Flieger Or Dresser: Which Glashütte Original Senator Chronograph Suits Your Style?

Just before summer, Glashütte Original invited us to its manufacture in eastern Germany. It was a great way for me to get to know the brand a little better. But the most important reason for the visit was the presentation of a few new releases. Jorg will cover the new Seventies collection in a separate article, but I’m here to present two versions of the Glashütte Original Senator Chronograph. The first features a classic-looking, finely grained silver dial with blue-coated Roman numerals. The other is a more modern version inspired by pilot’s watches. This Navigator variant has a matte black dial and luminous applied Arabic numerals.

For both versions, you can choose between an alligator leather strap, a synthetic textile strap, or the brand’s magnificent Oyster-style bracelet. On a strap, either watch retails for €16,200, and if you opt for the bracelet, you’ll pay €17,100. Let’s see what Glashütte Original gives you for that money.

The Glashütte Original Senator Chronographs

The new Senator Chronograph and Senator Chronograph Navigator feature a 41mm stainless steel case with a predominantly brushed finish. The polished, concave bezel adds elegance atop the brushed, beveled lugs. From tip to tip, those lugs have a 48.5mm span, while the whole watch has a 12.9mm profile — very respectable for any automatic chronograph. On the right side, you find the chronograph pushers and the crown. The silver-dial Senator Chronograph comes with a more conventional knurled crown, while the Senator Chronograph Navigator has a larger, grippier pilot’s crown.

Inside both watches ticks Glashütte Original’s 37-24 automatic flyback chronograph movement. This caliber has been part of the brand’s portfolio since 2013 and is based on the Urofa 59. It runs at 28,800 vph, features 47 jewels, and offers a comfortable 70-hour power reserve. It also features an antimagnetic silicon balance spring, blued screws, and a beveled three-quarter plate decorated with Glashütte striping. You can admire all that, as well as its 21K gold skeletonized rotor, through the case back’s sapphire display.

A proud and functional Panorama Date

As mentioned, you can choose between two versions of the Glashütte Original Senator Chronograph. The first one is the more classic silver-dial version with elegant blue-coated Roman numerals and blued hands. At 3 o’clock is the 30-minute counter, and at 9 o’clock, you’ll find the running-seconds sub-dial. Sitting proudly at 6 o’clock is the majestic Panorama Date window with a white gold frame. This version definitely leans more toward the classic side.

The more modern-looking Glashütte Original Senator Chronograph Navigator doesn’t hide its inspiration. The matte black dial with Arabic numerals made of solid luminous material is easy to read in any circumstance, especially with its big lume-filled sword hands. It features the same dial layout and Panorama Date as the previous version, but the focus here is more on legibility and less on elegance. The large, grippy pilot’s crown at 3 o’clock also makes it easy to adjust the time and date.

Consistency, high-quality finishing, and utmost precision

During my visit to Glashütte Original’s manufacture, it became very clear that the company aims for consistency, high-quality finishing, and the utmost precision. GO stores the raw materials used in its watches inside its facility for six weeks to release internal tension. This prevents splintering during manufacturing and, in turn, allows the parts to expand and contract uniformly with temperature changes.

The screws used in the movement are also blued in-house at 290–310°C. Although the craftsmen try to achieve the same shade of blue every time, there are always slight differences. However, for the same movement, they use screws with the same shade of blue. Collectors actually pay attention to this when they buy their Glashütte Original watches, making sure the blued screws all have the same shade.

Big dial, great proportions

I’ll be honest: on paper, and with the large dial and thin bezel, the Glashütte Original Senator Chronograph didn’t seem like a watch that would fit my 17cm wrist very well. However, with its modest 12.9mm thickness and 48.5mm lug-to-lug, I was surprised how well it sat on my wrist. The lugs slope down quite a bit, which makes the span look even shorter.

The Senator Chronograph Navigator, with its matte black dial and bold Arabic numerals, is most definitely my favorite. It has proper flieger vibes and a more modern look, especially on the excellent synthetic textile strap or the three-row stainless steel bracelet. By the way, both feature quick-switch spring bars, and the bracelet also offers on-the-go micro-adjustment.

With its blue accents and Roman numerals, the silver-dial Senator Chronograph is the more classic of the two. On the blue alligator strap, it can even serve as a dress watch, while the other two options make it a little more versatile.

Final thoughts

The Glashütte Original Senator Chronograph (Navigator) is a great watch. You can feel how much attention went into every little detail. For roughly €16,000, you get an automatic flyback chronograph with great finishing, an in-house movement, and a Panorama Date window. The vastly different designs of the grained silver and matte black dials make them distinct choices, and the strap options also change the character of each watch dramatically. Let me know in the comments below whether you’d pick the more classic-looking Glashütte Original Senator Chronograph or the Navigator variant.

Special thanks to Tom Leuntjens, aka BowlOfSalmon, for providing us with the wrist shots for this article.