Glashütte Original Watches

Glashütte Original is one of only a handful of brands operating in the town of Glashütte in Saxony, Germany. Known for their iconic PanoMatic Date complication, their reputation is built on manufacturing reliable, highly accurate timepieces with a superb level of detail and finishing.
Between various designs, complications, materials, and sizes, Glashütte Original offers a varied selection that caters to every collector looking to add a high-end German-manufactured timepiece to their collection.

History of Glashütte Original

Glashütte Original’s origins started in 1845 when Julius Assmann, Adolf Schneider, Moritz Grossman, and Ferdinand Adolph Lange came to the town, establishing the manufacturing of watch components and pocket watches. These founding watchmakers established hallmarks of Glashütte watchmaking, including gold chatons, gold lever wheels, and the Glashütte three-quarter plate.
In 1878, Moritz Grossman petitioned the King of Saxony for a business loan for a watchmaking school. The King of Saxony granted the request, resulting in a steady flow of watchmaking talent for the town. The notoriety of Glashütte watchmaking continued to spread until the Great Depression, which impacted sales, and bombing from World War II, which leveled the town.
After World War II, Glashütte ended up in Eastern Germany. Under Soviet Control, watchmakers were allowed to operate under VEB Glashütte Uhrenbetriebe (GUB). This conglomerate was formed in 1951, forcing all seven brands that existed before World War II into one collective. While the quartz crisis halted many brands in the watch industry, Soviet control of Eastern Germany isolated GUB, allowing them to continue focusing on mechanical watch movements.
After the reunification of Germany, GUB was registered as a private business in 1990. In 1994, Heinz W. Pfeifer bought the small 72-employee company and renamed it Glashütte Original.
Focusing on returning to the high-end finishing and craftsmanship Glashütte was famous for, the successful rebranding resulted in the brand being purchased by the Swatch Group in the year 2000. Despite being owned by Swatch, Glashütte Original continues to make nearly all of its components in-house, operating largely independently of other manufacturers.
Today, Glashütte Original is most known for offering top-level movement engineering, finishing, and accuracy; Glashütte Original’s reputation of offering some of the best watches available has been maintained since its resurrection in the 1990s. Today, their PanoMatic and Vintage Seventies Collection are the most well-known, but recent additions to the SeaQ line and highly complicated models have garnered wider enthusiast attention.

Glashütte Original Collections

Drawing inspiration from multiple facets of the history of Saxony-based watchmaking, Glashütte Original has created product collections that pay tribute to and continue the legacy of the town of Glashütte’s storied watchmaking history.

Glashütte Original Panomatic Collection

Glashütte Original Senator Collection

Glashütte Original SeaQ Collection

Unveiled in 2019 and inspired by a design from 1969, the Glashütte Original SeaQ collection brings a contemporary diver to Glashütte Original’s typically dress-oriented collection of watches. Providing the necessary attributes to be considered a dive watch (great legibility, lumed hands, 200m of water resistance) and the quality Glashütte Original is known for, the SeaQ offers collectors a unique dive watch to add to their collection.

Glashütte Original Vintage Collection

Drawing inspiration from designs from the 1960s and 70s, the Vintage Collection offers contemporary and bold takes on traditional designs.
The 60s collection draws inspiration from a model that Glashütte Original produced in the 1960s but in a larger case size more in line with the tastes of today. With a slim, dressy case and stylized numerals, conventionally colored dials offer a more characterful take on the dress watch while the Annual Edition series offers limited production runs of bright colors.
The Seventies line is currently offered as the Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date. Available in several colors, the square 40mm case is Glashütte Original's take on quirky 1970s integrated bracelet designs.

Glashütte Original Ladies Collection

Glashütte Original has a sub-set of collections with feminine designs, offering collectors options with softer designs and gems.
The Pavonina collection is a rounded square-shaped design with extended lugs and quartz movements inside. The Lady Serenade introduces an automatic movement to the Ladies Collection, using the Caliber 39–22. Finally, the Ladies PanoMatic Luna offers the same complications as the PanoMatic collection but in a slightly smaller size and rounded case design.

How Much Do Glashütte Original Watches Cost?

Glashütte Original is firmly a luxury brand, with most of their pieces in the $10,000- $20,000 range, but with some entry-level models below that, and precious metal and highly complicated pieces extending the price range into the six figures. Below is a table outlining prices associated with varying models within each of Glashütte Original’s 5 collections.

Best Selling Glashütte Original Watches

While there are plenty of excellent Glashütte Original watches, a few stand out among watch enthusiasts. Below, you can find some of the most popular Glashütte Original watches you can get today:

Glashütte Original Senator Observer (ref. 100-14-05-02-05)

The Senator Observer features Glashütte Original’s signature Panorama date at six o’clock, along with a power reserve indicator at three o’clock and a running seconds at 9 o’clock. The style of the watch is after observation clocks used to navigate ships in the 19th century, where the power reserve and clear indication of the seconds were necessary. The large 44mm steel case allows for a very legible dial and creates a dressy yet bold appearance on the wrist.

Glashütte Original PanoMaticLunar (ref. 1-90-02-11-35-01)

A more luxurious version of the PanoMaticLunar, the red gold case, and blue dial make for a striking presentation of what may be Glashütte Original’s most well-known model in their current catalog. The Panorama date located at 4 o’clock, is color-matched to the dial, and the moon phase has rose gold accents to match the case and hands. The 40mm red gold case is attached to a matching blue alligator strap. While dressy in style, the case material and color make this timepiece stand out from more staid dress watches.

Glashütte Original SeaQ Blue Dial 39.5mm on Bracelet (ref. 1-39-11-09-81-70)

The Glashütte Original SeaQ is based on a dive watch design from the brand’s back catalog. Modernized with Super LumiNova, ceramic bezel, contemporary bracelet, and vibrant blue dial and bezel, the 39.5mm stainless steel case keeps the proportions vintage-inspired. With plenty of lume and 200 meters of water resistance, the Glashütte Original SeaQ is well-equipped for aquatic adventures.

Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date Fab Green on Leather Strap (ref. 1-37-02-09-02-62)

An example of the vibrant colors used in the Vintage Collection, the Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date makes for a stylish interpretation of a practical watch, including a twelve-hour chronograph, power reserve indication, and Panorama date.
The 40mm square watch wears with great presence, giving plenty of space to display the gradient green dial. Shown here on a brown leather dial, emphasizing 1970s charm, it is also available on a rubber strap and steel bracelet.

Glashütte Original Movements

Glashütte Original is able to manufacture 95 percent of the necessary components to assemble movements in-house. As such, they can masterfully construct and finish their calibers. Most of their offerings consist of manually wound and automatic calibers, with some quartz calibers in the smaller models in the Ladies’ collection.
The most basic movements still feature the Glashütte three-quarter plate, large stripping on the movement plates, and beveled edges. The more premium movements feature more hand finishing, including hand engraving on the balance bridge, which adds an artisanal touch not often seen on watches from other brands.

Glashütte Original Watch Colors

The use of color by Glashütte Original is typically conservative, consisting of the normal silver, white, black, and occasional blue dials in the PanoMatic and Senator collections. On the Senator Chronograph watches, there is a dial variation with light blue dial indices and hands. In the SeaQ collection, the brand adds green as one of the standard colors for the collection. The Vintage collection actually sees the boldest use of color, with limited edition dials released every year with bold dial colors and finishing, including a light blue and bright yellow dial as recent additions to the Seventies collection. The Ladies' collection also utilizes some bright colors, usually consisting of pink and purple, in addition to more traditional colors.

Glashütte Original Watch Materials

Glashütte Original largely sticks to steel and red gold for their watch materials, with the occasional model made in white gold or platinum. The SeaQ collection sees the use of two-tone yellow gold and steel, with yellow gold used on the bezel.
Sapphire crystals are used throughout to cover the dial, with sapphire crystals for the display casebacks on appropriate models.
Glashütte Original offers a variety of strap options. While most watches are offered on alligator straps, there are also textile rubber strap options, even for some non-sport-oriented models. Strap watches are offered with a choice of tang buckle or deployant clasp for most models. Many steel models also have optional steel bracelets.

Glashütte Original Watch Types

Most Glashütte Original watches would be categorized as dress and everyday models. Several PanoMatic and Senator models do offer 50 meters of water resistance, are made in steel, and can be ordered with steel bracelets, making them very capable of being daily companions. The complicated and precious metal models would be best suited for dress watch duty, but many offer durability, making them suitable for daily office attire.
The SeaQ collection is their dedicated dive watch, should you need ample water resistance and a more directly sport-oriented timepiece. Again, steel models are offered on bracelets, but the two-tone and precious metal models will dress them up a bit.
The Vintage Sixties collection gives a contemporary take on a classic mid-century dress watch. While stylistically at home with a suit, their dial designs and colors make them a bit more fun. The Vintage Seventies collection is really a modern integrated bracelet sports watch.
The Ladies' collection offers similar flexibility as the other collections, with case and strap material choices dictating the use case of the watch more so than the design and water resistance.

Glashütte Original Complications

The most famous complication from Glashütte Original is the Panorama date. A large double-digit date display with individual discs for each numeral adds practical reading ability in addition to mechanical intrigue.
In addition to the Panorama date, Glashütte Original has models that combine that function with a moonphase, chronograph, tourbillon, perpetual calendar, and dual-time (each separate model). The brand's ability to produce high-end finishing and high complications shows its watch-making mastery.

Glashütte Original Partnerships & Brand Ambassadors

Being a more enthusiast and collector-oriented brand, Glashütte Original has not heavily promoted brand ambassadors like other brands. That being said, they have recently partnered with world explorer Ryan Pyle and sailor Boris Herrmann to promote their SeaQ collection as a way to solidify the collection's adventure-ready capabilities.

Buying Glashütte Original Watches

Glashütte Original watches are available through brand boutiques and authorized dealers, such as Exquisite Timepieces. Should you be interested in a Glashütte Original watch, please reach out to us, and a sales representative will happily assist you in purchasing your next timepiece. Exquisite Timepieces has many models available for purchase and can source models from the brand’s catalog should they not be in stock.

Caring for Your Glashütte Original Watch

Glashütte Original has a storied legacy of building accurate and reliable timepieces. While that is a testament to their quality, they still require regular service and maintenance.
Exquisite Timepieces offers servicing for many watches, including Glashütte Original. Exquisite Timepieces can assist in ensuring your Glashütte Original continues to run as it should for decades. Should a problem arise with a highly complicated timepiece or restoration, as a Glashütte Original authorized dealer, Exquisite Timepieces can assist in getting your watch serviced by Glashütte Original.

Glashütte Original FAQ

Where are Glashütte watches made?

As their name suggests, Glashütte Original watches are made in Glashütte, Germany, a town within the Saxony region.

Who owns Glashütte original?

Glashütte Original is part of The Swatch Group. It was acquired by the Group in 2000 with the purpose of reaching an international audience.

How much is a Glashütte vintage watch?

Prices range from quite affordable (less than $1,000) to hundreds of thousands for timepieces with ties to the original founding watchmakers of the watch industry in Glashütte. These examples do not have Glashütte Original on the dial but are models from the early history of what would later become the brand we know today.

Are Glashütte watches a good investment?

Currently, Glashütte Original watches do not appreciate in value like other more famous brands. With their enthusiast and collector-oriented fan base, models do retain a good amount of their value and often trade between collectors.

Find your new Glashütte Original timepiece at Exquisite Timepieces

Whether it is your first purchase or adding to an existing collection, Exquisite Timepieces is an authorized retailer for Glashütte Original, both in-store and online. With our showroom in Naples, Florida, and a full staff available, Exquisite Timepieces is happy to assist in adding a new watch to your collection.
As an authorized dealer, all new Glashütte Original timepieces have their full manufacturer warranties and will be shipped free of charge and fully insured. Should you have any questions, please reach out and contact us, and an Exquisite Timepieces representative will be happy to assist you.