Basel 2008 Report: Glashütte Original-basel

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Basel 2008 Report: Glashütte Original

By: Marcus Hanke (registered) Saturday, April 19th, 2008 - Photo Nav: View All 32 photo(s)

Basel 2008 Report: Glashütte Original
Text and pictures: Marcus Hanke

This year, Glashütte Original presented not so many new movements, but concentrated on the expansion of existing series and movements instead. The result once again are a large number of stunning beauties.

In memory of Moritz Grossmann, who founded the watchmaking school in Glashütte 130 years ago, a simple, yet highly elegant watch is released. The "Grossmann" is available in 18k white and pink gold, limited to 130 pieces each. the watch has a sapphire displayback, but is delivered together with a solid gold back that shows a hand engraved portrait of Moritz Grossmann. The movement is cal. 100-11, the selfwinding cal. 100 modified with a small second at 6.

The Senator Rattrapante got a pink gold case:

A very attractive pilot's chronograph, using the venerable, but still very fine cal. 39 with chronograph module.

I am convinced this watch will become a favourite of many: The Sixties Chronograph, also powered by cal. 39 with chronograph module. As in the three hands version released last year, the massively domed sapphire crystals on front AND back are making this watch really unique. Available with silver and black dials.

A new dial for the Senator Karree, both for the Pano and the chronograph versions.

And here is a completely new movement, made for one of the most attractive watches I have seen on the fair: the PanoInverseXL. The new cal. 66 movement was created solely for the purpose to show the unique double swanneck fine adjustment of the balance, that was introduced six years ago with the Panomatic series and cal. 65. The PanoInverse has the larger case of the XL series (42mm) and a power reserve at 2.

In this case, I'd say, the displayback does not make much sense.

Black with red colour spots are very fashionable this year. Consequently, also GO shows a matching timepiece: PanoMatic Reserve XL with black dial.

Also some other XL watches got black dials:

The Evolution Sport series received most prominent additions: the Evolution Perpetual. To guarantee a pressure resistance of 10 atmospheres on a watchcase that has four correction pushers for the perpetual calendar is courageous. I am not aware of any other company doing that before. The world time bezel permits the reading of a second time zone.

Normally, plastic parts in high quality watches are a no-go. But GO now uses high-tech plastic brackets to protect its fine movements from dangerous shocks and bumps. Making them very visible with their red colour avoids any suspicion that GO might try to hide the plastic parts. They make sense and are therefore an important part of the watch.

This shock protection system even permits a flying tourbillon, a traditionally very sensitive watch movement, to be used in a true sports watch: the "Impact". Allegedly, this tourbillon is even golf-safe.