake, serving to both tell the time and date, but the level of finishing present is hard to deny. Turning up the aspects of Glashütte watchmaking, everything from the ribbed three-quarter plate to the hand-engraved balance cock, all the way to the minuscule blued screws, has been taken care of with incredible attention to detail.
As was introduced in the recent Senator Chronographs, the new movement also carries that skeletonised, two-tone double-G rotor emblematic of all Glashütte Original timepieces. If you end up getting the black version, the Cal. 36-10 gets even more sophisticated with a full blackened finish across all its grey rhodium components, making the contrast between it, the blue screws, the jewels and the gold even more apparent.
Initial Thoughts
As someone who is both a big fan of Glashütte Original and a sucker for retro-inspired watch design, the return of the ’70s three-hand collection brings me nothing but joy. I’ve always loved the square-ish, TV case shape, and I felt that the German brand had one of the best iterations of the aesthetic in the industry. I always wondered, though, if they would ever return in a more simplistic form.
These three watches not only bring that style back into the fold, but also refine it in the most important ways, ensuring the design feels unmistakably heritage-inspired but surprisingly modern. If you’re looking out for a piece with clean lines, a carefully engineered movement and a wearing experience that’s both elegant and distinctive, you’d be hard-pressed to overlook Glashütte Original’s latest offering.
References & Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Reference | 1-36-10-04-02-86 (Black, bracelet w/ complementary strap) 1-36-11-03-02[-66] / [-71] (Beige, bracelet / strap) 1-36-11-01-02[-66] / [-71] (White, bracelet / strap) |
| Dimensions | 39mm case diameter x 43.6mm lug-to-lug x 9.6mm thickness |
| Case | Stainless steel |
| Dial | Black / beige / white embossed Hexagrid with rhodium / gold / black accents |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Caseback | Open, sapphire |
| Movement | Automatic Cal. 36-11 / 36-10 with date complication |
| Power Reserve | 100h |
| Beat Rate | 4Hz / 28,800VpH |
| Water Resistance | 100m / 10bar |
| Strap/Bracelet | Interchangeable integrated steel bracelet with steel butterfly clasp Interchangeable rubber-leather strap with steel butterfly clasp & buckle combo |