Glashütte Original has recently just unveiled the Senator Chronometer Limited edition model. Belonging to Glashütte Original’s Senator Collection, the latest Senator Chronometer is an update on a pre-existing model that made its debut in 2009. In 2010, the Senator Chronometer was voted “Watch of the Year” by the German trade magazine Armbanduhren. Since it’s inception, the Senator Chronometer has become a successful model that is now permanent in the Senator Collection, with on-going updates coming throughout the years.
In July this year, Glashütte Original has released the latest Senator Chronometer model in a white gold case, with a dial made from solid gold and the manufactory movement being gold plated.
The German brand Glashütte Original is no stranger to chronometers. Chronometers back in the old days were used as exceptionally accurate instruments in which they were used for navigation purposes to determine, by the precise time of day, the exact position of the naval ship. Glashütte Original began manufacturing marine chronometers in 1886, which after being tested by the Naval Observatory in Hamburg, achieved fantastic results.
The standards to which Glashütte Original make their chronometers in modern times are still of the highest quality as it was back then. In the contemporary world, a timepiece can only truly be qualified as a chronometer if an authorised testing institute has certified it. Glashütte Original’s chronometer timepieces all get accredited by the German Calibration Service, where their tests are based on the German Chronometer Standard.
The Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer limited edition comes in an 18ct white gold 42mm case. The bezel has a concave shape which Glashütte Original states was inspired from historic timepieces
as it allows more visual space for the dial. The bezel also comes with knurled edges so that better grip can be provided. The dial, as mentioned earlier, is solid gold and features two unique counters at 6 o’clock and 12 o’clock positions.
Historical marine chronometers inspired these counters as they include a small second counter at the 6 o’clock position and a running time display at 12 o’clock position. The running time display also has a subtle day/night indicator. The day/night indication works from 6 am until 6 pm a small circle will appear in white. From 6 pm until 6 am the circle will turn black, indicating night time. The counters have also been milled into the dial, which adds additional depth. A Panorama Date window is also located at 3 o’clock, with the background of the date matching the dial quite nicely.
The Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer also features whats termed as “The Corrector” which located at the 4 o’clock position, allows the wearer to set the date quickly.
Glashütte Original has opted to use Arabic numerals for the hour indices along with a railroad-style minute track. The hour and minute hands are pear-shaped blue steel, with a similar design used for the hands on the counters as well.
Glashütte Original has used the Calibre 58-03 manual winding movement in the Senator Chronometer limited edition. The Calibre 58-03 manufacture movement features a more refined second-stop mechanism. When the crown is pulled out, the time is stopped with the second hand resetting to zero. While this happens, simultaneously, the minute hand will advance to the next full minute index. When the wearer adjusts the time of day by turning the crown, the hand will jump from one-minute index to the next, which will ensure that the seconds and minutes relationship is kept the same. The Calibre 58-03 movement has a frequency of 4 Hz (28, 800 VPH) and a power reserve of approximately 44 hours and 40 minutes.
This timepiece does come with an open-case back, where the colourful movement can be seen quite clearly. The wheel bridge has been plated in silver, which then has been given a galvanic coating in rose gold. The other components that form the frame have also been coated in galvanic rose gold. When one looks at the case back, it’s very aesthetically pleasing to look at. The screw-mounted gold chantons, polished and bevelled steel parts, hand-engraved balance all with the different colours all mix in together to create not just a timepiece, but a piece of art.
The Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer limited edition comes standard in a dar blue Louisiana alligator leather strap, which matches nicely with the blue markings and hands on the dial. Much like the predecessors in the 19th and 20th century, the Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer is made to be a precise timepiece with perfect legibility and beautiful aesthetics to match. Limited to only 25 pieces, the Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer is priced at $45,000.00 AUD.
