First Look: Glashütte Original Brings Murano Glass To The Senator Line
People in the watch community constantly misunderstand aventurine. The sparkly, often dark blue substance used for watch dials isn’t a natural gemstone dug from the ground (though a natural quartzite stone later named aventurine also exists). Rather, it’s a product of accident and human ingenuity. The aventurine we typically see in watches dates back to the 17th century in the glass furnaces of Murano, Venice. As the story goes, one day, a glassmaker accidentally dropped copper filings into molten glass, and as it cooled, those metallic elements crystallized into the brilliant, sparkling speckles we know today. This crystallization happened entirely by chance, hence the name, derived from the Italian à ventura. However, Muranese artisans soon began developing various recipes for aventurine, and the glass became a signature of the region, beloved worldwide.
As the metal oxides in aventurine crystallize randomly, no two pieces of this glass are the same. For a brand rooted in Saxon engineering like Glashütte Original, bringing this material into the Senator collection presents a compelling juxtaposition. The manufacturer elevates this historic glassmaking technique, bringing together two distinct eras of early 20th-century art. The Senator Aventurine Art Déco Blue and Art Nouveau Green are refined two-hand dress watches built on modern proportions and fine craftsmanship.
The Glashütte Original Senator Aventurine Art Déco Blue and Art Nouveau Green
At the beginning of the 20th century, life was moving faster than ever. Electricity, new factories, and early automobiles were completely upending how people lived. In the art world, creators were split into two camps. The Art Nouveau camp leaned into the natural world, using soft, organic curves and botanical shapes. Meanwhile, the Art Déco camp celebrated clean geometry and the machine age.
Glashütte Original has baked these distinct art styles directly into two new Senator watches. The Senator Aventurine Art Nouveau Green features an incredibly rich, deep green aventurine dial that channels the brand’s connection to nature. Glashütte Original has paired this lush, forest-like dial with a warm red gold case and a textured brown Louisiana alligator nubuck strap. Meanwhile, the Senator Aventurine Art Déco Blue captures the modern city. It matches a deep blue aventurine dial with the weighty elegance of a solid platinum case to capture the skyline at night. To tie it all together, the brand added solid white gold hands and a dark blue Louisiana alligator leather strap.
For devoted Glashütte Original collectors, the appeal of these new timepieces lies in how the manufacturer handles the glass. Artisans at the company’s atelier don’t just stamp out a slice of aventurine and glue it to a brass base. Instead, they paint a thick layer of black lacquer onto the back of each paper-thin glass disc, which stops light from bleeding through the reverse side and forces your eye to look straight into the floating metallic bits. It gives the dial an incredible, bottomless feel.
Case proportions for the real world
Each Senator Aventurine variant has a 40mm diameter and a 47.09mm lug-to-lug. While these numbers might suggest a large presence on the wrist, the case architecture makes them highly wearable. A slim 10.2mm profile, a polished bezel and lug tops, and satin-brushed case flanks help reduce the watch’s visual weight. The case, complete with a domed sapphire crystal, sits flat and tight against the wrist and features a fluted crown embellished with the brand’s mirrored double-G logo.
Caliber 36-16
The automatic in-house caliber 36-16 powers these two new Glashütte Original Senator watches. While the tactile ritual of winding a manual watch has its charm, many appreciate the practicality of a “grab-and-go” timepiece. The movement delivers an impressive 100-hour power reserve and runs at 28,800 vph. A silicon balance spring shields the movement from magnetic fields and temperature shifts. The sapphire-equipped case back reveals the hand-executed finishes in full detail, including Glashütte stripes on the three-quarter plate, a hand-engraved balance cock, and sunburst brushing on the winding wheels. Topping all this is a skeletonized rotor featuring the signature logo and a solid-gold oscillating mass.
The Glashütte Senator Aventurine models — Final thoughts and pricing
The Glashütte Original Senator Aventurine Art Déco Blue and Art Nouveau Green sound very adventurous on paper. On the wrist, however, they are restrained, beautifully balanced dress watches. Together, the Murano glass and high-performance German caliber make for a compelling collectible, especially for those looking for a watch sitting somewhere between high art and everyday wearability.
The platinum Senator Aventurine Art Déco Blue (ref. 1-36-16-40-03-01) retails for €37,500 / US$40,400 / £31,500, while the red gold Art Nouveau Green version (ref. 1-36-16-41-05-01) costs €35,500 / US$38,200 / £29,800. Let us know what you think of these watches in the comments below!
