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Caliber 100-14 - Handmade? Worthy of All the Praise?

By: bordcla : November 19th, 2014-13:34

Hi to the esteemed and knowledgeable Purists on this board!

I am contemplating the purchase of a GO Senator Observer. I was wondering if Caliber 100-14, which animates it, is a worthy example of the renowned Glashutte Original handcrafted horological machines?

It strikes me as more "run-of-the-mill" and less handmade than others, given the simple balance cock with no engraving (as opposed to full balanced bridges, fully engraved in other models, relative lack of high-end embelishments (no gold chatons, no apparent anglage, etc.)? Except for the gold rotor, it appears to me to be a slightly better finished machine-made movement comparable to an Omega movement, devoid of much handcraft (except perhaps the polishing of the swan-neck regulator spring?

The Senator Observer really appeals to me as an extremely well-executed deck-watch, devoid of any fluff, perfectly executed with tasteful restraint. Versatile, elegant, superbly made, at a reasonable price given the quality. However, I am wondering whether I am getting a real taste of what GO is all about, given the more pedestrian movement, compared to, say, a Panomaticlunar, Panoreserve or Panomatic Inverse?

What can you experts tell me about Caliber 100-14? Is it comparable to what one would find in one of the other models mentioned above? Am I mistaken in thinking this is not a "true" representative of the "full GO experience"?

Thanks for enlightening me!

Kind regards,

CEB

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I am only an expert of my opinion and

By: Salamanca : November 19th, 2014-17:57

every Glashütte Original watch including the Senator Observer are the best kept secret of this industry.Buy with no worries!

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No expert in any sense of the word

By: rnaden : November 19th, 2014-20:01

But GO is definitely not one of those brands which are "machine made". Handling and owning GO's, you'll come to realize that there is a lot of painstaking effort put into building the movements, and from what I know, every part, including the making of the tools that are used, has a lot of manual processes involved, more so in the actual construction and finishing of the movement. There is a good video by GO that you should be able to find on youtube with regard to their manufacture and how they build watches. Mass machining is not one of them.

That said, the watch and movement is so much more about where machines are used or not, but the level of detail involved and the character of the watch. Of this, GO would be right on top there with the rest, from the workhorse Cal 39 to the amazing Cal 89. The view of each movement will always warm your heart, and their designs are so functional and under the radar, perfect for someone who wants to enjoy technical and artistic mastery without being flashy.

It's a great watch, this one especially, and I would have no hesitation if this one already speaks to you. Let us know your eventual decision

Richard

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Further Clarifying my Question

By: bordcla : November 20th, 2014-06:48

Richard,

It's precisely after having watched that video that my interrogation, not as to GO's general level of craftsmanship, but as to the standing of Caliber 100-14 vs other GO calibers, surfaced.

Basically, it looks like Caliber 100-14 has CNC-machined plates and bridges, is devoid of any hand-engraving, and I could not tell whether the edges of the bridges and plates are hand-beveled as is the case with other movements, certainly those with the beautiful engraved full balance bridges.

My question is: are there such hand-made bevels on the Caliber 100-14? Is the swan-neck regulator as painstakingly black-polished as it is on the pieces that make more of a "show piece" of their balance bridges and assembly?

I can only assume that the ribbing and rotor decoration is the same and made the same across all models.

Thanks!

CEB

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Here is a picture of

By: Salamanca : November 20th, 2014-09:05

Caliber 100-14 with 60 jewels

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Reply - short version.

By: small-luxury-world : November 24th, 2014-12:13

You get a lot for the money if we talk about value - even when it doesn´t represent THE BEST they are able to do at GO, but it is reflected in the price as well.

If you like what you see. GO for it

Good luck with your (nice) decision!

Oliver

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Glashütte Original cal 100 movements . . .

By: Dr No : December 1st, 2014-13:28

. . . form the foundation of their collection, along with their unrelated predecessor that's still in production, the cal 39. The exquisite finishing throughout apparent in manual winding GUB calibers isn't present, granted, but then, neither are the asking prices. And compared to automatic movements with power reserve and large date from competitors in the same league . . .