By Harlan Chapman-Green
Christmas, it’s right around the corner. The most magical, wonderful time of the year, where the families come together to celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus. Just kidding, it’s really about snow, great food and, if you live in the UK like me, waiting in earnest for the Queen’s Christmas Address to finish so you can go mad opening your presents. There’s far more to Christmas than that, though. It all depends on where in the world you live. In the little town of Glashütte, Christmas is all about togetherness, and very little exemplifies that in the way the PanoMatic Luna and PanoMaticLunar watches from Glashütte Original do.
PanoMatic Luna
I always think that when decorating your home with Christmas trimmings there are two different colours sets you use. Depending on the colours of your walls and furniture, either warm colours like gold or red are familiar, or crisper silver, white and black. The PanoMatic Luna, I feel, is definitely on the more subtle and modern side when it comes to colours. The PanoMatic Luna, with its white strap, a white diamond set bezel and a sharp mother of pearl dial, one is reminded of the snow enjoyed by youth. It’s invigorating, in a sense, almost compelling the wearer to grab a handful of the cold stuff and hurl it at someone special.
While the outside is like an ice fortress, inside is a warm beating heart. In this case, that heart is an automatically wound Calibre 90-12 movement visible through the sapphire caseback. This movement powers more than just the time, though, which Glashütte Original offset in the traditional way from this region. The Calibre 90-12 movement also powers a moonphase display and an elegantly rounded date window. Wrapped around that movement is a 39.4mm stainless steel case, which supports a white mother of pearl effect leather strap which is sure to shimmer radiantly. Glashütte Original even developed a quick change system for the straps, to make it easier to dress up if a more formal look is required.
PanoMaticLunar
Of course, Christmas is allowed to be about him as well, and whereas the PanoMatic Luna is akin to an ice forest, the warm yellow gold of the PanoMaticLunar is like a brandy by the fire. Like the PanoMatic Luna, the displays on the PanoMaticLunar are offset in that Glashütte way. This offsetting of dials allows room for a traditional blue moonphase and a squared off Panorama date window. The moonphase is crafted by hand in the manufacture’s own dial manufactory in Pforzheim. Also, the date windows on the Glashütte Original timepieces do not show any difference in depth between the two discs, as it should be. This watch has a clean and modern look, and I love the German words written on the dials like ‘Mondphase’ (moonphase, obviously).
The yellow gold, 40mm case surrounds another automatic gem, the Calibre 90-02. On this watch features a hacking seconds function, to make time setting more accurate. The movement is automatic, and the rotor covers most of the traditional Saxon 3 quarter plate. Glashütte Original has even engraved the balance bridge, with a fine duplex swan’s neck adjustment system, to perfection. Some consider this engraving to be on par with that of A. Lange & Söhne movements. All of this is visible, by the way, through the sapphire caseback of the PanoMaticLunar. To hold this watch close to your wrist is a fine brown Louisiana Alligator leather strap.
I think it’s fair to say, that if both individuals in a relationship like their wristwatches, this new collection could be the perfect thing for them. Whether young or experienced in the art of romance, very few watch collections can show perfectly the love and care like these can. glashuette-original.com
