Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer Limited Edition, with a Newly Designed Case
An ode to famous Glashütte marine chronometers of the past, with superb new design and decoration.
Among the watches produced by German watchmaker Glashütte Original, one holds a special place in our hearts at MONOCHROME. With its classic marine chronometer layout, its focus on legibility and precision and a superb hand-wound movement, the Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer is one of the most respected timepieces of the brand. Today, a new (very) limited edition surfaces, featuring a newly designed case, a stunning dial and a handsome movement with specific decoration. Here’s the Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer Limited Edition.
Background
The Senator Chronometer celebrated its 10th anniversary last year giving GO the opportunity to introduce some subtle updates to the model; these included a thinner bezel and larger dial and a silver grained finish and thinner markings on the dial.
But what exactly is the Senator Chronometer and what does it represent for the brand? What few might know is that Glashütte was home to the production of some of the best marine chronometers around. The production of marine chronometers in Glashütte started in the year 1886 and continued in the VEB Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe (“GUB”) from 1951 on. Between the years 1886 and 1978 mechanical marine chronometers were produced and between the years 1974 and 1992 quartz marine chronometers were also produced. And in 2009 the brand decided to pay tribute to this past with a wristwatch version of a Marine Chronometer – a category with specific codes, a well-known display and a strong focus on precision.
The Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer showed a typical marine chronometer display, with large central hands, a small seconds at 6 and a power reserve at 12 o’clock. As in the past, time is read with elongated Roman numerals. The most desirable part of this watch, however, is its hand-wound movement, which features an innovative stop-seconds/reset mechanism with minute detent that makes it much easier to synchronize the minute and seconds hands when setting the time. Available in the permanent collection in white gold with a blue dial as well as in rose gold with a silver dial, a highly limited edition now joins the range.
The new Senator Chronometer Limited Edition
While the overall concept of the Senator Chronometer remains intact, this new edition is an even stronger tribute to past marine chronometers, starting with its newly designed case. While the central case is unchanged and still measures 42mm in diameter, the main update concerns the bezel, directly inspired by historic models with its concave shape and a delicate knurled edge, which served to improve the grip on marine chronometers of the past.
The bezel extends slightly over the 44.2mm diameter of the case although the height remains equal at 12.47mm. Note that the bezel has an inner sloped brushed flange, something you won’t find on the permanent models. The case is brushed and polished and features a recessed corrector in the caseband for the date.
Dial making
Another difference between the standard versions of the watch and this Senator Chronometer Limited Edition is the dial. While the display is the same, with its beautifully arranged display that pays tribute to marine chronometers, the finishing and materials are different. We still find the central hours and minutes, with pear-shaped hands in blued steel, as well as the small seconds at 6 o’clock and the running time display at 12 o’clock – which also includes a day/night indicator and makes it easier to set the time and date. In addition, the characteristic Panorama Date is located at 3 o’clock with a background colour that matches the dial.
What’s new is the way the dial is produced. Glashütte Original takes great pride in having its own dial manufacture and can thus produce small quantities with superb finishing. The dial of the limited edition has a grained silver-plated surface with black Roman numerals and tracks. Yet, the production process and the materials are more complex and precious than the traditional watch.
The dial is a solid gold blank that is laser-engraved to create the numerals and tracks. The engravings are then filled with black lacquer and burnt in with heat in a kiln, revealing more depth than standard printing. In a final step, the blanks are silver plated by hand. An elaborate process with a finely calibrated mixture of fine silver powder, salt and water that is rubbed on the dial by hand with a brush to achieve a shiny silver surface.
Newly decorated movement
Last but not least, the Senator Chronometer Limited Edition features a brand new decoration on the movement.
The Calibre 58-03 is a hand-wound chronometer-rated movement with 4Hz frequency and a 44-hour power reserve – which can appear a bit short but GO only retains a part of the power reserve, in order to benefit from the best chronometric precision. The main feature of this movement is its refined stop-seconds mechanism. When the crown is pulled out, the time display stops and the seconds hand is reset to zero and held there. Simultaneously the minute hand advances to the next full minute index. When the crown is turned to set the time, the hand jumps from one minute index to the next – thus ensuring that the correct relationship between seconds and minutes is maintained.
Visible through the sapphire caseback is the new decoration. Replacing the rhodium-plated bridges with traditional Glashütte striping, Glashütte Original has chosen a three-quarter plate that has been silver plated and subsequently given a galvanic coating in rose gold. The result is a gold-coloured matte surface that contrasts with the silvery wheels and barrel, the polished bevels, the blued screws and the polished gold chatons. The main plate as well as the hand-engraved cock are also coated in rose gold.
Price and availability
The Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer Limited Edition is worn on a blue alligator strap with an 18k white gold pin buckle, or fold fastener (standard or short). It will be limited to 25 pieces only, available from Glashütte Original Boutiques and selected retailers as of August 2020. It will retail for EUR 26,710 (on pin buckle).
More details at www.glashuette-original.com.
6 responses
What a finish on that movement. Power reserve drop is certainly acceptable due to the increased accuracy, and it’s got a beautifully executed reserve indicator anyway, so you’ll always know.
The article seems like it was written somewhat quickly. I think the best part of the movement is that the minute hand is geared to the seconds hand so that, for example, at 30 seconds into the minute the minute hand will be half way between minute markers. When the seconds hand passes 12, the minute hand is precisely over the minute marker. It’s the perfect watch for perfectionists!
A beautiful thing. When using a hand wound watch I find I tend to wind it every day so a reserve of just over a day is enough.
An even better version than the already lovely permanent model! I would choose it over a Richard Lange.
I prefer their classic logo word mark as well. It looks much more authentic than the modern Dolce and Gabbana like “GO” anagram that’s used in some other models on the crown and the movement.
This GO looks like they’ve really thought about every part and angle it’s great looking