Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Music From Germany – Hands-On With The Glashütte Original PanoReserve
London; birthplace of the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Phil Collins and countless other musical geniuses. Over the decades the city has boasted a thriving and ever changing music scene, influencing pop culture worldwide. Perhaps one of the best known venues is Ronnie Scott’s, based in Soho in London’s west end. Opening its doors for the first time in October, 1959, Ronnie Scott’s is one of the oldest jazz clubs in the world and has hosted the likes of Miles Davies, Count Basie and Kurt Elling amongst a myriad of others. As with watchmaking, good jazz music is all about precise execution, consistent quality and just a touch of the unexpected. The Glashütte Original PanoReserve embodies all of these qualities and more and, like a good jazz record, only seems to get better with time. Today we take a closer look to find out why.
Although not a new model by any stretch, the Glashütte Original PanoReserve has always been on my list as a great every-day watch. Although I wouldn’t describe it as being particularly eye-catching in the traditional sense, what makes it so attractive is the well-proportioned dial and the sense of balance this brings. Everything is right where it needs to be, making the PanoReserve both easy to read and also visually quite appealing. It is “very German”, in the best possible way.
Presented in a 40mm x 11.7mm case with a very thin bezel, the PanoReserve is just about perfectly sized for everyday office wear. Like a laidback jazz record playing in the background, it doesn’t draw a lot of attention to itself and yet its presence is both constantly felt and appreciated. On the wrist, it will happily slide away comfortably under the cuff for a more discrete look but at the same time you can be confident rolling up your sleeves and putting in on full display in front of your peers.
There are four dial variations to choose from; three of which are made from either galvanised silver, galvanised grey or galvanised blue, the latter two with the appliques and hands in white gold. The galvanised silver model however features blued hands – a trademark of Glashütte Original – and something I find particularly attractive. The fourth is made from galvanised black with the appliques and hands in rose gold. The hands on all models have been inlaid with Super-LumiNova to ensure good legibility even in low-light conditions.
Now, what makes the Glashütte Original PanoReserve so special and easily recognizable by amateurs: its display. Starting from left-to-right there is an off-centre hour and minute display, with small seconds shown on a second, off-centre sub-dial beneath. Next to that is the Panorama Date – so named for obvious reasons – and finally a retrograde power reserve display in the top right of the dial.
Although there is quite a bit of information on display the dial does not feel squashed at all, with everything laid out very logically and with sufficient space. Personally, I’m not always a fan of off-centre hour and minute displays but for the PanoReserve I think this design really works. Plus it means you never have to worry about the time display obscuring the date or the power reserve indicator.
As you’ve probably guessed from the presence of the power reserve indicator, the PanoReserve is powered by a manually wound movement, the Calibre 65-01 to be precise. As we’ve come to expect from our German watch-making friends, the movement is exquisitely finished and features a Glashütte three-quarter plate with striped finish, a balance bridge and second cock engraved by hand, screw-mounted gold chatons, blued screws, bevelled edges, and polished and satin-finished steel parts. The 48 jewel movement also features a duplex swan-neck fine adjustment and offers a healthy 42 hours of power in reserve when fully wound.
The PanoReserve comes in your choice of either a steel or 18 rose gold case, with four different dial variations available as previously mentioned. The style is understated but consistent and you can really feel the quality of the watch’s construction. Plus the beautifully decorated movement gives it that extra unexpected wow factor. Available on either an alligator leather strap or stainless steel bracelet, the PanoReserve, like a good jazz record, is a great addition to any collection. Price: 9,800 Euros. www.glashuette-original.com.
2 responses
Thank you Tom for giving this reference a much deserved review! To often it is casually labeled as a bargain Lange1. It really is not, and if it were, there’s certainly worse insults! Upon close examination, wonderful details continue to unfold, like how the case continuously steps down form the bezel, to the brushed band then the case back, and how sharply the inside corner of the lugs-to-case band is finished. Then the unexpected black polished elements such as the center pinion that often mirrors the color of the fantastically executed hands. Also the superb quality of the dial and it’s ultra fine guilloche, and of course the date complication jumping at midnight, on the same plane, and operated without needing a separate pusher through the crown. I love how beautifully understated this watch is, and how it is to me, the quintessential: silver dialed, blued hands, traditionally finished, manually wound, steel cased German watch!
Nice photos, but in the future keep the watch well away from the guitar pickups – those are magnets!