Hands-On: With The Glashtte Original PanoMatic Luna

June 30, 2015

It has often been said that there are very few complicated womens watches out there, but as I dive deeper into the world of womens watches, I have found that several brands are up to the challenge and are attempting to make complicated watches in a "feminine" interpretation. Glashtte Original is one of those makers taking a stab at this challenge. Glashtte Original, German in its roots, is historically known for its practical, classic wristwatches with in-house movements. So, it was surprising to me at first that they created a collection for women. The collection has three different models: the Pavonina, Lady Serenade, and the PanoMatic Luna (the watch you see here). All three have very different aesthetics and complications, but the Luna is by far the most interesting. The first thing I noticed about this watch is that it is noticeably heavy for its size (in this respect its more akin to the watches Glashtte Original places in its non-womens collections). It sits high on the wrist C so much so that wearing it around the office made me nervous. The diameter of the stainless steel case is 39.4 mm and its 12 mm thick, which is pretty hefty for a womans watch, although its not unreasonable for a self-winding watch with a moon-phase and big date (for comparison, the PanoMaticLunar is 40 mm in diameter and 12.7mm thick, making the proportions of the two watches roughly similar). The overall distribution of dial elements is exactly that which you find in the PanoMaticLunar; the watch is organized around four displays (one for the hours; a sub-seconds dial; the large date display; and the moon-phase display). In the Luna, however, the slightly smaller size of the dial, and some of the other changes made for the womens version of this watch, give it to my eye a slightly off-balance feel. The frame for the date window is oval in the Luna; and the outer frame around the moon-phase display is omitted in the Luna as well, which makes it seem a bit small relative to the subsidiary dial for the hours (in our sample, the numerals for the big date were slightly out of alignment). Whether the overlap between the main dial and subsidiary seconds dial works for you is a matter of individual taste, although its worth noting that this approach is typical for Glashtte Original, so if it appeals to you in their other watches it will certainly appeal to you here. One of the most appealing elements to the watch, by the way, is the moon-phase itself; its very highly reflective C so much so you can actually see yourself in it. I dont know if this was deliberate on the part of Glashtte Original, but its certainly charming to look at the watch and see yourself in the moon! (See above image for reference.) The movement is a caliber 90-12 automatic movement, with the typical Glashtte Original three-quarter plate and double G-form" rotor. The movement finish is generally good, although Ive always found the contrast between the ornate engraving on Glashtte Originals balance cocks and the somewhat more restrained execution of the rotor rather incohesive. Despite the overall look of the movement, I am pleased that it is apparently identical to the caliber 90-02 in the PanoMaticLunar; and the dimensions of 90-02 and 90-12 are the same: 32.6 mm x 7.0 mm. Despite the heavier look of this piece, I am happy to see a maker such as Glashtte jump into the womens watch game, and I give them credit for attempting to combine their traditionally pragmatic approach to watchmaking with more feminine design elements (and maintaining the same approach in the movement of the womens piece as in the PanoMaticLunar). I look forward to seeing what they do next year and how their womens collection of watches continues to evolve. The retail price is $20,400. For more information please visit the Glashtte Original website here. Case: Stainless Steel with 18 Diamonds (approximately .042 cts. each)Dial: "Tahiti" Mother-of-PearlCase Diameter: 39.4 mmCase Height: 12 mmMovement: Caliber 90-12 automatic movement, 47 jewels