What We Know
Today, Glashütte Original introduces two new flyback chronographs, replacing the Senator Chronograph Panorama Date models currently in the collection. While both models fall under the brand’s Senator line, the new Senator Chronograph and Senator Chronograph Navigator could not be more opposed in aesthetics and spirit.
First is the new Senator Chronograph Navigator, which departs significantly from the Senator line’s overarching classical design language. With only a few exceptions, you’re most likely expecting to see at least a few Roman numerals on any Senator dial. But the Navigator takes the chronograph down a much more utilitarian route, with what I believe is the brand’s only conventional tool-watch design outside the SeaQ dive watch lineup. The matte black dial features three-dimensional, solid, luminescent applied Arabic hour numerals, while the rest of the dial text is printed in white to provide sharp contrast and improve legibility. The large subdials for the running seconds and elapsed minutes are snailed in texture, while a recessed faceting frames the oversized Panorama Date at six o’clock. The sword hands here are filled with a generous proportion of Super-LumiNova, and the remaining hands are all finished in white lacquer.
The Senator Chronograph, sans Navigator, streamlines the layout of the outgoing Senator Chronograph Panorama Date for a more conventional look while still feeling familiar. A galvanic silver dial in soft white holds solid-gold applied Roman numerals, coated in blue to match the fully blued steel handset.
Both models share the same silhouette—a 41mm stainless steel case, 12.9mm thick, with a lug-to-lug measurement of 48.5mm. This means a one-millimeter reduction in case diameter and almost two millimeters shaved off the height compared with the outgoing 42mm Senator Chronograph Panorama Date models. The Navigator model features a mostly brushed case with a few polished facets and a conical crown, while the more classic Senator Chronograph opts for a fully polished case. This also translates to the steel bracelet, which is fully brushed on the Navigator and features a broad, polished center link design on the other.
The watches also share the in-house automatic chronograph Caliber 37-24, which offers flyback functionality, the oversized Panorama Date, and a silicon balance spring. Beating away at 28,800 VpH, the caliber provides a contemporary 70 hours of power reserve. The most glaring departure from the current Senator Chronograph Panorama Date is the removal of the 12-hour totalizer at 12 o’clock, which offers more space for Glashütte Original’s logo and for the power reserve previously hidden in the small-seconds subdial. Movement finishing, as with all of Glashütte Original’s watches, remains detailed and attractive, with Glashütte striping and contrasting blued screws. A slightly modified rotor design, with even more skeletonization, completes the look through the exhibition caseback.
Both the new Senator Chronograph and Senator Chronograph Navigator are priced at $17,100 on a steel bracelet, while versions on a textile or alligator leather strap are priced at $16,100.
What We Think
On paper, it might seem that the new Senator Chronographs, whether in the more toolish Navigator livery or in the more classic variant, have lost a bit of mechanical functionality with the removal of a twelve-hour chronograph counter and the power reserve indicator. But I’ll be honest, those past versions weren’t great designs—the placement and sizing of the twelve-hour counter felt quite odd. For me, what these two new models lose, they gain back in spades with dial design.
An appropriate amount of negative space gives the remaining elements room to breathe and, overall, feels much better designed, while giving a bit more visual focus to the oversized date. I’m especially interested in checking out the Navigator version in person. Its dimensions still sound a bit imposing on my wrist, but I have a feeling the combined reduction in diameter and thickness will give these chronographs a completely new proportion as a more rugged, non-dive option in the lineup.
The Basics
Brand: Glashütte Original
Model: Senator Chronograph and Senator Chronograph Navigator
Reference Number: 1-37-24-01-02-71 (Senator Chronograph); 1-37-24-20-12-71 (Senator Chronograph Navigator)
Diameter: 41mm
Thickness: 12.9mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Dial Color: Galvanic silver; Matte black (Navigator)
Indexes: Applied gold Roman Numerals; Solid luminescent blocks (Navigator)
Lume: Yes, on Navigator variant
Water Resistance: 50 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Options of steel bracelet, alligator leather strap, or textile strap
The Movement
Caliber: 37-24
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, Panorama Date, flyback chronograph with 30-minute counter
Power Reserve: 70 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 VpH
Jewels: 47
Chronometer Certified: No
Additional Details: Silicon balance spring, solid gold regulating screws on the balance rim
Pricing & Availability
Price: $17,100 on bracelet, $16,100 on strap
Availability: Glashütte Original retailers
Limited Edition: No
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