The steel case and bracelet have excellent finishing, something the brand – and, for that matter, many high-quality German watches – is known for. The polished bezel is matched by the polished chronograph pushers and crown guard. The middle of the case is finely brushed, which reduces visual mass and adds to the sport appeal. Note the polished beveling on the case edges as well, which is a lovely touch. The bracelet is designed to integrate with the case, and it is rather complicated despite the simple three-link design. Like popular favorites like the Rolex GMT-Master II, the bracelet tapers to offer a more visually balanced (and comfortable) fit on the wrist, while the center link is polished being flanked by outer brushed links.
You’ll note that the bracelet is designed to have pretty much no gaps. It moves smoothly over the wrist thanks to tight tolerances and a construction that uses a large variety of different parts. Even sizing the bracelet is not typical, and designed to be semi-tool-less. In order to remove links, there are small pushers on the inside to release them. The bracelet’s fold-over locking deployant features a discreet micro-adjust system which has been in the Glashütte Original family in one manner or another for a good time now. In fact, Glashütte Original is among the first brands in the modern era to offer a well-engineered micro-adjust system.
What this does is allow you to have about a centimeter of distance to adjust the size of the bracelet in roughly single-millimeter increments. This is operated by the pressing the “hidden” button which is the Glashütte Original brand logo on the underside of the clasp. The reason you want this is that it allows you to expand and contract the bracelet size even while it is on your wrist to always ensure precise comfort as climate or other conditions can naturally cause your wrist size to slightly vary throughout the day.
Glashütte Original also offers the Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date (or the non-Chronograph version) on two strap options. These are a fitted alligator or rubber strap. each looks nice and is comfortable, but given that I’m a “bracelet guy,” I’ll choose the matching steel over a strap pretty much anytime.
I have to say that the Glashütte Original caliber 37 movements are among the best-kept secrets in the watch world for those who like chronographs. There is nothing else out there quite like it, and it should really get more attention for offering as much functionality as it does in a package that appears very simple and elegant. Its appeal certainly grew on me, and I think anyone who likes a cleverly designed chronograph-based movement will enjoy it.
From a functionality perspective, the caliber 37 (37-02 in this watch) offers the time with subsidiary seconds dial at 9 o’clock, big date (Glashütte Original likes to call it a “Panorama Date”) indicator, power reserve indicator, and flyback 12-hour chronograph. I’ll also note that it has a stop seconds feature (which means that when you pull the crown out, the seconds hand stops so that you can more precisely set the time).
The chronograph appears to be a mere 30-minute chronograph at first, but then you see that hours are counted not via a dial, but a moving disc visible under 12 o’clock. I was concerned about the legibility of something like this at first, but I learned to really love it – and actually find this system for reading a 12-hour chronograph superior to most others. Like I said, the chronograph is a flyback, and operated via a column wheel transmission that you can view in the movement when seeing it through the sapphire crystal through the rear of the case.
Finally, Glashütte Original completes the high-functionality package by including a discreet power reserve indicator inside the upper left quadrant of the subsidiary seconds dial. It does cut out a small bit of the dial’s indicators, but that is a very small price to pay for this added functionality that I really enjoy. From a performance perspective, the 37-02 movement operates at 4Hz (28,800bph) with a power reserve of about three days.
In addition to being very nicely decorated, the Calibre 37 automatic movement has a number of features you expect to find in high-quality Glashütte-region mechanical movements. It begins by using a traditional 3/4 plate construction, which means that the back plate of the watch covers more area, and results in a stronger, more durable design. You then have a swan neck fine-adjustment system as part of the regulation system that, when mixed with the 14ct gold screws in the balance wheel, make for a system that a watchmaker can tweak for very precise accuracy.
The movement also has an expected level of decor at a watch priced like this including polished surfaces, beveled edges, and blued steel screws. The automatic rotor is also skeletonized (and given the Glashütte Original brand logo) to make viewing the movement a bit easier, and further weighted with a strip of 21ct gold. Also really nice is the fact that when you view the movement through the rear of the case you can appreciate that it takes up most of the case – as, oftentimes, people don’t like when a movement is placed in a case that is too large for it.
It’s difficult to find areas of fault in the Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date. Sure, you might not personally like the design, but for what it is, Glashütte Original spent an intense level of refinement on pretty much all details. Nothing about this watch really says “improve me,” beyond small taste preferences or quirks that people might subjectively want changed. To me, wearing a watch like this feels very much like you are strapping on a pure expression of the what the brand seeks to evoke in their products.
The Glashütte Original logo, with its dual Gs design has one G facing forward and one G facing backward. This is an honest metaphor for what the brand is, and the idea is that half of their mind is focused on the past, and half is focused on the future. In many ways, that sums up the Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date pretty well given its several nods to the past in terms of the case and dial design, along with having a regionally traditional mechanical movement, as well as looking ahead by being a contemporary luxury watch with a strong personality and impressive movement meant to be what fine watch lovers are looking for now and into the future. Price for the reference 1-37-02-03-02-70 Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date is $16,400. glashuette-original.com
Necessary Data
>Brand: Glashütte Original
>Model: Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date reference 1-37-02-03-02-70
>Price: $16,400 as tested
>Size: 40mm wide, 13.5mm thick.
>Would reviewers personally wear it: Yes.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Those who appreciate what makes high-end German watches distinct and want a very capable sporty chronograph in a non-round case.
>Best characteristic of watch: High-level of refinement in the details and functionality overall. Legible dial and interesting, uncommon movement design. Good-looking case and bracelet design – even though it isn’t trying to be mainstream. Manages to be different yet classic, which is a tough combo to achieve.
>Worst characteristic of watch: Might have been nice to increase the amount of luminant on the dial. Case design not for everyone (though that is to be expected). Some might argue the case is a bit on the thicker side.
