Glashütte Original’s New PanoMaticLunar In Red Gold And Green Is Worthy Of A Closer Look
When it comes to dials, green is the new blue. And this classic moonphase captures this color moment perfectly.
By now, you probably know that green dials were trending at Watches & Wonders 2021. While Glashütte Original didn’t show their new novelties in Geneva, it is known for amazing, in-house dials. And the brand has been to the Emerald City before, most notably with 2018’s Original Sixties limited edition that combined a forest-hued fumé effect over an embossed plate, and, most recently, with 2020’s forest green dialed PanoMaticLunar.
That is why collectors were clamoring to see what Glashütte would offer for 2021. And the company has come through with the gorgeous red gold and PanoMaticLunar. Here’s the story behind this stunning timepiece.
Get the Balance Right
The PanoMaticLunar is one of Glashütte’s most emblematic watches. Introduced in 2003, Glashütte’s designers based its display on the principles of the golden ratio – another idea that has been adopted by many watchmakers this year. A mathematical ratio that is often found in organic objects like nautilus shells, the golden ratio is used to create compositions that are naturally aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
In short, the golden ratio is all about finding balance. And as far as execution goes, the asymmetrical layout of the hour and minutes, sub-seconds, tilted moonphase indicator, and big panorama date display are very attractive.
Clearly, Glashütte does not need to change the way the PanoMaticLunar works. But this new limited edition moonphase is pushing the way it looks. This year, Glashütte has paired the degradé dial with a polished red gold case and crown, applied markers and lance-shaped hands (with luminous inserts), and a glossy green alligator leather strap. The result is a warm and harmonious presentation.
More Green
As previously mentioned, a lot of manufactures are releasing green dials this year. And it can be a polarizing shade – detractors will tell you that it’s a difficult color to work into your wardrobe. And doubling down with a green strap makes it an even harder sell to skeptics. But many have also welcomed the trend.
One reason that Glashütte has such success with colored dials is that they do them right. Each dial is made in-house at Glashütte’s manufactory in Pforzheim, Germany. The dial plates are first galvanized, then layer upon layer of lacquer is built up for a deep, lit from within effect. The last layer of color is applied by a specialized spray gun that gives the degradé effect, starting with an intense green in the middle and easing into black at the edges. Because the process is done by hand, each face is one-of-a-kind.
It doesn’t matter that green is not the first shade you think of for a moonphase because the depth of the finish of this unique dial feels as infinite as the night sky.
Rosy Future
Again, there are no big changes to the classic PanoMaticLunar. It still measures in with a robust 40mm by 12.7mm case but it now comes in red gold. It still features the same Caliber 90-02 movement with its 3/4 plate, off-centered rotor with 21K gold mass, and hand-engraved duplex swan-neck fine adjustment combined with a screw balance.
As with all Glashütte calibers, this automatic movement is nicely decorated with stripes, blued screws, and chamfered bridges. It runs at 4Hz and stores up to 42 hours of power reserve, plus it is water-resistant to 50m. You can observe the play of light dancing across the dial and the fineness of the decoration of the caliber through sapphire crystals on both sides.
In further good news for Glashütte fans, this PanoMaticLunar is joining the permanent collection and is priced at $18,700 for a version with a gold pin buckle strap and $20,500 for a gold fold fastener.
For more details, visit www.glashuette-original.com.
(Images © Glashütte Original)