Glashütte Original PanoLunarTourbillon Limited Edition

Glashütte Original releases a spectacular 25-piece limited edition of the PanoLunarTourbillon in a platinum case. As a member of the Pano family, the PanoLunarTourbillon displays the distinctive asymmetrical dial layout but now features lavish hand-engraved surfaces that attest to the refined talent of GO’s artisans.

Theatrical Flying tourbillon

The flying tourbillon was invented 100 years ago by Alfred Helwig, a former student of the German School of Watchmaking in Glashütte and later technical instructor in the same revered institution. His 1920 flying tourbillon dispensed with the traditional support system in the form of a bridge on both sides. Helwig’s tourbillon was cantilevered and supported from one side by a single axis creating the illusion that it was flying or floating in mid-air.

The combination of a flying tourbillon, a moon phase and a large Panoramic date window materialised in 2013 as the PanoLunarTourbillon and to date, has appeared in gold cases with silver dials. For 2020, the PanoLunarTourbillon gets the royal treatment, just like the PanoInverse and the Senator Chronometer Tourbillon did last year with a platinum case and ornate hand-engraved touches.

Spectacular scenery on stage

The hallmark asymmetry of the Pano family is at work here with the flying tourbillon intersecting the lower half of the off-centred hours and minutes disc on the left side of the dial. The entire oscillation and escapement system revolves on its own axis every 60 seconds performing its whirlwind motion in a large aperture. The moon phase aperture and date are located on the right side of the dial and picked out with blue backgrounds.

Where things differ from the ‘regular’ models in the collection is in the richly hand-engraved scenery surrounding the indications on the dial. All the engravings on the dial are executed in Glashütte Original’s very own dial manufactory in Pforzheim. The dials begin as solid gold blanks until their surfaces are slowly transformed by the engraver’s hand. Working without a pattern, the engraver uses a burin to inscribe the pattern in the gold. To create the elegant floral motifs, engravers can spend an entire day – or more – on the dial before it is given the final silver-plated finish.

In contrast to the elaborate hand-engraved decoration, the off-centred hours and minutes dial features a concentric finish with contemporary blued hour markers that are applied and indicated by blued skeletonised hands. The large aperture for the flying tourbillon has a track for the running seconds indicated by a small blued hand. At 2 o’clock is the aperture for the moon phase display with a silver moon and stars and a midnight blue sky, the very same colour used for the iconic Panorama Date window at 4 o’clock with its generous proportions and numbers placed on two discs.

Calibre 93-12

Housed in a luxurious 40mm platinum case with a thickness of 13.1 mm, the bezel and top surface of the lugs are polished while the casebands and reverse side of the lugs are finely brushed. Although the movement does not reveal much of the mechanics, almost every surface area has been exquisitely hand-engraved. Like the indications on the dial, the oscillating mass is off-centred and skeletonised. To add mass, the rotor has a 21k gold weight and features the double-G logo of the brand.

A tiered construction with a crescent-shaped bridge and the oscillating weight on top, the different levels are all hand-engraved with a scrolling floral motif and punctuated with blued screws, jewels and two diamond endstones. The finishing is immaculate with bevelled and polished edges. Running at a frequency of 21,600vph/3Hz, the movement offers a 48-hour power reserve.

Availability and price

Fitted with a matching blue Louisiana alligator leather strap, the watch is attached to the wrist with a platinum fold fastener. The retail price of the PanoLunarTourbillon is EUR 126,720 and is a limited edition of 25 watches.

For more information, please visit glashuette-original.com.