If Saxon watchmaking can fortunately count unique elements such as the Glashütte ribbon finish (Teutonic variant of the Côtes de Genève), gold bezels, blued screws, swan-neck regulating system and three-quarter plate in its baggage, why then continue to hide them from view by relegating them to the side of the case back?
Reflection that at Glashütte Original ended up giving rise in 2008 to a project with a considerable difficulty coefficient: the PanoInverse, a hand-wound model with off-centre sub-dials that emphasised the regulating organ on the front side.
An escamotage also achieved thanks to the removal of the dial, replaced by the bare surface of the three-quarter plate, which is, of course, lavishly decorated but ready to display screws, pivots and service elements without any problems.
From the idea of decorating the large surface of the plate in a different way from the traditional Glashütte ribbon finishes comes a new PanoInverse Limited Edition that is decidedly unprecedented and something to be admired: exquisitely laser-engraved in a street art key, it reproduces the hectic life of a metropolis.
In fact, the dial depicts the city with its skyscrapers of various heights, and the case back also allows one to catch a glimpse of billboards with their slogans and, to an even closer eye, window cleaners intent on their work and a 'writer' drawing the company logo on a wall.
The beating heart of this 'metropolis' beats to the rhythm of the hand-wound Calibre 66-12, which shows off the balance bridge and double swan-neck adjustment through the dial. All enclosed in a 42-mm platinum case, polished and satin-finished, with a grey strap made of Louisiana alligator suede. Limited edition of 50 pieces.
Price53,100 euro.
