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SCMP Reporter

The exclusive German brand went back  in time to draw inspiration for new designs that feature two unique movements

Swiss watches dominate the global market, but  for German brand Glashutte Original, the difference in the detail between a Swiss-made and a German-made watch is a matter of pride.

According to Leo Poon, the company's vice-president for north Asia,  the big window date display noticeable on certain Glashutte watches is specifically a German feature, even though larger date displays can increasingly be seen on watches produced by other brands.

Glashutte's patented date window assembly method (essentially, it is constructed using two sliding discs rather than the usual one) was also uniquely German, Mr Poon said.

Such attention to detail is likely to go unnoticed by almost everyone except the true connoisseur.

Glashutte launched in Hong Kong in 1999 and, at that time, its client base here was made up of collectors, fundamentally because its distribution network was so limited, Mr Poon said.

The brand was bought by the Swatch Group in 2001 and the group's distribution network and marketing strategies have increased Glashutte's points of sale in Hong Kong. Nevertheless, it remains exclusive by its limited stock (available in just six outlets) as well as by promotion through private events and co-branding with other luxury brands, including carmakers.

Its limited production  of 8,000 pieces per year helps retain its exclusivity. It also helps keep the brand true to its roots of being a manufacture.

'We remain a true manufacture and produce every single piece in our watches,' Mr Poon said. 'If we start buying parts from others then we become another brand. Glashutte is the original of time.'

The brand prides itself on its ability to produce at least one new movement each year.  The average movement is made up of about 400 pieces. This year, it introduces the manually wound Calibre99, an intricate maze of components which is fitted in the Senator Rattrapante. The challenge for the  movement designers was to  create two stop mechanisms in one watch.

The watch is the first split-second chronograph by Glashutte. The designer's brief was that  the mechanism should be visible through a sapphire crystal back  Another  aim was to create a dial that allowed the user to quickly glean information. The model is limited to 100 pieces. The dial was inspired by pocket watches and features an anthracite dial, Roman numerals and hour, minute and stop-second hands in silver. The combination of a red split-second hand and its silver counterpart (the former follows the stop-second hand across the red-minute scale when the split-second function is activated) was also taken from old timepieces.

The placing of the sub-dials at 10 o'clock and two o'clock, instead of the more usual three o'clock and nine o'clock positions, is another Glashutte-specific, and German, detail, according to Mr Poon.

The chronograph features a flyback function which allows the wearer to take a differential time measurement by reading the result directly without the need to reset.

The 42mm case is made from solid platinum. The crown is set with an onyx cabochon, a signature mark for all Glashutte's platinum models. The watch is fitted with a black crocodile strap.

Other extensions to the Senator series include a new Senator Meissen, a new Senator Sixties and two new extensions to the Senator Karree series: a manually wound Calibre22 and an automatic.

The Calibre 22  is the first manually wound watch in the series and introduces the brand's second new movement this year. The Calibre22  movement is distinctive for its arrangement of the panorama date, which is shown in the six o'clock position (usually Glashutte puts it at four o'clock) on the dial. Roman numerals marking the 12, three, six and nine o'clock positions mark a difference from the baton markers found on automatic versions of the Karree.

Through the crystal back case, the new movement shows the brand's characteristic three-quarter plate, screw balance with 18 gold weighted screws, a swan-neck fine adjustment, screw-mounted gold chatons, and a double sunburst pattern on the winding wheels. The watch is available with a rose gold case or a stainless steel version.

The Senator Sixties pays tribute to the 'swinging sixties' and to the original models introduced by the brand at that time. Naturally, its design is inspired by  its original Sixties watches from that era; a domed dial fits in a domed sapphire crystal case atop a slim-line case, while diamond-cut hour markers and the elaborate font design of the numerals represent designs typical to the decade. It is available in a rose gold or stainless steel case with a silver or black dial. The automatic movement is visible through the sapphire crystal case back.



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