The Low-Down

Glashütte Original’s ongoing tribute to the 60’s, the Sixties Chronograph, has a new edition for 2021. The idea of introducing a new edition each year dates back to 2018. Last year’s edition was a calming glacier blue dial. The new chronograph features a dark green dégradé dial, bright green at the centre yielding to black along the outer perimeter of the dial. There’s also a handmade automatic movement and the same generous helping of good looks and charisma that has made the 60’s series so desirable and collectable.

The 1960s was an era that spawned rock acts that are still held in awe to this day, including of course the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, (who, pushing 80, have recently vowed never to retire), Diana Ross (who has just released a new single and video), the Beach Boys and of course, Nobel Prize winning singer songwriter Bob Dylan, who last year sold his entire song catalogue for over $300 million. If any era deserves a watch to commemorate it, it’s the 60s.

The pieces that inspired GO’s Sixties collection are the GUB Spezimatic watches, which were first released in 1964. At the time, they were produced by GUB, a state-owned watchmaking conglomerate in Glashütte, in what was East Germany.

Delicately enhanced for modern day tastes, the new edition features a round, 42-mm stainless steel case and a hand-made retro dial. The dial also features a finely textured surface painstakingly created using the original tools and methods of the time. For example, the raised guilloche effect on the dial is achieved by means of a 60-ton press which impresses the eye-catching effect onto a brass blank. The black lacquer on the outer edge of the dial is carefully applied using a special spray gun. All of this takes place in the ultra-quiet and controlled confines of the Glashütte Original manufacture in Glashütte.

The Glashütte Original delivers a clean bi-compax chronograph along with hours, minutes and seconds without the date window. With a 40-hour power reserve, it’s a Modular (Dubois-Depraz) chronograph based on the caliber 39. The movement features a Glashütte three-quarter plate with stripe finish, swan-neck fine adjustment, a skeletonized rotor with stripe finish and the double-G logo, bevelled edges, polished steel parts. There are two funky white Arabic numerals, unique to Glashütte Original Sixties watches, at 6 and 12 and hour markers with luminous dots. The watch comes on a soft, grey-brown nubuck calfskin strap.

IMHO

If you are looking for a statement watch, the Glashütte Original Sixties Chronograph series is designed to give you the eye-popping dial that cannot help but be noticed. The dégradé green is no shrinking violet, its impertinent flamboyance is noticeable on the wrist and looks simply stunning. The dial is made in the Swatch owned factory in Pforzheim, which is known for making some amazing dials.

Tech Specs

Movement: In-house 39-34 automatic chronograph movement
Case: 42 mm, stainless steel
Functions: Hour, minute (central), small second (off-center), second stop, chronograph with stop-second (central) and 30-minute counter
Strap: Grey-brown calfskin-Nubuck leather
Price: €8,100