The Updated and Captivating new Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Models

In 2016, Glashütte Original unveiled the Senator Excellence series, an offspring of the more considerable Senator collection distinguished by a subtly modern and elegant aesthetic. Along with the series, the brand introduced the in-house Calibre 36, featuring a silicon balance spring, a substantial 100-hour power reserve, and chronometer-grade timekeeping. This innovative movement was the foundation for subsequent developments aligned with the brand’s core stability, autonomy, and precision criteria. The Senator Excellence collection has expanded to encompass various models, including time-only pieces, the iconic Panorama Date with or without a Moon Phase indication, and Perpetual Calendar variations.

Among the recent additions to the Senator Excellence family are the stainless steel editions of the Panorama Date Moon Phase and Perpetual Calendar timepieces featuring galvanized grey dials. Having experienced these watches firsthand, let’s delve into our impressions, beginning with the Perpetual Calendar.

Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar

The new iteration of the Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar in stainless steel retains the essence of the model introduced in 2017, with noteworthy updates inspired by the highly coveted 2021 limited edition with a salmon dial – rose opaline, according to GO. The case maintains its dimensions at 42mm in diameter and 12.8mm in thickness, boasting a satin-brushed and polished finish with slender bezels and lugs. While the case design remains consistent, the focal point shifts to the revamped dial, distinguishing this release from its predecessors. Glashütte Original’s subtle modifications yield a remarkable difference as an exercise in aesthetics, inviting a closer inspection of the details.

The dial, characterized by a textured, fine-grained surface, facilitates the legibility of perpetual calendar information arranged in an elegant and straightforward layout. Displaying the date, day, moon phase, and leap year, the dial integrates the signature Panorama Date at four o’clock, with the weekday and month apertures at 10 and 2 o’clock, respectively; all apertures are elegantly framed. The moon phase resides in a subsidiary dial at seven o’clock, featuring a silver moon against a galvanic blue backdrop – the second colour, aside from grey, contributing to the distinct aesthetic. All display windows exhibit blue backdrops, with blued steel hour and minute hands, poire-styled, a blued steel leap year indication hand, and a blue PVD-coated centre seconds hand with the double-G logo. Notably, all Roman hour indices are now present, crafted from gold, coated in blue, and applied, offering exceptional visual depth.

The logo and other inscriptions also feature a blue hue. For those who want more comparison with the earlier Glashutte Original Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar reference, the leap year indicator had a marked leap year segment, which is now gone for good. Hence, the display looks cleaner and more intelligent, too.

Despite the complexity of a perpetual calendar, Glashütte Original presents it beautifully and intuitively on this dial. The case dimensions, while potentially considered significant for some, are manageable and contribute to the spacious dial layout. Regarding user-friendliness, the classic push-pieces on the side of the case for setting and correction align with the classic nature of the Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar. The good news is that once correctly set, the watch won’t need to be reset until the year 2100, and the 100-hour power reserve will help the owner ensure the continuous running of the mechanism.

The mechanism, the Calibre 36-12 automatic movement, seen through the sapphire crystal case back, is a perpetual calendar module built on top of the Calibre 36 base. This movement is notable for its impressive power reserve and silicon hairspring and its exceeding COSC certification standards for chronometry. Embodying the high Glashütte watchmaking art, the movement features the characteristic three-quarter plate, noble stripe finish, perlage, blued screws, and fine polish on the gears. The two-tone galvanized balance cock is hand-engraved, and the rotor is skeletonized, bearing the double-G logo.

The price of this new stainless steel version of the Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar is EUR 24,300; for enthusiasts with a penchant for gold, a rose gold-cased reference with a galvanic silver dial and gold accents is available.

Quick Facts – Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar – 42mm x 12.8mm – stainless steel brushed and polished – sapphire crystals on both sides – 50m water-resistant – galvanic grey dial, fine-grained, applied indexes in solid gold with blue coating, blued steel hands – automatic calibre 36-12, in-house, 28,800vph frequency, 100h power reserve, hours, minutes, seconds and perpetual calendar with moon phase – blue alligator strap blue or blue fabric strap – EUR 24,300

Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase

The updated version of the Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase, initially introduced in 2018, is an exemplary product of Glashütte Original, a timepiece with a clean design and exceptional functionality. This release signals a clear message to enthusiasts, highlighting forthcoming updated editions of the Panorama Date and the “basic” Excellence three-hand models. While we eagerly await those, let’s delve into our impressions of the stainless steel reference unveiled alongside the Perpetual Calendar last October.

Embarking on a hands-on experience with the Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase is a journey into elegance and meticulous craftsmanship. Aesthetically aligned with the Perpetual Calendar, the Panorama Date Moon Phase retains the 40mm x 12.2mm stainless steel brushed and polished case, with the significant update centred around the dial.

The textured galvanic grey dial is the canvas for a symphony of design elements, creating a captivating visual spectacle. At 4 o’clock, the signature Panorama Date window gracefully showcases the date, while between 10 and 11 o’clock, the moon phase display unfolds – a silver moon against a starry, galvanic blue sky. This celestial scene adds a touch of enchantment to the dial, captivating the observer’s gaze.

Much like the Perpetual Calendar, this watch features an array of blue elements forming the captivating dial’s design. A blue railroad track minutes counter on the periphery frames the central stage. Crafted from gold, blue-coloured Roman numerals, delicately applied, guide the eye with precision, and the signature blued handset – comprising blued-steel pear-shaped hands and a filigree seconds hand with the double-G counterweight – adds a touch of refinement to please the eye further. More blue accents, from the logo to the text and date background, tie the design elements together seamlessly.

Operating Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase functions was a breeze, thanks to the crown’s intuitive control without additional correctors. In position 1, the crown facilitated winding, while position 2 allowed the date and moon phase adjustment. Position 3 allowed the owner to set the time of day effortlessly.

Turn the watch over and admire the movement powering this timepiece – the Glashütte Original automatic Calibre 36-24. Built upon the Calibre 36, celebrated for its technical prowess and aesthetic finesse, it has a remarkable power reserve of at least 100 hours and an anti-magnetic silicon balance spring that guarantees precision and reliability. When correctly set, the moon phase indicator can run for 122 years without correction – assuming the watch remains consistently wound, of course.

The overall hands-on experience with the Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase watch gave us a profound appreciation for its craftsmanship and functional prowess. We can’t wait to see more updates to the Senator Excellence series. The price for the stainless steel version is EUR 12,700; we had our exemplar paired with the leather strap, and there’s a synthetic blue strap option. As with the Excellence Perpetual Calendar, the Panorama Date Moon Phase is offered in an updated version in rose gold.

Quick Facts – Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase – 40mm x 12.2mm – stainless steel, brushed and polished – sapphire crystals on both sides – 50m water-resistant – galvanic grey dial, fine-grained, applied indexes in solid gold with blue coating, blued steel hands – automatic calibre 36-24, in-house, 28,800vph frequency, 100h power reserve, hours, minutes, seconds, moon phase and Panorama date – blue alligator or blue fabric strap – EUR 12,700

For more details, please visit www.glashuette-original.com.