The curtain rises on the Calibre 36. The impressive new movement has ushered a new era of watchmaking for the German watch manufacturer starting with the Senator Excellence.

‘Made in Germany’ is a mark of quality goods and Glashütte Original has stamped that mark of quality on its latest Senator Excellence timepiece. But the ‘Made in Germany’ mark means there is also a lot of live up to. With the introduction of the Calibre 36 - the brand’s latest movement which powers the Senator - they have done just that.

In developing the new movement the designers and watchmakers were looking to create a basic form of watchmaking that would be used as a base for future models. They were guided by four principles: extreme durability, maximum precision, extended running time, and a timeless aesthetic.

Mission accomplished on all four counts, if you ask me.

The watch is classic throughout, featuring the standard hour, minute and seconds functions, for both the pilot and dress watch dial variants. Each handsome timepiece sports a slim bezel and surface finishing that meets the highest standards of watchmaking.

A lot of care was also taken during the development of the compact automatic movement which powers the Senator. An optimal design reduces the number of components, especially those vulnerable to wear and tear, such as the winding system’s traditional detent click. The bi-directional-wind reduction gear solves that issue in this calibre.

To ensure greater precision, the movement uses a silicon balance spring, a first for the brand. This renders the ultra-thin spring immune to changes in temperature and to magnetic fields. The movement is also tested and adjusted in six different positions – one more than a normal chronometer certification.

While it’s built to last, the calibre has also been optimized for servicing, something your watchmaker would also appreciate. To make it faster to take the movement apart, the brand has introduced a new wing-like fastening system inspired by camera lens mounts, meaning the movement is not fixed in place by screws.

Not only is it precise, but the watch will also last. The movement boasts an impressive 100 hour power reserve, delivered via a single barrel. The engineers accomplished the rare feat by using an increased diameter and a smaller barrel arbour, making it possible to lengthen the mainspring (68cm in total) and increase the number of winding turns.

True to fine German watchmaking, the new movement’s beauty can be appreciated through the sapphire crystal case back. There we find the typical Glashütte decorations and construction features: the characteristic three-quarter plate and the skeletonised rotor, the refined stripe finish, perlage, blued screws and finely wrought decorations on the wheels and rotor track.

The stainless steel version of the Senator Excellence is available for just under $10,700 and the red-gold version is nearly double that. At those prices, you get superb finishing, extreme user friendliness and maximum durability and reliability. The watch’s great dial and calibre combination is something that both aesthetic aficionados and watchmakers would equally appreciate.