A German watch maker owned by the French contributes a watch to charity sold to benefit the Italian Cancer Research Organization. Kind of ironic really, but the watch in question is very cool. Glashutte Original took its very popular PanoMaticReserve XL Watch and have put it in some new clothing. The new black and yellow bumble bee look is sporty and suave – certainly something I hope that they will think about making more widely. The 42mm case is in black PVD stainless steel. It contrasts nicely with the neon yellow on the dial, for the hand, and as the stitching on the strap. While the actual differences between this model and the standard PanoMaticReserve XL watches isn’t that great, the watch really feels different.

Inside the watch is Glashutte Original’s automatic caliber 90-03 movement that has the time with subsidiary seconds dial, power reserve indicator, and a big date indicator. I like that Glashutte Original was able to tone down the watch (other versions or after in gold) and at the same time make it more sporty. This piece unique is really stunning and I hope more timepieces from the luxury German brand follow in suit.

Arriving in a limited edition of just 25 pieces is another throw-back style watch model from German Glashutte Original. This is the Strasser & Rohde Regulator watch, which is just that – a traditional style regulator watch. A regulator is a watch where the minutes scale takes charge, filling up the whole dial, while there are subsidiary dials for the hours and minutes. The name refers to the fact that these were historically produced as extra-accurate clocks that were used to “regulate” the time on other smaller clocks and watches. The layout you see is the most typical look for this type of watch.

The hand wound Glashutte Original GO 49-04 watch movement is new and totally in-house made by Glashutte Original. The watch case is 42mm wide and in 18k rose gold. The movement is completely viewable through the rear sapphire caseback window and is stunning to behold. Glashutte Original really did a nice job designing it and decorating it. The dial itself is highly minimalistic, but not in the modern sense. Despite just telling the time, the watch has the added visual interest of subdials, a reason why regulator style watches are so popular these days.

This Glashutte Original Sport Evolution Impact Panorama Date watch in black rubber coated stainless steel features a black dial with polished silver super luminous hands and index markers, sweep seconds, a prominent panorama date display above 6 o’clock, and a 60-minute bezel, in an impressive 46 mm case shown here on a versatile black and red synthetic Trieste strap.

The Glashutte Original Sport Evolution Impact Panorama Date watch utilizes the in-house Caliber 39-47 self-winding movement designed for optimal shock absorbtion, and is water resistant to 100 meters.

Here is a traditionally nice timepiece with some less than obvious technical qualities that make it nicer than you’d suspect at first glance. At first you can appreciate the classic marine chronometer dial design that you can find these days on most every Ulysse Nardin Maxi Marine Dive watch.

Glashutte Original has adopted the design nicely with a large subsidiary seconds dial and power reserve indicator up top. Aside from these basic functions, the watch also has a big date complication, as well as a small day/night indicator (small hole displaying light or dark, located in the bottom section of the power reserve indicator. The watch also contains a special second zero reset function that sets the seconds to zero when you are adjusting the time of the watch.

In addition to those useful features, this Senator Chronometer is apparently Glashutte Original’s first COSC certified Chronometer timepiece. Movement is in-house made and beautifully decorated as is the case with all high-end watches that come from the region in Saxony.

The Germanic style movement looks similar to those of competitor company A. Lange & Sohne. The Glashutte Original Senator Chronometer is in 18k rose gold (not sure on case size yet). While the watches are not strictly a limited edition, they will have limited availability until the end of the year, being located in only select stores around the world. It is hard not to like the classic looks of the watch that wed tradition with function so nicely. Very close to the modern ideal of what a luxury German made watch should be about.