Introducing Glashütte Original's Rosy New Perpetual Calendar

Released this week, the new Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar jumps off the screen with its striking aesthetic. The galvanized rose opaline dial is no doubt the star of the show, giving the watch a character separate from those that have come before.

Of course, that is important considering this is a limited edition of only 100 pieces. This rose hue is completed by a bevy of blue accents that end with a dark blue alligator leather strap (the watch also comes fitted to a metal bracelet). On the dial sit hand-applied blue Roman numeral markers, blue poire hands, and blue backdrops for the month, date, day, and moon apertures. Even the brand wordmark is printed in the color.

Keeping things a bit casual is the stainless steel case coming in at a large but manageable 42mm and a case height of 12.4mm.

Inside the watch is the latest iteration of the caliber 36 made for this perpetual calendar complication. The 36-12 features the aforementioned silicon balance spring as well as an astounding 100 hours of power reserve. Oh, and the best part: The watch won't need to be reset until the year 2100. Not bad.

While we don't normally get excited about a perpetual calendar LE in the same way we might a rugged dive-ready tool watch, there's a lot to love about this one. For me, it comes down to the dial, full stop.

The choice to go with that rose opaline coloration changes what was once a serious statement in horological precision and movement-making, and relaxes it a bit. In many ways, this dial, and the overall appearance of the contrasting colors, reminds me of one of those deep pink and orange sunsets – you know the one everyone feels compelled to take a picture of on their phone and share on social media.

It's very cool to see something so complex illustrated and executed so simply. The one-two punch of rose and blue makes this an effortlessly legible watch. It doesn't hurt that it's large, at 42mm, either. In fact, a complicated watch like this should be housed in a larger case size – anything smaller would require reading glasses to decipher.

The cherry on top is, without question, the 36-12 movement inside. Let's be honest, the name of the game is precision. I get annoyed having to reset my time-only watches when they're fast or slow. Imagine having to do that often with a watch as complicated as a perpetual calendar. It's reassuring to see Glashütte put so much stock in movement accuracy. In fact, it should be a requirement for any watch with a major complication to achieve COSC standards. Only here, the 36-12 exceeds those qualifications.

If you're a fan of a good sunset, and a nice watch – this just might be the one for you.

Brand: Glashütte Original
Model: Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar
Reference Number: 1-36-12-01-02-61 (fold fastener standard), 1-36-12-01-02-71 (metal bracelet)

Diameter: 42mm
Thickness: 12.8mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Dial Color: Galvanized rose opaline with blue appliques
Indexes: Roman numerals
Lume: No
Water Resistance: 50m water resistance
Strap/Bracelet: Blue alligator strap, stainless steel bracelet

Caliber: 36-12
Functions: Hour, minute, second, second stop, Perpetual Calendar with day of the week, month and leap year display, moon phase, Panorama Date
Power Reserve: 100 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 4Hz
Jewels: 49
Chronometer Certified: Yes

Price: $20,900 on strap, $22,100 on bracelet
Availability: Immediately
Limited Edition: Yes, 100 pieces