BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
Occasionally I run into someone who doesn’t understand the love of mechanical watches. I get where they’re coming from; smartphones and smartwatches are far more accurate and practical for most, and they’re more affordable, too. I think part of this lack of understanding comes from not being able to see how these tiny precision machines work, and there’s poetry to the way engineering and artful decoration come together in a wristwatch.
Glashütte Original’s new PanoLunarInverse, following in the footsteps of the PanoInverse and PanoMaticInverse, offers a clear view into the world of wristwatches. The concept is simple: put as much of the stuff usually found in the back of the watch on the front as possible. Executing that is more difficult than you’d think, and the watch succeeds in blending high-level finishing with high-end watchmaking.
The dial features the classic offset design from Glashütte Original, although a large moonphase steals the show. A laser-cut moon disk sits within a starry aventurine night sky to create an intriguing view. There’s also the Panorama Date window which the Saxon brand is known for, and the balance wheel has been put on the dial to provide more visual drama. The rest of the dial space hasn’t been wasted, either, as plenty of guilloché and exposed blue screwheads catch the light and keep your attention.
The movement in this watch is the self-winding calibre 91-04, which is made in-house by Glashütte Original. If you’re used to Glashütte Original’s movement finishing then you might be surprised to see that this one eschews the traditional Glashütte stripes and gold detailing for more guilloché and a simple skeletonised rotor with another laser-cut moon disk. In some ways, it reminds me of some of the calibres from Glashütte Original’s Swatch Group sister brands like Blancpain and Jacquet-Droz, although I think that’s little more than a coincidence. In terms of specifications, this movement has a 45-hour power reserve and a 4Hz beat rate.
This is all wrapped in a 42mm x 12.46mm solid platinum case, which is water-resistant to 50m. The watch is also offered with a grey alligator leather strap with a platinum folding clasp, but you can also buy different-coloured straps with different materials as well, if that’s your thing.
I think there’s a lot on offer here which should excite anyone with even a passing interest in mechanical watches, although Glashütte Original is only making 200 of these. The price of one of these USD42,600.
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