Words: Jonathan Wells
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There’s an old German saying — “Das ist dasselbe in Grün” — that translates into English as ‘the same thing in green’. It means, roughly, that while two things may have slightly different appearances, they are essentially the same.
Which brings us to Glashütte Original. The most recent release from the genteel German watchmaker is a bold, statement spin on the brand’s classic PanoMaticLunar model — a mainstay of Glashütte Original’s collection for more than 20 years.
It reinvigorates the acclaimed asymmetric dial design with a strong green gradient — while maintaining the model’s existing dimensions, dial design and movement. To the uninitiated, then, this latest PanoMaticLunar may appear to simply be ‘the same thing in green’. But, with intricate detailing and richer meaning, it’s so much more than the old saying suggests…
The lush new look of this latest PanoMaticLunar is far more than just a fresh lick of paint. The colour green may be sweeping the watch industry this year, but Glashütte Original has deployed the shade to greater effect than many other world-renowned Maisons.
How? Because the brand has gone all-in with its green theme. Aside from that red gold case, almost every detail is rendered in the vibrant, verdant colour. The handcrafted dial starts as an intense dark green in the centre, before gradually darkening to a deep black at its edges. The fine ridges and Dégradé effect on the subdials offer glimmering, shimmering new shades of the colour when the light catches the watch’s face. Even the strap, stitched from Louisiana alligator leather, is buckled up in a glossy, rich green.
And this gives the latest PanoMaticLunar a real edge. The dial layout, with its intricate off-centre hour, minute hands and prominent small second display, has long been a favourite of ours. And the characteristic Panorama Date display at 4 o’clock and cleverly rendered moon phase indicator already afforded Glashütte Original’s most avant-garde timepiece a certain allure. The captivating new colour only adds to this mystique.
It’s the ideal signature, statement watch. At once interesting and individual, it has hints of dress watch, touches of smart-casual and a whole lot of intrigue ticking away inside its 40mm case. It’s a watch that warrants a second look, and a third, and a fourth — and will stand the test of the time as well as it tells it.
But it’s not just about this new colour. With the the exquisitely finished manufactory 90-02 automatic movement, Glashütte Original first laid a firm watchmaking foundation for its PanoMaticLunar collection when the model was introduced in 2003. And you can see that same movement hard at work here; through the sapphire crystal caseback of this latest emerald-hued release.
It has a three-quarter plate with stripe finish. There’s a balance bridge engraved by hand. It even features Glashütte Original’s signature duplex swan-neck fine adjustment. And all of these mechanical masterstrokes combined create a watch worthy not only of celebration — but also of elevation in a bold new colour. Just ‘the same thing in green’? Hardly.
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