BY JOVAN K
There is something about the Sixties collection from Glashütte Original that has always felt a little more relaxed than most vintage-inspired watches today. A lot of brands seem obsessed with perfectly recreating the past, almost to the point where everything starts to feel like too much. The Sixties collection has never had that problem, as Glashütte Original has always kept the watches full of character without leaning too heavily on the retro side of things. The new Sixties Chronograph Annual Edition 2026 keeps the same laidback feel, although the new dial color changes the watch quite a bit.
The polished steel case measures 42mm x 12.4mm with a 48.5mm lug-to-lug, and while the dimensions might sound slightly large at first, the curved case makes the watch wear and look smaller on the wrist. The rounded case sides, signed crown, and simple chronograph pushers all fit the overall look nicely, while the long curved hands sit cleanly beneath the domed sapphire crystal.
I also like that Glashütte Original never tries to overdo the Sixties Chronograph. The whole watch feels focused on design and character rather than trying to impress people with endless technical talking points. The 30 meters of water resistance is acceptable for a dress watch like this, although I think 50m would have made more sense, just for a bit more peace of mind around water.
The dial is absolutely the reason this watch exists, and honestly, it is one of the nicest dials Glashütte Original has made. The translucent purple lacquer shifts constantly under light, moving between darker violet tones and warmer plum shades depending on the angle, while the embossed vinyl-inspired texture underneath gives the entire surface far more depth than you initially expect.
The off-centre layout also adds a bit more character to the dial, with the small seconds sitting between 2 and 4 o’clock and the 30-minute counter placed between 8 and 10.
I reviewed the Sixties Chronograph back in 2023, and I liked that watch a lot because the stone-grey dial had a very understated and elegant look to it, but this new purple version feels more expressive without becoming loud. The grooves catch light differently every time you move the watch, giving the dial much more presence on the wrist and making it far more interesting to look at throughout the day.
Glashütte Original also deserves credit for the amount of work that goes into these dials. The bronze dial base is embossed, milled, lacquered, kiln-fired, and manually incised for the indexes instead of simply printing everything on top. The incised hour markers with luminous dots, along with the gold-plated hour and minute hands featuring partial lume, all fit the overall look nicely without taking attention away from the dial itself.
Powering the watch is the automatic Calibre 39-34 with a 40-hour power reserve. The movement still feels unmistakably Glashütte Original rather than trying to become some overengineered specification monster. Through the sapphire caseback, you get all the traditional finishing details people expect from the German brand, including the Glashütte stripe finishing, three-quarter plate, bevelled edges, polished screws, swan-neck regulator, and the skeletonized 21k gold rotor featuring the Double-G symbol. Running at 4 Hz (28,800 vph), the movement also uses 51 jewels together with an Anachron balance spring and Incabloc shock protection system.
The watch comes on a black synthetic fabric strap with a pin buckle, although honestly, I would probably go for the blue strap instead. I think it suits the purple dial better and gives the whole watch a slightly more relaxed feel overall. Either way, the strap choice works because it keeps the Sixties Chronograph casual and easy to wear rather than overly dressy, although I would probably like it even more if Glashütte Original offered it on a deployant clasp. The Glashütte Original Sixties Chronograph Annual Edition 2026 Ref. 1-39-34-08-22-04 is priced at USD 10,000 (without tax) / EUR 9,800 (incl. 19 % VAT) and will be available through Glashütte Original boutiques and authorized dealers worldwide.
The new Sixties Chronograph feels refreshing because it does not try too hard to impress you immediately. Instead, I honestly think this is one of the best watches Glashütte Original has released in a while because it wins you over slowly through colour, texture, and small details rather than trying to overwhelm you straight away.
