Crown for adjusting destination time in 15-minute jumps (for all 37 time zones, including the half-hour and quarter-hour time zones)

Crown for time adjustment (affects both destination time and home time hands)

Home time subdial, with day/night indicator

Power reserve indicator, 72 hours

Main hands for local (destination) time

Windows showing destination daylight saving (DST) or standard (STD) time

44mm case, 14mm thick, in white or red gold

Price of this white gold version, €38,000; price of the red gold version is €36,500. References: 1-89-02-01-05-30, red gold, black leather strap with standard red gold pin buckle; 1-89-02-01-05-50, red gold, black leather strap with red gold folding clasp; 1-89-02-01-04-30, white gold, blue leather strap with standard white gold pin buckle; 1-89-02-01-04-50, white gold, blue leather strap with white gold folding clasp

Destination time day/night indicator

The Senator Cosmopolite by Glashütte Original is a new version, in red and white gold, of a model introduced in 2012, which was limited to 25 pieces. The brand wanted to bring this practical and innovative GMT watch into its core collection, in the form of a watch that would be ideal for everyday wear. The new calibre 89-02 provides 72 hours of power reserve, and the display can cater for all the 37 time zones in the world, including those with 30-minute and 45-minute differences with respect to GMT. It is the classic GMT watch providing a second time zone, but with far more thought, clarity and practicality than most other watches with this function.

This watch provides a lot of information, yet the dial is balanced, uncluttered and beautifully simple. Starting from the top, the home time is shown on the top subdial, with power reserve in a circular segment above the hands pivot, and a day/night indicator, in the form of a small circular window, is white by day and black by night. The main time display is for destination time – the most important time for the traveller – with hands in blued steel. At 9 o’clock, there is a destination time day/night display with sun above and starry sky below. At 8 o’clock there are two windows showing the destination time zone, whether Daylight Saving Time (DST in the upper window) or Standard Time (STD in the lower window. At 6 o’clock, there is a subdial for continuous seconds, and at 4 o’clock, the panorama date display. There are three crowns: at 2 o’clock to wind the watch and adjust local time, one at 4 o’clock that changes destination time at 15-minute intervals and so moves the hands, changes the time zone in the windows at 8 o’clock, and changes the date at destination if necessary. The third crown at 8 o’clock is used to set the destination time zone as displayed in the two rectangular windows. There is also a recessed corrector on the caseband at 9 o’clock that changes the date.
All these crowns and correctors may seem too many with respect to the functions provided, but in fact they simplify life for the user. The watch has to be set up following a certain procedure, after which adjustment during travel becomes really easy. As it’s a mechanical watch it’s likely that on occasions it will left in the safe and stop, and so it was important to facilitate resetting.

It’s easy to set up because you just follow the crowns in order, starting with that at 2 o’clock. Using this crown you wind the watch and set your home time on the top subdial – this is the time that never changes on your travels. Then you set the destination time – the main time display – to the same time as home time. Then you use the crown at 8 o’clock to set your home time zone, choosing the respective IATA airport code. Lastly, you set your home date using the recessed pusher at 9 o’clock. The watch is now set up and showing home time both on the main display and on the home time subdial. When you fly to another country, all you have to do is to rotate the crown at 4 o’clock to adjust the new destination time, which clicks forwards or back at 15-minute intervals, with the respective IATA codes showing up in the two windows at 8 o’clock, and the date also changing as necessary. It’s a brilliant piece of engineering, with a very modern attention to user-friendliness, contrasting with the very classical dial design.

New 89-02 movement

The new in-house 89-02 movement runs at 4 Hertz (28,800 vph), and it is automatic, with energy provided by an off-centre rotor that features the Glashütte double-G logo and a peripheral section in gold. It has about 430 components, and its lovely finish, with hand-engraved balance bridge, can be seen through the sapphire caseback.

Case and finish

The watch has a 44mm case in red or white gold, 14mm thick, with black or blue alligator strap. It is supplied in a black wood presentation box.

References and prices

Glashütte Original Senator Cosmopolite:
Reference 1-89-02-01-05-30, red gold, black leather strap with standard red gold pin buckle
Reference 1-89-02-01-05-50, red gold, black leather strap with red gold folding clasp
Reference 1-89-02-01-04-30, white gold, blue leather strap with standard white gold pin buckle
Reference 1-89-02-01-04-50, white gold, blue leather strap with white gold folding clasp

The versions in white gold cost €38,000, the versions in red gold cost €36,500.