Hands-on: Glashütte Original’s Panomatic Calendar

The Panomatic Calendar from Glashütte Original is a beautifully designed annual calendar. Today we take a closer look at this 18-karat red gold beauty that combines functionality with an elegant layout. On the back, you can see the magnificent movement on display.

Glashütte Original is a brand that brings back fond memories. I recall visiting watch stores with my father on a family trip to Chicago over 20 years ago. The German brand was still relatively new to the U.S. market, and ADs were rare. He fell in love with a Navigator Senator with flyback seconds that he found on Michigan Avenue. Even back then, he was impressed with the finish and build quality of the watch. While today’s watches have a dressier feel, we can expect the PanoMatic Calendar to be even more sophisticated than the pilot watches of decades past.

Glashütte Original Panomatic Calendar

Glashütte Original’s PanoMatic Calendar is made of red gold, measures 42mm x 49.4mm, and features an annual calendar function. It has sapphire crystal on the front and back. The watch is water resistant to 30 meters and comes standard on a brown alligator strap from Louisiana. The brand offers a number of strap options, allowing buyers to choose between a gold pin buckle or a folding clasp. The latter will cost an extra 2,400 euros due to the additional material.

A lot of information can be shared with an organized dial

The PanoMaticCalendar’s opaline silver dial displays a lot of information, and I think it’s well designed. The hour and minute dial is located at the top left of the watch, with a traditional seconds subdial. Both of these dials are raised, and the hour and minute indicators feature red gold hands and indexes, while the subdial has blued hands and a printed track. Note that the hour and minute hands are filled with Super-LumiNova.

The upper right portion of the dial features a moonphase complication, where the moon below sits within a deeply beveled moon-shaped cutout. The wheel is dark blue with a gold moon and stars. There is also a scale showing the moon’s progression through its lunar cycle. The lower right quadrant of the dial features a large date display within a red-gold frame with two wheels, a hallmark of Glashütte watches. Finally, the moon display is within an arc along the edge of the dial. Overall, this dial has a lot going for it, but the ample space and thoughtful placement make it one of the nicest annual calendars I’ve seen.

92-09 Automatic

When this watch was launched in 2022, Glashütte Original also unveiled a new movement. The PanoMatic Calendar is powered by the in-house 92-09 automatic caliber. This 53-jewel powerhouse has a 100-hour power reserve and is precision-tuned to six positions. It’s a beautiful movement to view under the sapphire caseback.

The movement boasts old-school finishing techniques yet is thoroughly modern. It beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour and has a silicon balance spring. The oscillating rotor features 21-karat gold elements, making it competitive in the luxury dress watch market. In terms of functionality, the crown is used to adjust most of the indications. An included pin adjusts the abbreviated February date.

case

Glashütte Original is one of the more premium brands in the Swatch Group collection, so beautiful cases are to be expected. The PanoMatic Calendar has beautifully brushed case sides and a polished top. The sculpted and polished bezel fits within the lugs, adding just the right level of detail to the overall finish.

On the wrist

At 42mm, the Panomatic Calendar is not a small watch. Still, Glashütte Original managed to achieve a reasonable thickness of 12.4mm with downturned lugs that fit snugly on the wrist. Some readers may find it on the larger side, but we must remember that in such a complex watch, the movement needs space. Are there smaller, thinner options in the premium category? Yes, there are, but the difference in millimeters is small, but the price difference is big.

lastly

The Glashütte Original Panomatic Calendar is priced at €30,800 with a pin buckle and €33,200 with a folding clasp. This watch is a great value when compared to annual calendars from Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and Lange & Söhne. Of course, value is subjective, but with a beautiful design and a new movement, there’s a lot to like about this watch.

For more information about the PanoMaticCalendar, please visit the official Glashütte Original website.

Watch Specifications