Baselworld 2012: Glashütte Original’s lineup this year is simply phenomenal, across the board. Here is a quick look at
Glashütte Original Grande Cosmopolite Tourbillon
limited edition 25 pieces
48mm platinum case, manual wind Glashütte
Original manufactory Calibre 89-01 (500+ components, Glashütte ribbing,
screw-mounted gold chatons, winding wheels and the 72- hour power
reserve display), fitted on black alligator strap with fold-over
platinum clasp
The Grande Cosmopolite Tourbillon is designed for the world traveller
who wishes to keep track of both the home time and the destination time
while travelling. The home time remains an unchanging point of
reference and is presented at 6 o’clock on a dedicated 24-hour dial with
a day/night indicator. The destination time appears at the centre of
the main dial and tracks the local time at a given location away from
home. To begin using this exceptional timepiece, the owner first sets
the hour and minute of the home time, which is followed by the
synchronization of the home and destination times.
When selecting the home time, the owner sets the time zone governing
his or her usual place of residence, selecting it from among 37
different world time zones on the city ring, including those that
respect 30-minute (e.g. Delhi) and 45-minute offsets (e.g. Eucla), and
then adjusts for Standard Time (STD) or Daylight Saving Time (DST). The
time zones on the city ring are indicated using three-letter IATA codes
(international airport codes, e.g. FRA for Frankfurt am Main, LAX for
Los Angeles International, DXB for Dubai, etc.) and are displayed in two
small windows at 8 o’clock on the dial, one dedicated to Standard Time
(STD), the other to Daylight Saving Time (DST). The owner then sets the
Perpetual Calendar to reflect the current weekday, date, month and
(leap) year.
If heading East (forwards in time), the traveller turns the crown
positioned at 2 o’clock clockwise; if travelling West (back in time),
the crown is turned counter-clockwise. If the destination time is ahead
or back a day, up to 5 displays of the Perpetual Calendar change
accordingly.
The ingenious time machine can handle even a change from March 1st to
February 29th or 28th, with no additional manual intervention required.
It is an absolutely extraordinary combination of hand-crafted
complications – an astonishing achievement, and a world first for
mechanical watches. This exquisite set of display is put on show on a
silver-grained, massive 18 karat gold dial and is framed by milled black
Roman numerals and a railroad chapter ring.
As you see here, the case back is protected by a platinum “hunter”
case fitted with a graphic presenting 37 time zones, each represented by
a three-letter IATA airport code.
As befits this extraordinary example of the art of making watches at
Glashütte Original, this grand complication masterpiece is presented in a
finely crafted presentation case made of peat bog oak. A stainless
steel globe presides over the case, which displays along its sides a
series of maps evocative of past and present adventures of discovery
around the world. When the exclusive timepiece is placed inside the
case, an integrated winding mechanism ensures that the Grande
Cosmopolite Tourbillon remains wound running at all times.
The Glashutte Senator Diary made its world debut at Baselworld last year,
and the watch seems to have been well received by Glashütte
enthusiasts. Thus is makes sense this year to see Glashütte presenting
the Senator Diary in a new, white gold version with a charcoal grey dial
and matching grey Nubuk leather strap. This new color scheme looks
great. The technical accomplishment of this watch is its mechanical
alarm function that can be set up to 30 days in advance. Practical?
Maybe. Horologically impressive? Definitely (the diary appointment
module alone consists of 340 components). The price of this new Senator
Diary will likely be in the $15,000-$20,000 range, which is about par
for the course a brand as prestigious as Glashütte.
