Glashütte Original PanoLunarInverse: A New "Phase" of Horological Complexity

Glashütte Original uses the tagline “Proud to be Original” in its advertising, and it’s more than just a slogan. The word “original” in the company name not only refers to its roots in the earliest days of German watchmaking (which you can delve more deeply into in this article), but also to the aesthetic and technical “originality” that is evident in so many of its timepieces. Among the most noteworthy examples are the PanoInverse models, with their unconventional, “inversely designed” movements that allow horological elements normally mounted on the back to be viewed in their full glory on the front, alongside off-center displays of the time and enhanced with a high level of hand-crafted decoration. Previously, Glashütte Original has outfitted the PanoInverse models with only discreet complications, like an analog power reserve, alongside the time and the hallmark “Panorama” date. With the newest member of the PanoInverse family released this week, however, the Saxon manufacture literally shoots for the moon.

The PanoLunarInverse is the first watch in Glashütte Original’s portfolio to add a moon-phase complication to one of its “Inverse” movements, which are the foundation of the PanoInverse subfamily within the larger Pano series. It’s a combination of the brand’s horological specialties that I’m pretty sure no one was expecting and, from an aesthetic standpoint, it works far more spectacularly than many might have expected. 

The elements that make this watch special start with the case, made of platinum, a precious metal that’s relatively rare in Glashütte Original’s lineup and nearly always denotes a timepiece that is limited in number (in the case of the PanoInverseLunar, it’s 200 pieces). It measures a substantial 42mm in diameter, with a thickness of 12.46mm, and spans 48.9mm from lug to lug. It comes on either a gray nubuck strap made of Louisiana alligator leather or a blue synthetic strap made of yarn produced entirely of recycled materials.

Under the sapphire crystal in the front (as you might expect with a watch with such an off-the-wall movement, there is also one in the back) lies the “Inverse” dial — essentially the dial-facing side of the in-house Caliber 91-04, which has been cleverly and painstakingly re-engineered to position several of the vital movement parts normally mounted on the rear side so that they’re visible from the front. These include the black, rhodium-plated balance bridge with an intricate guilloché decoration and the oscillating balance beneath it, in a large cut-out aperture, which beats at a lively 28,800 vph (4 Hz). The guilloché textured effect radiates outward, beyond the bridge, to encompass the surface of the large plate on which the other dial components are placed.

The central point of interest on the large, off-centered subdial on the left, which also hosts the hour and minute display, is the exquisitely executed moon-phase complication that adds the “Lunar” designation to the model’s lengthy name. The deep-blue, starry sky on which the moon disks rotate is made of aventurine, and the moons themselves feature relief surfaces that have been 3D laser engraved to achieve a photorealistic depiction of the Earth’s natural satellite with its craters and hills. What’s really different about the moon-phase display (which is, notably, lined to the hours and minutes) is that the disks make their cyclical rotation under a translucent, gray-blue sapphire crystal, so they can be glimpsed even when they’re not in the main aperture against the starry field. Joining these displays at 2 o’clock is another Glashütte Original hallmark, the large “Panorama” date that is a unifying element (and, of course, the namesake) of the Pano collection.

The presence of a panorama (sorry, there’s really no other word) of elements on the Inverse dial means that the reverse side of the movement, behind its own sapphire pane, is accordingly sober and streamlined. The radiating guilloché pattern is even more gloriously visible here, obscured only by the presence of a skeletonized rotor that punctuates the watch’s lunar theme with a domed moon in its center. The movement is equipped with a shock-resistant oscillation system that supplies it with a power reserve of 45 hours.