BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
The 1970s is a period fondly remembered by those who were there—an era of new trends in fashion, culture, food, music, and so much more. From sleek car designs like the Lamborghini Urraco and Citroën SM to new popular indulgences like fondue, the sexy seventies was a time for cool new ideas. Glashütte Original’s Seventies models capture this era with retro-inspired chunky cases and wild dial colours.
For 2022, Glashütte Original has been inspired by the themes of the late 70s, specifically disco music. Whether you prefer the hits of Queen, the composition of the Electric Light Orchestra or the vocals of Donna Summer, these”Vibing Orange” and “Disco Blue”-coloured watches are ready to party.
Unlike previous models in the Seventies range, the dials on these models are not gradient colour dials but instead flat. I think it works, there’s less happening visually but it means there’s more time to drink in and savour the details we have been given. Details like the hand-applied hour markers, their black surrounds contrasting the colourful dials. Black details appear in other places, too, such as on the hands, the power reserve meter that’s been tucked into the running seconds subdial, and the chronograph hours counter placed below the Glashütte Original logo. There’s also SuperLumiNova on the markers and hands for nighttime readability. Overall, the bright new colours make reading time easy.
The physical dimensions of the watches are unchanged from previous models. With chunky stainless steel cases measuring 40mm x 40mm, you’ll know you’re wearing something special when you put one of these on. The unmistakable 70s cases come with either a stainless steel bracelet or a black rubber strap with decorations that make it look a little like the bracelet. The water resistance for these brushed/polished beauties is 100m.
Providing the rhythm for these two watches is the self-winding calibre 37-02. It has functions aplenty, with Glashütte Original’s Panorama date window providing an artful view. The chronograph also features a column wheel for better responses to input, and it has a flyback function to allow you to reset the chronograph while it’s running. All this is topped off by a 70-hour power reserve and high levels of finishing in the traditional Glashütte Original style.
These two are available now from Glashütte Original boutiques and authorised dealers, but they’ll be a rare sight as they’re limited to 100 examples each. The price is set at €14,200.
The third Seventies model to be released recently is the “Fab Green” model. The name indicates the colour of the dial, which sees a return to form from this Saxon brand. Last year we showed you a Seventies model with a dark blue dial. Blue, as I’m sure you’ll know, has been en vogue for many years now. We love it, but we’re certain it’s now taking a back seat to green.
The bright green dial of this brand new watch has the gradient colour effect, known as dégradé, on it, which means it starts intense at the centre and fades out at the edges. The process to create this effect is undertaken in-house, which is quite rare nowadays. In some lights, it seems pretty subtle, like the dark green of a lime. But then, in others, it seems to explode out in green-ness (is that a word?). In short, it stands out greatly from the other range models.
The watch has all the specifications of the orange and blue models, so a 40mm steel case with high-quality automatic movement and a choice of bracelet or rubber strap. In addition to those last two strap choices, Glashütte Original offers a brown leather strap with contrast stitching too. Priced at €13,900 and available now, this watch is suitable for casual daily wear or as the focal point of your entire collection.
