The latest addition to the Glashütte Original Senator Excellence family is a new Perpetual Calendar in a limited edition with partially skeletonized dial revealing the movement within with its calendar discs and jewels. Taking a more prominent stage are the barleycorn guilloché motif on the galvanic module cover as well as the redesigned moonphase indicator and the leap year indication at 12 o'clock. Limited to 100 pieces, the new Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar is a very good looking watch and definitely much better than the previous model which you can read about it here. Also, below we have included a picture of the old model next to this new model just released at Baselworld 2018.
About the Watch
Fitted with a 42 mm 18K white gold case with a not too thick profile at 12.8 mm, the new Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar Limited Edition is a very modern looking watch with a nice and soothing composition in blue and grey. The matte grey dial ring features rhodium plated and polished applied indices and a galvanic grey module cover with barleycorn guilloché motif that slightly reveals the interplay of the calendar discs. Finely cut out from within the generous dimensions of the matte grey dial ring are the prominent signature panorama date between 4 and 5 o'clock, the moonphase indicator between 8 and 7 o'clock and the rest of the calendar indications —weekday, month and leap year— accented discreetly with a stepped frame on the upper half of the dial.
One great thing about this new watch is that the guilloché decoration was done by hand at Glashütte Original's own dial manufacture in Pforzheim outside of Stuttgart, Germany. In the process, traditional guilloché patterning tools are used to incise finely drawn geometric figures in the dial. Depending on how the light falls on the dial, the shimmering pattern takes on a very different appearance. One other thing worth pointing out is that for this particular iteration of the Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar, the panorama date presents its large format numerals on the same plane and without a vertical separation bar. Additionally, silver stars are set off against the moonphase display's dark blue night sky.
Traditional blued hands, the moonphase display's galvanic blue night sky and the printed blue minute numerals on the railroad chapter ring and the leap year indicator are the perfect match for the dark blue alligator leather strap that the watch is sold with.
The adjustment of the calendar is made via the crown and through four discreetly located correctors throughout the caseband, three on the left side and one right above the crown on the right caseband.
The Movement
Turning the watch over reveals the finely finished Glashütte Original automatic movement calibre 36-02. This movement with silicon balance spring and 49 jewels beats at a frequency of 28,800 vph to provide an outstanding power reserve of 100 hours. The movement is finished with the traditional Glashütte stripes, beveled edges, skeletonized rotor with 21K counterweight and the classic fine adjustment swan neck regulator. A certificate confirming that each Senator Excellence timepiece has been thoroughly tested for 24 days under conditions even more demanding than those of the challenging German Chronometer test, accompanies each watch.
On the Wrist & Pricing
On the wrist, the new Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar Limited Edition wears true to its size and with immaculate wrist presence. Completely different looking to the previous iteration of this model, the partial skeletonization and hand guilloché module cover make the watch less traditional looking and more fun. At the end of the day, who says that perpetual calendars need to look like you have to be wearing a suit and tie when they are on your wrist.
Sticker Price $37,500 USD. For more info on Glashütte Original click here.
