Making its debut at Baselworld 2014 is the all new Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date, which joins the companys popular and temptingly attractive 20th Century Vintage Collection, and first impressions would suggest that this important addition to the brands collection should be a strong compliment with which to broaden the potential audience reach for the Saxony marque.

Recognising the limited appeal of the previous and now discontinued Sport Evolution collection, which, with its somewhat challenging aesthetics, I guess you needed to have been a dyed in the wool fan of the brand to truly love, with the 20th Century Vintage Collection Glashütte Original have really bounced back with a winning formula and since have enjoyed considerable success with the introduction of first the Sixties series, with a number of delightful Senator Sixties pieces, and more recently with the Seventies range, both of which have seen the company gain traction in the commercial battlefield which is the mid to high end gents sports sector.

Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date – Silver

The new Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date is served up in a stainless steel almost cushionesque case and features a chassis in satin brushed finish with rectangular pushers set into the shoulders which protect the crown. The square bezel which sits proud atop the chassis, has been polished and its angles rounded out, creating overall a fine contrast in both texture and contour.

The sunburst finished dials are available in galvanized ruthenium, silver or blue options with tapered indices in white gold, as incidentally are the hours and minutes hands: the use of Super-LumiNova for accents and on the hands dramatically optimizes low light legibility.

Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date – Lume

The layout is very nicely balanced with the 30 minute chrono counter and small seconds occupying recessed subdials at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions, the latter featuring a small window for the power reserve indicator. The 12 hour chrono counter subdial has been supplanted with a 12 hour disc which rotates beneath a small window, located just above centre, and the signature Panorama Date set in a beveled aperture midway between the subdials and the six. Both date and 12 hour discs are black on the ruthenium and blue dials and white on the silver version.

Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date – Ruthenium

The chronograph is started and stopped with the top pusher, but starting and then pressing the lower flyback pusher will reset the centre stop seconds hand and other indicators to zero from where they will resume running on a new cycle. Ending the function is simply done by pressing stop and then flyback.

To the back, the transparent exhibition caseback reveals the brand new Calibre 37-02 self winding movement. Designed with the sole purpose for use as a chronograph with flyback, the new column wheel movement has been simplified by using fewer components, thanks to the omission of features such as the regulator, with the result bringing improved precision and longer term performance. The single barrel provides energy for an impressive 70 hours and itself derives its energy via the bi-directional oscillating weight.

Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date – Caseback

At 40mm x 40mm the Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date is firmly in keeping with the trending taste for more modest case sizes. It is offered with the choice of brushed and polished stainless steel bracelet, Louisiana alligator leather or black rubber strap.

With the Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date, Glashütte Original have come up with a fine looking watch with plenty of the nice little touches which go hand in hand with the manufactures reputation for the very high quality watches and excellence in watchmaking the town of Glashütte is long famed for. Prices range from $14,900 (for rubber or leather strap) to $16,400 (for bracelet).

Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date – Collection Baselworld 2014