Grail-Watch
76
My First GO: PanoInverse XL
Apr 14, 2019,13:58 PM
I've been looking at a variety of watches to add to my collection this year, but the Glashütte Original PanoInverse XL has been calling to me for years. I saw it in Berlin a few years back, revisited at the Tourbillon store in San Francisco last year, and ran across it again this week in San Jose. Fortunately (or not) they made me an attractive offer this time around, and I just could not resist...
I originally looked more to the PanoMaticInverse but found the look and feel of the hand-winding PanoInverse more to my taste. Plus, no date! In fact, this is my first watch with a power reserve indicator, which I found surprising.
To me, the ribbed pattern on the dial looks better on the gray ruthenium than the silver on most other PanoInverse models. It creates more contrast with the star of the show: The double swan neck regulator.
The black anodized time dials have an unusual look as well. It almost looks plasticky until you look closer. And the hour markers and numerals are truly remarkable. The rounded profile creates a sharp line of contrast that almost looks faked, until you shift the watch and see it move. It really is something else to behold!
The reverse is almost a joke! I'm used to enjoying the balance, rotor, or gears through the display case back, but this one has a different story to tell. The full plate is perfectly finished and covers everything apart from a few chatons, rubies, and screws. To me, this is a statement of purpose: This movement is inverted. There is nothing to see here. That's what the Glashütte designers were thinking, I'm sure.
This photo shows my current Glashütte trip: A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin, this PanoInverse XL, and my trusty Nomos Tangomat GMT.
Here's one last shot of the Glashütte Original PanoInverse XL to enjoy!