Glashütte Original

Second impressions of the new Karree Panodate . . .

 

. . . with the manual-winding cal 22 introduced this year at Basel . . . let's start with the photos, courtesy of Glashütte Original.

The Karree Panodate in gold with a silver dial . . .

. . . followed by the steel version . . .

. . . both of which I've tried on, on three occasions in the last  four weeks . . .

. . . but, alas, the black dial has eluded me so far.  The reverse side is even more interesting . . .

. . . and for good measure, the dial side of the movement . . .

The new Karrees are a substantially different design from my  favored originals . . . more rounded and polished, less angular and aesthetically taut.  Having said that, I was immediately impressed by the Karree Panodate manual winding introduced this year at Basel, and so ably photographed by Marcus and Jia Xian.  The uncharacteristically ambiguous appearance of the cal 39 models snapped into focus with the centrally located Panorama date aperture.  The Roman numerals located at the cardinal points also assisted in shifting the focus to the center of the watch, much like the crosshairs in a scope aid in concentrating on a target.    My  virtual impressions were validated by my initial encounter several weeks ago, and have been reinforced by two additional inspections last weekend.  The storekeeper was kind enough to lend me a magnifying glass so that  I could have a closer inspection of the movement, which proved to be exceedingly well finished. 

The new Karree Panodate is, in my view, a great all-around watch.   It combines formal design elements (polished case, Roman numerals,  sparse details) with casual (lumed hands, contrasting stitching band, large crown) to create an uncannily well balanced overall design that can be worn just about anywhere and anytime.  I've long felt that Glashütte Original produced some of the finest values in modern watchmaking, such as their cal 39 perpetuals,  the Panograph, and the Senator Navigator; I would place the cal 22 Karree Panodate in their company.  It's definitely going to be my next watch . . . cordially, Art



This message has been edited by Dr No on 2007-08-29 00:56:50 This message has been edited by Dr No on 2007-08-29 00:58:47