A Tribute to Classics, Vintage Revival: Glashütte Original Sixties Watch

      In the 60s, a series of brand-new standards emerged across numerous fields, an era of extraordinary significance for the German watchmaking industry.Glashütte OriginalThe predecessor of, VEB Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe as the largest watch manufacturer at the time was deeply influenced by the 60 trend, launching the “Spezimatic” collection.

Historical timepiece “Spezimatic” collection

Special edition of _Spezimatic_ - Palast der Republik

The legend is the 60s “Spezimatic” collection

        In the 60s, whether in art, music, politics, technology, or other fields, a series of entirely new standards emerged. This “ swinging” decade, with its distinctive lifestyle and pleasures, continuously injected fresh inspiration into the creative styles of artists, fashion designers, and architects alike. Exploratory new graphics, patterns, and design prototypes were born as a result.

        VEB Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe, the predecessor of Glashütte Original, as the largest watchmaker of that era, was profoundly influenced by the 60 trend, launching the “Spezimatic” collection. Design details such as the domed dial and sunburst finish closely followed the aesthetic trends of that particular period in the 60s, balancing fashionable elements with classic elegance, making it one of the best-known and most popular watch models of the time. Beyond its widely acclaimed design, its functionality demonstrated the formidable in-house research and development capabilities of VEB Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe. The “Spezimatic” collection derives its name from its “ unique automatic” winding system, representing a major innovative achievement of the period. It housed an ultra-thin movement with a thickness of 4.4 mm and a diameter of 28 mm, and was accompanied by a chronometer certificate,“Spezimatic” collection won the admiration of numerous watch manufacturers. Following this, the collection introduced various other versions, including the “Special Forces” special edition, in response to enthusiastic market demand.

“Spezimatic” collection movement

Precious promotional material for the 60s “Spezimatic” collection

“Spezimatic” collection “special forces” special edition

A classic is the testament of an era

       To recreate the classic “Spezimatic” collection, Glashütte Original drew inspiration from it, combining existing technical craftsmanship with innovation to create the Sixties timepiece collection. Launched in 2007, the collection aims to commemorate the profound impact of the 60s on the state-run VEB Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe at the time, while also satisfying watch enthusiasts' nostalgia for this era.

       While adhering to the exquisite watchmaking craftsmanship of the town of Glashütte, the Saxon watchmaker interprets the inspiring 60s in a completely new form: combining elegance, retro-modernism, and minimalist charm, the Sixties collection has captivated numerous vintage enthusiasts. It seems to transport the exclusive charm and scenery of the 60s right before your eyes in an instant. Whether featuring the brand's renowned Panorama Date display or not, the intense dark blue, elegant black, or classic silver dials make this watch collection exceptionally stylish and eye-catching.

Striving for excellence is the interpretation of professionalism

       Glashütte Original owns its dial manufactory in Pforzheim, the city of gold, located 600 kilometres from the town of Glashütte. The rich historical atmosphere of gold and high jewellery manufacturing enables the dial manufactory to draw upon profound expertise in dial production. The curved dials of the Sixties collection are crafted within the dial manufactory, undergoing electroplating and sunburst finishes, complemented by meticulously painted minute tracks, sixties-style Arabic numerals, and applied hour markers, presenting a pure and minimalist style through the curved sapphire crystal. The gently curved hour and minute hands featuring Super-LumiNova, along with the elegant sweeping seconds hand, ensure precise timekeeping. The Sixties watch features a 39 mm polished stainless steel or rose gold case, while the Sixties Panorama Date watch adopts a 42 mm polished stainless steel or rose gold case.

       In 2013, in pursuit of deeper mastery in dial craftsmanship, Glashütte Original newly introduced a captivating midnight blue dial on the basis of the existing Sixties collection, signifying another breakthrough in the dial manufactory's capabilities. The intense blue dial demands extremely high electroplating standards. To create the ideal and unique shade of blue, skilled artisans undergo 40 processes, exercising precise control throughout the electroplating and colouring procedure to ensure the voltage remains at the correct level, along with the appropriate immersion time for the dials in the plating bath and the correct distance between components within the bath, ensuring every Glashütte Original Sixties watch is of noble birth.

Retro is an attitude of leaving no regrets

       As early as the 60s, inadequate resources and craftsmanship brought inevitable limitations to the watchmaking industry of the time, with crystal selection and curving techniques restricted solely to plastic materials. Today, with the advancement of times and the meticulous research and continuously improving craftsmanship of the Glashütte Original team, diamond-polishing technology is utilised to grind entire sapphire crystals into concave-convex shapes to achieve a curved effect. Each piece consumes more raw materials, and a higher scrap rate also increases the production cost itself. The case back of the Sixties collection features this special curved sapphire crystal, allowing a broader and clearer perspective to appreciate the operation of the 39-52 movement or 39-47 movement.

       Both the Sixties watch and the Sixties Panorama Date watch are equipped with a 40-hour power reserve, polished steel components, a swan-neck fine adjustment mechanism, a 21K gold skeletonised oscillating weight, and the brand's unique 3/4 bridge with stripe decoration, displaying the brand's signature design at a glance. Paired with a Louisiana alligator leather strap, it is stylish and modern, effortlessly embodying wrist elegance.