Glashütte Original Senator Cosmopolite - Travel around the world with a perfect companion
Glashütte, March 2015
Press Release
German watchmaker Glashütte Original presents a magnificent and innovative mechanical masterpiece, the Senator Cosmopolite, equipped with the new Calibre 89-02. Following the launch of the exquisite Grande Cosmopolite Tourbillon in 2012, with this model the Saxon manufactory adds a new mechanical work of art specifically aimed at the world traveller. Despite its complexity, this exceptional watch is marvellously intuitive and has been designed for everyday use.
Connoisseurs of fine German watchmaking will doubtless appreciate both the aesthetic dimensions of the Senator Cosmopolite and the extraordinary mechanics within. The new automatic Calibre 89-02 was developed in-house by the Saxon manufactory to meet the needs of today’s world travellers. The ability to track the time of day in two time zones at once is made possible by an intricate set of finely engineered, integrated complications. The time zone wheel displays a choice of 37 world time zones, each indicated by the official IATA location code designating a key international airport in the zone. The 24 time zones that are aligned at full-hour offsets with Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) present a black IATA code in the DST or STD window at 8 o’clock; 10 time zones aligned with GMT at half-hour offsets appear in blue; 3 remaining zones at quarter- or three-quarter hour offsets from GMT are represented by the relevant IATA location code in red; the color coding allows one to identify the offset from GMT at a glance.
The dial of the new Senator Cosmopolite is easy to read and presents the time of day at home and away simultaneously, in any two of 37 world time zones. The primary point of reference for the traveller on the road is the local time at destination. Accordingly, the designers at Glashütte Original have given pride of place to the away or destination time, represented by the central hour and minute hands, small seconds dial at 6 o’clock, day/night indicator at 9 o’clock, and the watchmaker’s signature Panorama Date display at 4 o’clock. A further reference to the destination time is presented at 8 o’clock, where two small windows indicate whether Daylight Saving Time (DST) or Standard Time (STD) is in effect in the destination time zone.
As one might expect from Glashütte Original, the Senator Cosmopolite is further distinguished by its undeniable elegance. The lacquered silver-grained dial features a black railroad chapter ring framing black Roman numerals, with symmetrical placement along the central vertical axis of the home time dial at 12, central hour and minute hands and the small seconds dial at 6 o’clock. The 12-hour home time dial presents a black minute ring and Arabic numerals, the small seconds a black railroad chapter ring and black Arabic numerals. Along the central horizontal axis the destination time day/night dial at 9 o’clock shows a starry night sky on the lower half and a yellow sun on the upper, complemented at 3 o’clock by the Glashütte Original logo. Roman and Arabic numerals, railroad chapter and minute rings are all laser-engraved and galvanised in black. The central poire hour and minute hands are fashioned in blued steel, as are the home time hour and minute hands, the small seconds hand, and the destination time day/night hand.
The 72-hour power reserve indicator, located within the home time dial, is in black against an ivory ground; the home time day/night indicator shows a black dot by night and a light dot by day. The distinguished Glashütte Original Panorama Date display presents the date in black Arabic numerals against an ivory ground, at 4 o’clock. The dial is protected by a domed sapphire crystal, anti-reflective on both sides. The case back offers a clear view, through its sapphire crystal, of the superb finishing and features characteristic of fine German watchmaking, including the Glashütte stripe finish, the brand’s double-G logo on the off-centre rotor, blued screws and the exquisite, hand-engraved and galvanised balance cock.
The heart of the Senator Cosmopolite is the new Calibre 89-02 automatic movement. Its exceptional mechanics are set in motion when the traveller wishes to change the destination time. If heading east (forwards in time), he turns the crown at 4 o’clock clockwise until the IATA code representing the destination time zone appears in the relevant DST or STD window. If travelling west (back in time), the traveller turns the crown counter-clockwise. In both cases, the central hour and minute hands jump ahead (or back) in 15-minute intervals until the destination time zone’s IATA code appears in the relevant DST or STD window. At this point, the traveller need make no further changes: the central hour and minute hands now indicate the correct time at destination, augmented by the correct day/night indication at 9 o’clock – and by the correct display of the date at destination. If the time at the chosen destination is ahead or back a day, the Panorama Date display changes accordingly. Thus the new Calibre 89-02 transforms its spectacular mechanical complexity into compelling simplicity of use: a masterpiece of fine German watchmaking from Glashütte Original.
The 89-02 operates at 4 Hz (28,800 A/h) and features an off-centre rotor. The oscillation system is regulated by using four gold screws on the balance rim; the absence of a regulator on the spring allows the movement to run continuously over a much longer period of time, resulting in increased precision. The Calibre 89-02 is comprised of over 400 individual components.
The perfect travel companion from Glashütte Original is available with a red gold or white gold 44 mm case with brushed and polished surfaces and a matte black or blue Louisiana alligator leather strap with red or white gold foldover clasp.
As befits this extraordinary example of the fine art of German watchmaking at Glashütte Original, the Senator Cosmopolite is presented in a fine black wood box with a high-gloss finish.