Glashütte Original

So I've had this Glashutte Navigator Perpetual now for about two weeks and wanted to share some thoughts. This was a model that I kind of over looked when it was released a couple of years ago. I've always been a fan of this movement but have never owned one of GO's perpetuals so when I saw this piece in person it jumped out of the case at me just like the Panoreserve XL did. The brushed case kind of makes the rose gold look bronze but it has a nice effect against the black dial. I also really like the red leap year indicator on this watch as well, it too has a nice contrast against the dial. The watch measures 44mm in diameter but wears more like a 42mm watch to me.

The lume on this piece is off the charts, if I knew how you guys took those lume shots I'd show you. Its better that any Panerai or IWC that I've ever had, the lume stays strong for hours.

The movement is beautifully done, like all Glashutte that I've ever owned. This watch is limited to 100 pieces.

You can see due to the case size measuring in at 12.4mm, along with other attributes, this is a sporty piece. There are 4 pushers altogether that set the perpetual calendar. 3 on this side and one near the 2 marker on the other side of the case. The 5th pusher near the 8 on the very bottom resets the second hand, I don't know what function that has other than to set the time perfectly.

The crown is nice and big, it can tend to dig into the wrist a little bit but not a big deal.

This is the OEM strap that came with the watch, I think this piece looks much better on a darker strap as it matches the dial a little better. More to come on that later.

The buckle is very nicely done, I would have preferred a deployant though.

A wrist shot with the OEM strap.

Here is a dark brown aftermarket strap that I bought, I think the watch looks much better on this one.

Here a side by side picture of it with my other perpetual calendar, a Blancpain Le Brassus Split Second Flyback Perpetual. These two are very different watches, the Blancpain is much more of a technical piece as it has 3 more complications (well really two, it doesn't have a seconds hand) aside from that it could be worn to dressier occasions. The GO is a pure sport watch IMO. With that being said, it is a nice value when compared to other perpetuals on the market. It retails for half the price of this Blancpain.

 

I hope you guys enjoyed my two GO reviews. I very impressed with this brand and would highly recommend either watch.

Tony

 

 

 

This message has been edited by Dr No on 2010-10-03 15:09:08

I have the SS version and I also find it surprisingly comfortable to wear. I also agree that it seems to wear smaller than most 44mm watches which I view as a positive. In terms of straps, you might want to try the most current oem one. It's a simple medium to dark brown calf strap that is richer in appearance to original lighter calf version. Once again, nice post.

Makes me want to revisit the attraction of GO

Thanks!

Ken

on your PanoMatic XL?  I have a Panomatic XL and the lume is not very strong.  I know the hands are small, but I wish it was not as faint.  Does exposing the watch to strong light make any difference?  I didn't know if light in a sense charged the substance on the hands/dial.  Thanks

Stewart

on mine either. I'm not sure why its so good on one model and not the other.

Tony

for the reply.  Your Senator is a great looking watch.  I like the perpetual calenders with the window display.  I think it helps to keep the dial from looking too busy.  As you mentioned, I think Glashutte does a great job with the finish on their movements.  The display back really adds a lot to the watch.  I know you will enjoy it.

Stewart

Funny how a same complication can be expressed in such a different way.

It is obvious when you put the BP and the GO side by side.

I have more and more appreciation for G.O watches, which are serious, well made, and correctly finished.

This PC is not an exception to the rule.

Congrats on this new piece, and thanks a lot for having taken the time for this post.

Best,

Nicolas

this and the senator sixties panorama date and the new panoinverse are my favourite GO's. I just

wish they weren't owned by Swatch!

Thanks for the great write-up and photos.  It's always nice when people share their experiences with a new watch....especially one that isn't widely-owned or is in limited edition (as is this magnificent piece).   I also share your admiration for Glashutte Original (I've owned 4).  They make terrific watches.

I own a G.O. Senator Navigator too (the Panorama Date Cal. 100) and I must confess that I've been somewhat ambivelent about the idea of a Pilot or Aviator watch using 18 Karat Gold.  Visually, the interplay of a black matte/high lume dial with the gold metal case never quite worked for me.  Also, I always wanted to retain some visual similarity to the original classic (WW II) conceptualization and construction of this type of watch.  So I've always been drawn to the classic solid steel designs of this genre such as those by IWC, Archimede, Fortis and Muhle Glashutte, among many, many others.  

Now on the point of 'historical consistency' I fully plead "Guilty" to the charge of 'intellectual dishonesty'....My G.O. watch has a 4:00 date function and sapphire display-back and I doubt that any pilot of a ME-109 in 1942 had either of those on their pilot watch.  But I've just felt that going to an 18K gold case was a "bridge too far" (...pun intended) for me.   If I wanted gold or platinum (and I did...) I always felt my (limited) funds would best be deployed toward a more formal, classic dress watch (hence, my AHL 'Richard Lange' piece...)

Thoughts?  Replies? 

Cheers
DB Darien

I've owned the Navigator date before in steel and sold it a month or two later. This piece is virtually the same watch with a slightly different dial and movement but in rose gold rather than SS. I really can't explain why I like this piece but really didn't like the steel non- perpetual version I had. Maybe it does have a little to due with the fact that this watch is out of place with a brushed gold case or maybe its because the watch is limited to only 100 pieces. I don't know what the exact reason is but I do like the watch and the complication very much.

I would agree with your thoughts on adding a gold watch to the collection. This piece wouldn't be it if you where only going to have one. Like the Panoreserve XL, its a nice 4th or 5th watch in a mature collection IMO as its a tough watch to classify. It certainly wouldn't hold up to a Richard Lange in the dress category.

Tony

for what it's worth, i suspect that the strap that came with the watch will darken quite a bit over time.  i have a navigator chrono and the band has really deepened and darkened in color.  i have not exposed it to water or excessive sunlight as i work indoors during the day, but over the course of about 1.5 years it has gone from being about as light as yours now is, to nearly as dark as that after market strap you've got. 

chris

I know...I just picked up my new strap last weekend.

 

i'm just judging by what i see in the photos.  the strap in the photos is about as light as my strap was when i first got it.  but since then it has darkened considerably.

Thanks for the report!

I never knew that they had a button to reset the second hand. Thanks for sharing this detail that I've overlooked.

. . . in 2005 when the cal 100 was introduced:

"Instead of a simple hack second, the cal. 100 has a very sophisticated mechanism, allowing an instant reset of the sweep second to zero, as soon as the pusher is pressed. Upon release, the second hand will restart immediately. This mechanism, which in fact is an elaborate vertical clutch system, decouples the seconds pinion from the train and thus the balance keeps running during this process. This avoids the inevitable loss of amplitude and therefore accuracy, which happens when the balance wheel has to be stopped and restart again."



Many G Os equipped with the cal 100 make use of this feature . . . cordially, Art

I didn't know there was actually a vertical clutch system. I assumed that there was a heart-shaped cam to make it reset to zero, and I assumed the balance wheel was stopped with a blocking lever. Learning that there is a vertical clutch release system is shocking.

On many other brands of watches, they take a much more simple approach. They simply have the hands reset by the means of the heart shaped cam and they have a transmission lever that releases a stop spring that comes into contact with the actual balance wheel itself. This means that the balance wheel is actually stopped and will have an inconsistent rate/amplitude upon being restarted.

Thank you for digging out this information and sharing this with me Art. I didn't know that the caliber 100 had this. Many thanks for presenting this in such an easy to understand concept; as per your traditional style.

. . . way back when, but I'll accept the compliment on his behalf ;-) . . .

. . . of my favorite genre of complicated watches. A perpetual calendar moves the focus of time-keeping from the present to the future, and is both practical and wonderful . . . practical in the sense that it offers a useful enhancement to basic time-keeping, and wonderful in the sense that it mimics the passing of the calendar without intervention.

The subtext of my passion for Glashütte Original is their penchant for producing elegant perpetuals, and yours is a prime example, Tony . . . cordially, Art

Can you please tell me if the date (or month/ week) changes instantaneously or it takes some time for the date to change every night. Thank you. Damo

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Thank you for your response. I personally believe that a good perpetual calendar is one where the info changes at midnight. Damo

Have you tried the black strap with red stitches on the perpetual? It may just work with the black dial and red leap year indication.