Many times, we find the German brands a bit too serious with their understated style, their controlled and pure designs and their usual black and silver dial colors. You may think that I'm over exaggerating but I'm sure that some of you think the same and to be honest, this quest for a sober perfection is the main reason why we love them. But we don't have to forget that several famous german brands had in the past some very colorful experiences like Nomos for example. Even Lange if you remember the first years proposed a wide range of colours from champagne to blue for its dial. So there is no inevitability at the end and German watches can also be fun! Here is another example with the new collection from Glashütte Original: the Sixties Iconic collection.

The aim of this collection is to pay homage to the famous Spezimatic which was introduced in 1964 thanks to a 39mm watch offering 5 different dial colours... and some of them are vivid ones! These colors give their names to the five watches: Sixties Red, Sixties Golden, Sixties Aqua, Sixties Brown and Sixties Grey.

When I think about it, there is a kind of paradox. Because the Spezimatic was one of the symbols of the former DDR being produced by the state-owned VEB Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe and I don't believe it was the most colorful period of the history of Germany! Anyway, I like this contrast and more importantly, the Sixties base is a perfect choice for this kind of collection.

The basic dial is pure with a touch of originality coming from the figures shapes, very typical of the Spezimatic style. In this context, the addition of colors doesn't disturb the overall balance of the watch and the outcome remains elegant enough despite this fun evolution. For the same reason, the use of a 39mm case is a good idea. A larger watch would have been perceived as too daring. And due to the thin bezel, it gives the feeling to be larger than it is actually.

As you know, the Sixties of the parmanent collection is available with silver, black and deep blue dials, the latter being by far my fav one. The Sixties Iconic collection enlarges this colors range because the other main features are preserved: the domed dial and of course, the caliber 39-52 with a power reserve of around 40 hours.

But let's come back to what makes this new collection so special: its dials. These dials are an excellent proof of the skills of  Glashütte Original's own dial manufactory located  in Pforzheim. Their domed and galvanised base is decorated with a dégradé effect which is achieved thanks to multiple hand-added layers of lacquer and the application of the final color with a special spray gun. But, in fact, the 5 dials are not the exactly the same with just a "twist" due to a different final color. 3 dials have a refined sunray finishing: the Aqua (brilliant turquoise) with this blue color fading into a black peripheral zone, the Red (from a luminous yellow to intense red) and the Golden (like the Aqua with from a golden shimmer to deep black).

The other 2 are even more unusual because the Brown and the Grey (my fav one of the collection) have an additional feature with an elaborate imprint. This inprint is achieved thanks to a 60-ton press which apply guilloché stamps on the very thin dials. A fine rhombic pattern decorates the Brown watch dial while a dewdrops structure enhances the beauty of the Grey watch.


I propose you to discover the five watches of the collection.

Here is the Sixties Aqua:

The 39-52 movement is visible thanks to the see-through caseback. You will notice the choice from GO (not specific to the Sixties Iconic collection) to free the space around the movement. It is obvious that it is a bit too small for the case (and due to the central second hand, it can't be felt dial side) but the aesthetic choice from GO makes the visual result a bit nicer, at least for me,  than a thicker back bezel.

The Sixties Aqua:

My fav of the collection, the Sixties Grey and its dial pattern:

The Sixties Brown:

The Sixties Golden:

The Sixties Red:

The Sixties Red on the wrist:

The Sixties Golden:

The Sixties Grey:

The Sixties Brown:

The Sixties Aqua:




The Sixties Iconic collection is for me a good surprise. It allows me to discover a fun side of the Glashütte Original Manufacture with an elegant base. The Sixties watch is perfect for this kind of evolution and even if at the end, these five watches don't bring anything in a pure horological content, they give a lot of pleasure when put on the wrist. The Grey watch is in my point of view the most convincing of the series thanks to its additional pattern. The staff of the Glashütte Original Boutique of Paris explained me that the full collection is visible at the brand boutiques to make an order. Once done, the selected watch will be delivered within a few weeks.

I would like to thank a lot the Glashütte Original team of Paris.

Fx

This message has been edited by foversta on 2015-10-01 15:12:24