Hands-On With The Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase

During my 12 years of living in Germany, I participated in numerous high-level business meetings. You know the type — sitting around a table, wearing a suit, and drinking coffee from Alfi pitchers. As you can tell, that wasn’t always fun, so I often amused myself by checking out the watches on people’s wrists. Most were quite normal, but every so often, I’d come upon a crisp, clean Glashütte Original. The new stainless steel Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase references seem like the perfect example of what I’d sometimes encounter. And instead of just seeing them, we were able to take them for a spin.

Glashütte Original is a brand that I’ve followed closely since it re-emerged in 1994. I vividly recall the catalogs in our house. Then, when my father purchased a Senator Navigator in Chicago, I became even more familiar with a level of finishing that I’d not seen before. Nearly 30 years later, the company’s watches have evolved, using more impressive movements, but the classic aesthetics remain. Today, we share our thoughts on the latest releases, the new stainless steel Panorama Date Moon Phase references.

The Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase

Glashütte Original’s latest references are essentially updates to existing models with new dials. Until now, the stainless steel Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase variants have featured dials with all-printed details. We’ll go into the changes shortly, but let’s review the basics first. Many of the brand’s pieces tend to be larger, but these watches have a 40mm diameter, a 46.7mm lug-to-lug, and a 12.2mm profile. With these dimensions, these dress watches avoid looking too dainty. Plus, with a 50m water resistance rating, they’re robust. We’d recommend trading the dark blue alligator strap for one of the optional synthetic straps, though.

Caliber 36-24

The Panorama Date Moon Phase uses the in-house automatic caliber 36-24. While the movement isn’t new, it boasts impressive specs and finishing. It features a power reserve of 100 hours, a frequency of 28,800vph, and a silicon balance spring.

From a viewing perspective, the movement is adorned with several traditional cues from the region. A three-quarter plate, Glashütte striping, and an engraved goose-neck regulator complement the anglage and a 21K gold oscillating rotor.

The new dials

Glashütte Original sent us two of the three new stainless steel Panorama Date Moon Phase references. In addition to the supplied galvanic rose- and silver-dial variants, a gray model is also available. Each features a finely grained dial with a printed minute track and branding. The major update to these dials, and consistent with other recent releases, is the addition of blued 18K gold Roman numerals to mark the hours. These match the central hour, minute, and second hands.

The other two key characteristics are a moonphase indicator and a twin-wheel panoramic date display. Each of these features has a stepped, beveled oculus. The moonphase wheel has a dark blue and gold background on all variants. However, while the date wheels on the rose- and gray-dial models are white on dark blue, the silver-dial reference has black-on-white displays. Overall, for a dial with more than a simple time-telling intent, it’s not overcrowded and maintains an elegant, dressy appearance.

A reserved statement watch

Here at Fratello, we see a lot of watches, so it’s easy to become jaded. Yet, when we encounter special pieces, they get our attention. The latest Panorama Date Moon Phase models may not break completely new ground, but they’re wonderful in person. While the existing stainless steel models are nice, these watches benefit heavily from the blued details. They somehow transform them into objects that are simultaneously classic and modern. It also makes the idea of pairing one with a knitted synthetic strap feasible, whereas previous versions were more suited to formal leather straps.

On the wrist, the watches are quietly commanding. They look expensive (hint: they are to some degree!) but have none of the glitziness of much of the competition. Think of these as celebratory watches worn by people who prefer not to shout about their success.

Thanks to the dimensions, the Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase fits well on a wide variety of wrists. This is thanks to the relatively modest 46.7mm lug-to-lug measurement. Of course, the 12.2mm thickness prevents it from joining the ultra-thin club, but again, this seems appropriate since the watch straddles the line between an outright dress piece and a daily accessory.

A fine luxury option

The latest stainless steel Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase models exemplify the significance of a dial update. These watches are seriously attractive, although if pressured, we’d opt for the rose-dial version. The contrast between the dial’s color and the dark blue elements adds an extra twist that we enjoyed at our headquarters. With a price of €12,200 / £10,700, these Glashütte Original watches are luxury options. However, they offer a lot in terms of movement finishing and small details, such as gold dial hardware. We came away impressed and pleased that attractive options for this complication exist outside of purely precious metal references.

What do you think of the dial updates to the Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase? As always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

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