Our review of the Glashütte Original Senator Cosmopolite in Stainless Steel, an exclusive timepiece whose contemporary look will be at ease in any situation. Explained with lot of exclusive pictures. Price and specs. Hand-on experience with the Glashuuette Original Senator Cosmopolite in Stainless Steel Ref. 1-89-02-03-02.
The Glashütte Original Senator Cosmopolite is one of the rare watches that display the time in two zones at once (home time and destination time) offering a choice of 35 world time zones instead of the more usual 24. This exclusive complication is implemented in an elegant way which makes it possible to have a dial with a clean design without crowding it with the names of many towns as it happens with world timers. Even better, setting the destination time is very simple and all the complexity of the mechanism is hidden in the manufacture movement.
The German watchmaker introduced the Senator Cosmopolite in 2015 presenting two versions with red gold and white gold cases to frame classic dials with Roman numerals. In 2018, the line expanded with a new stainless steel model matched to a dial with Arabic numerals.
We had the opportunity to wear and test this new model variation for an entire week and we are now delighted to share our hands-on experience.
The Senator Cosmopolite Stainless Steel comes in a 44 mm case with a pleasing alternation of satin-brushed and brilliantly polished surfaces. Despite its imposing size, the watch sits comfortably on average wrists (the wrist in our pictures is 17.7 cm / 7 in) thanks to short and slightly curved lugs.
The slim bezel leaves more space to the dial, whose readability at first glance is excellent. Its matte white lacquered background offers the ideal contrast for the blue printed hour numerals, blue appliques and thermally blued hands.
The numerous indications are efficiently arranged: home time display with related day/night indicator and power reserve at 12 o'clock, the local time day/night indicator with a small sun and stylised night sky at 9 o’clock, small seconds sub-dial at 6 o'clock, and the signature Panorama Date at 4 o'clock. The two auxiliary dials are circumscribed by a slim, brilliant silver ring, a detail which adds refinement to the dial.
Setting the time is an easy task. The home time can be set using the crown at 2 o'clock while the local time zone is selected using the crown at 8 o'clock. When travelling east (forward in time), you turn the crown at 4 o'clock clockwise until the IATA code for the destination time zone appears in the corresponding DST or STD window. When travelling west (back in time), just turn the crown counter-clockwise. In both cases the central hour and minute hands shift forwards or back in 15-minute steps, so that the IATA code for the destination time zone can be seen in the DST or STD window.
You are done. The central hour and minute hands indicate the correct time at the destination. Additionally, the indicator at 9 o'clock shows whether it is day or night and the correct date is prominently displayed at 4 o'clock. If the time at the chosen destination is ahead or back a day, the Panorama Date display will change accordingly without user intervention.
The date can also be adjusted using the corrector positioned on the caseband at 9 o'clock. It is here worth to mention that the two concentric discs used to display the date are mounted on the same level without needing a vertical bar to separate them. This solution is more complex to achieve but it offers the advantage of better legibility and enhanced elegance.
The sophisticated manufactory Calibre 89-02 is a beauty and can be admired through the sapphire crystal case back. Comprised of over 400 individual components, this self-winding movement beats at a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour) and offers a power reserve of no less than 72 hours or 3 days.
Finally, the hand-engraved and galvanised balance cock with swan-neck spring is simply outstanding and an eye-catcher when you turn the watch.
The Senator Cosmopolite is a precious timepiece but also a robust one offering waterproofness to a pressure of 5 bars and shock resistance. It is matched to a beautifully crafted dark blue Louisiana alligator strap that can be secured to the wrist by a pin buckle or by a fold-over clasp, like the model that we reviewed.
With prices of Euro 20,700 with pin-buckle (ref. 1-89-02-03-02-01) or Euro 21,000 with folding clasp (ref. 1-89-02-03-02-30), the Glashütte Original Senator Cosmopolite in Stainless Steel is a prestigious timepiece whose contemporary look will be at ease in any situation. For its ingenious dial layout and sophisticated mechanisms, this model will certainly appeal any mechanical watch enthusiast, frequent traveller or not. glashuette-original.com
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