Often, in the field of luxury watchmaking, it’s Swiss timepieces that garner all the limelight. However, when it comes to horology, this is a gross simplification of the picture. There are numerous luxury watch brands that herald from outside Swiss borders, not least Germany, where the town of Glashütte acts as the center for watchmaking. In this small town of around 7,000 people, you will find the headquarters of Glashütte Original and A Lange & Söhne – two icons of German watchmaking. Today, Glashütte Original has unveiled a brand new luxury timepiece, the PanoLunarInverse which looks to one of horologe’s great inspirations: the moon.
Exclusively limited to only 200 pieces, the Glashütte Original PanoLunarInverse attempts to distill the vast forces that drive the universe into a small scale by placing a moon phase display over an intricate night sky backdrop. Through an inverse construction on the PanoLunarInverse, Glashütte Original brings much of the watch’s inner workings to the front of the dial, proudly displaying the craftsmanship and intricate detailing in all its glory.
The complicated moon phase function played an important role in the history of German watchmaking. This latest iteration gives the moon phase pride of place, as the largest individual element of the watch face, where many pieces make it much smaller and have it off to the side.
The night sky behind the moon is constructed from aventurine (goldstone), a material that was first produced during the 17th century by glass makers on Venice’s island of Murano. The moon is placed in relief and is 3D laser engraved to accurately depict the craters and mountains that dot the lunar surface.
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Unusually, the hours, minutes and seconds displays, which are linked to the moon phase are placed off-center towards the left of the Glashütte Original PanoLunarInverse. This creates room for the unusual movement design which places some elements of the Automatic Calibre 91-04 to the front of the front of the dial. This movement has a power reserve of up to 45 hours. Viewers can clearly see the balance, which sits beneath a black rhodium-plated balance bridge which features a guilloché decoration.
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The case is presented in 42mm and constructed from platinum. Collectors will be intrigued by the fact that the Glashütte Original PanoLunarInverse is actually the first timepiece from the German manufacturer to feature both a moon phase and an inversely designed movement.
The Glashütte Original PanoLunarInverse also features a transparent sapphire crystal case back where the skeletonized rotor is clearly in view and adorned with a domed moon.
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The piece comes with both a grey Louisiana alligator nubuck leather strap and a blue synthetic strap made entirely from recycled materials.
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