Glashütte Original

I think your first point is a fair one to make, Riley . . .

 

. . . and reasonable, too, although I'm sure you'll allow that there are others who aren't as bothered by the plethora of script. The example you chose to make your point is perhaps the most egregious in the line-up as pertains to script, necessary or otherwise. The words "shockproof", "sapphire crystal", and "water resistant" are likely inscribed to absorb what would otherwise be empty space; using decoration that is more appropriate to movement finishing* might seem reasonable, but I'm not sure that the Glashütte aesthetic would be served by blending the art of movement decoration with case construction. In my estimation, the Sixties is a retrospective design intended to capture the spirit as well as the aesthetic of the era, and those of us who remember the 60's will no doubt recall the similarly extraneous badging on upscale products such as "Hemi", "Six-Pak", and "SolidState". I do not know whether the additional engraving within the case engendered prior discussion within Product Design at Glashütte, but of three possible choices - scripting, decoration, or a void - my feeling is that engraved script is the best compromise. You will notice in this photo of the back of the white gold Sixties . . .

. . . that the scripting is different, but also in blocks of three phrases, similarly positioned. The purist [small 'p'] in me tends to agree with your sentiment in general, but I think you'll allow that product differentiation is a decision that management has to make, and as is the case with everything else in life, you can't please everyone. At least the extensive scripting isn't on the dial, as is the case with at least a few other noted brands ;-). Where I part company with you, Riley, is in your criticism of the deployants used by G O. You've been around long enough to realize that many parts, including bracelets and deployants, are manufactured by vendors, and that while it may be true that the deployants used by G O are similar to commonly available aftermarket designs, the essential quality of a deployant is that it doesn't fail . . . perhaps an Aston Martin is a superior vehicle to a Honda in static terms, but I know which I'd rather count on day in and day out. Similarly, I can attest to the essential quality of G O's deployants - I've never had an accidental failure in seven years with seven watches. I believe Aaron made the same comment a little while ago regarding G O's deployants in comparison with Lange's, and while I didn't reply to his criticism at the time, perhaps I should make the point now: I hope you're taking the fact that Lange's deployants are optional into account when making judgement . . . as anyone who's priced their deployants is aware, they add a considerable sum to the bottom line. Best regards, Art. * I believe you were referring to perlage in your follow-up post This message has been edited by Dr No on 2008-11-29 11:15:38