Glashütte Original’s New Chronographs Take Cues From Horological History

Glashütte Original took a trip down horological memory lane to find inspiration for its newest watches.

The German brand just unveiled a pair of timepieces, each of which pays homage to different chronographChronographA watch complication that incorporates a stopwatch function, controlled by pushers on the case and displayed on small subdials. Originally developed for timing events, the chronograph remains popular for itsGo to Chronograph Glossary designs from the past. The Senator Chronograph pulls its inspiration from the observation watches made in Glashütte during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, while its darker sibling, the Senator Chronograph Navigator, takes its design cues from 1940s pilot’s timepieces.

And there are some some differences afoot in each watch. The Senator ChronographChronographA watch complication that incorporates a stopwatch function, controlled by pushers on the case and displayed on small subdials. Originally developed for timing events, the chronograph remains popular for itsGo to Chronograph Glossary Navigator is home to a matte black dial with luminous Arabic numerals—an apt choice, given that pilot’s watches needed to be easy to read and use even under the most intense conditions. To help out with that legibility, the hour and minutes hands are coated in Super-LumiNova, alongside touches of white lacquer in the 30-minute counter and the small second hand. Other details include mushroom-shaped pushers at 2 and 4 o’clock, as well as a tachymeter scale. As for the Senator Chronograph, it offers up solid-gold Roman numerals, coated in blue, on its silver-white grainé dial. That blue hue continues the watch’s hands, too.

Both models are housed in a stainless-steel 41 mm case, and each has its own Panorama Date perched at 6 o’clock. Beating at the core of the new models is the automatic Calibre 37-24, which offers up a flyback function that lets the wearer stop, reset, and restart the timepiece with just a press of the pusher. The movement, which you can view via the sapphire crystalSapphire CrystalAn extremely scratch-resistant, clear, transparent material used to cover luxury watch dials, produced synthetically from aluminum oxide. Sapphire crystal ranks near diamond in hardness, and it keeps a watch faceGo to Sapphire Crystal Glossary caseback on the duo, also shows off a newly developed skeletonized rotor and has a power reserve of 70 hours.

Each model comes with your choice of straps, too. That includes a black or blue Louisiana alligator iteration, a sand-colored synthetic strap, or a stainless-steel bracelet. In a new touch, Glashütte Original has unveiled a quick-change mechanism for the folding clasp, meaning that switching straps based on your mood or style is easier than before.

If you’d like to add the Senator Chronograph Navigator or the Senator Chronograph to your collection (or both, who knows), both models are now available worldwide at Glashütte Original boutiques. The pair both retail from $16,100, depending on the strap you choose.

This article originally appeared in Robb Report US.