Introducing the Senator Excellence Line by Glashütte Original: Watches for a Lifetime
Glashütte Original’s Senator Excellence line represents the pinnacle of style and quality, where each timepiece aspires to be the one watch you’ll cherish for a lifetime. These watches are crafted to the highest standards, subjected to rigorous testing lasting several weeks to ensure their exceptional quality. The German watchmaker has now expanded this collection with two new versions of the Perpetual Calendar and two additional models featuring the Panorama Date and moon phase complications.
A Family of Excellence
In 2016, Glashütte Original introduced the Senator Excellence line, marking the debut of a new generation of timepieces. At the heart of these watches is the Calibre 36, a movement that meets the most exacting standards while remaining user-friendly. This movement serves as the foundation for a new family of watches that have gained global recognition as modern classics. Glashütte Original has now enriched the line with two fresh interpretations of the Perpetual Calendar and two additional variants featuring Panorama Date and moon phase complications, available in both red gold and stainless steel cases.
Exploring the Intricate Complications
The Perpetual Calendar is renowned as one of the most coveted and challenging complications in watchmaking. It accounts for varying month lengths and leap years, a testament to the watchmaker’s artistry. Glashütte Original implements this intricate haute horlogerie complication in a contemporary and user-friendly manner within the Senator Excellence family. Display windows replace traditional hands, enhancing legibility and maintaining an elegant, clear design. Discreet correctors on the case make it simple to adjust the weekday, month, and moon phase, and a universal corrector facilitates simultaneous adjustments of the day, date, and month.
The Senator Excellence Panorama Date combines two of Glashütte Original’s signature complications: a handcrafted silver- or gold-colored moon traces its path beneath a curved dial opening. Precise diamond milling creates a sharp profile, sharply contrasting with the galvanic blue night sky. At 4 o’clock, a generous dial aperture frames the Glashütte Original Panorama Date, consisting of two date discs mounted on the same level without a central separation bar, ensuring optimal legibility.
Exquisite Design Details
All four new additions boast a round case, either 42 mm in diameter (Perpetual Calendar) or 40 mm (Panorama Date Moon Phase), featuring a satin-brushed and polished finish. Red gold versions juxtapose the shimmering precious metal with a galvanic silver dial, with deep black numerals for contrast. The hour and minute hands, as well as the hand-mounted Roman numerals, are fashioned from fine red gold. The stainless steel versions showcase galvanic gray dials, with white numerals against a matte blue ground for the Panorama Date display discs. The gold appliques are appropriately coated in blue, and the hour and minute hands are crafted from traditional blued steel. All dials feature a fine-grained surface texture, with raised Roman numerals and a velvety surface, presenting a classic, elegant face with distinctive contrasts and remarkable visual depth.
Unveiling the Movement
The new Senator Excellence models are driven by the latest advancements in the Calibre 36 series. The Perpetual Calendar timepieces are powered by the Calibre 36-12, while the Calibre 36-24 drives the models with Panorama Date and moon phase complications. Both movements have undergone extensive refinement and feature a two-tone galvanized balance cock, meticulously hand-engraved. A skeletonized rotor, adorned with the double-G logo of Glashütte Original, provides unhindered visibility. The movements incorporate the hallmark features of Glashütte watchmaking, including the three-quarter plate, noble stripe finish, perlage, blued screws, and finely polished gears and rotor track.
The Winning Formula of Senator Excellence
Like all watches in the Senator Excellence line, the new variants are meticulously designed with a focus on everyday usability, durability, and timeless aesthetics. Four key principles guided the development of these movements: maximum stability, precision, power reserve, and beauty. Optimal stability is achieved through an ingenious design that eliminates potentially fragile components. The bayonet mounting of the movement enhances shock resistance. The precision of the automatic movement is elevated by a silicon hairspring, highly resistant to external influences, and a regulator-free oscillating system. A bidirectional automatic winding system ensures the watch remains optimally wound.
Recognizing the value of time, Glashütte Original designers have prioritized the power reserve of Senator Excellence models. Calibre 36 offers a running time of at least 100 hours at a frequency of 4 hertz (28,800 vibrations per hour). This impressive duration is made possible by an optimized spring barrel, with an enlarged diameter and a smaller spring core, increasing the number of windings. The pursuit of beauty is evident in every detail, a guiding theme throughout all Glashütte Original collections.
Thorough Testing Procedure
All Senator Excellence models undergo a rigorous 24-day testing process at the Saxon manufactory, surpassing even the stringent German chronometer test standards. Regardless of the type or number of complications, the requirements are identical for all models in the series. A special “Q” engraving on the case back signifies the quality of each watch. The precise measurements from these tests are meticulously recorded and can be accessed by their future owners through a dedicated online platform.
With the introduction of the Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar and Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase models, Glashütte Original once again presents mechanical timepieces perfectly suited for the demands of the 21st century. Starting in October 2023, these new additions to the Senator Excellence line will be available at Glashütte Original boutiques and official retail partners worldwide.
For more information, please visit Glashuette-Original.com.
