Glashütte Original is celebrating the 20th anniversary of one of the most successful models of its collections, the Senator Perpetual Calendar which in 2018 was renamed Senator Excellence due to the introduction of a new-generation movement.
This occasion offers us the opportunity to compare the different references that the German watchmaker introduced since 1999 and see how the design of this model evolved through a continuous improvement process.
In 1999 the Senator Classic Perpetual Calendar presented the different calendar elements as elegant windows instead of the more customary circular displays. This indications layout has characterized every Perpetual Calendar model of the Senator series since them.
Framed by a rose gold case with a fluted bezel, the Senator Classic Perpetual Calendar arranged its calendar displays on a silver dial: the distinctive Glashütte Original Panorama Date, the newly developed window displays for weekday and month, the convenient leap year indicator and the moon phase display alongside the hour, minute and central second hands, all offering perfect legibility at first glance.
At the heart of the watch, operated the manufactory Calibre 39-50 with 48 jewels, a 40-hour power reserve, skeletonized rotor with 21 ct gold oscillation weight and swan-neck fine adjustment. In 2000 the Senator Classic Perpetual Calendar won its first "Uhr des Jahres" (Watch of the Year) award for Glashütte Original, as voted for by the public.
Its successor was launched in 2001 under the name Senator Perpetual Calendar. The knurled bezel becomes flat for a more contemporary look.
A fundamental redesign was premiered in 2005 with the automatic Calibre 100-02 taking the place of the Calibre 39-50. In addition to all the calendar functions, the new model boasted not only an extended power reserve of 55 hours, but two other innovations in the shape of its convenient reset function and the rotor that winds up both ways.
This next version of the Senator Perpetual Calendar, which included a particularly advanced movement for its time, upheld the tradition of the established dial division with window displays. The champagne-coloured face and the elaborate guilloché dial gave the timepiece a striking look. Until then and in subsequent years, the product developers at Glashütte Original changed only small details in the design of the watches introducing a cleaner silvered dial in 2006.
Launched in 2012 with the same movement, the new edition of the Senator Perpetual Calendar maintained the much-loved silver dial and the familiar calendar layout but introduced a completely new look. The case was now made of red gold rather than rose gold, and Roman numerals and a black railroad chapter ring were incorporated. Most eye-catching of all, however, were its blued pear-shaped hands.
In 2017, the new Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar shows great visual balance achieving a distinctive and refined look. The bezel, which initially had a three-layered design in the 1999 original, appears notably thinner, making significantly more room for the silver-grainé dial in the 42 millimetre red gold case.
This change also created space for the reworked and more clearly presented leap year display to take up position below the 12 o'clock index. As an auxiliary dial with a scale of 1 to 4 and counter- clockwise rotating hands, it provides the clearest possible readability not only in the accentuated leap year.
The new curved frames around the Panorama Date, the weekday and month windows and the rounded moon phase display at 8 o'clock are further design enhancements for this model also available in stainless steel.
The Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar is powered by the new Calibre 36 launched in 2016. The well-conceived construction of the movement guarantees stable rate behaviour and excellent precision thanks to its silicon balance spring. A single spring barrel ensures a power reserve of at least 100 hours.
The latest chapter in the history of this model is the special edition of the Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar, limited to just 100 watches, that was launched in 2018. With its skeletonized dial, this exclusive white gold model offers further insights into the beautiful complexity of the Calibre 36-02. glashuette-original.com
Suggested reading:
- Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar, presentation article including pricing information
- Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar: the Calibre 36 explained
- Our visit to the Glashütte Original manufactory
In 1999 the Senator Classic Perpetual Calendar presented the different calendar elements as elegant windows instead of the more customary circular displays. This indications layout has characterized every Perpetual Calendar model of the Senator series since them.
Framed by a rose gold case with a fluted bezel, the Senator Classic Perpetual Calendar arranged its calendar displays on a silver dial: the distinctive Glashütte Original Panorama Date, the newly developed window displays for weekday and month, the convenient leap year indicator and the moon phase display alongside the hour, minute and central second hands, all offering perfect legibility at first glance.
At the heart of the watch, operated the manufactory Calibre 39-50 with 48 jewels, a 40-hour power reserve, skeletonized rotor with 21 ct gold oscillation weight and swan-neck fine adjustment. In 2000 the Senator Classic Perpetual Calendar won its first "Uhr des Jahres" (Watch of the Year) award for Glashütte Original, as voted for by the public.
Its successor was launched in 2001 under the name Senator Perpetual Calendar. The knurled bezel becomes flat for a more contemporary look.
A fundamental redesign was premiered in 2005 with the automatic Calibre 100-02 taking the place of the Calibre 39-50. In addition to all the calendar functions, the new model boasted not only an extended power reserve of 55 hours, but two other innovations in the shape of its convenient reset function and the rotor that winds up both ways.
This next version of the Senator Perpetual Calendar, which included a particularly advanced movement for its time, upheld the tradition of the established dial division with window displays. The champagne-coloured face and the elaborate guilloché dial gave the timepiece a striking look. Until then and in subsequent years, the product developers at Glashütte Original changed only small details in the design of the watches introducing a cleaner silvered dial in 2006.
Launched in 2012 with the same movement, the new edition of the Senator Perpetual Calendar maintained the much-loved silver dial and the familiar calendar layout but introduced a completely new look. The case was now made of red gold rather than rose gold, and Roman numerals and a black railroad chapter ring were incorporated. Most eye-catching of all, however, were its blued pear-shaped hands.
In 2017, the new Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar shows great visual balance achieving a distinctive and refined look. The bezel, which initially had a three-layered design in the 1999 original, appears notably thinner, making significantly more room for the silver-grainé dial in the 42 millimetre red gold case.
The new curved frames around the Panorama Date, the weekday and month windows and the rounded moon phase display at 8 o'clock are further design enhancements for this model also available in stainless steel.
The Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar is powered by the new Calibre 36 launched in 2016. The well-conceived construction of the movement guarantees stable rate behaviour and excellent precision thanks to its silicon balance spring. A single spring barrel ensures a power reserve of at least 100 hours.
Suggested reading:
- Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar, presentation article including pricing information
- Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar: the Calibre 36 explained
- Our visit to the Glashütte Original manufactory
