Once again, Glashütte Original is using this relatively slow late summer period in the watch industry to bring us some 1970s inspired funk by way of their extremely underrated Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date. You might recall that each of the last three years saw new references for the chronograph in colors that are seasonally appropriate, and also harken back to a period of watch design when brands were less afraid to experiment. That’s a fitting way to introduce this particular watch to new audiences, since the design itself is very much an ode to 70s sports watches. But it’s also a pretty unique watch in its functionality, and we’ll take any excuse we can find to make sure more people know about it. 

First things first: the colors. The “Swimming Pool” dial is a vibrant turquoise color inspired by a location where you’re hopefully still spending a lot of time as August draws to a close. “Watermelon” is a shade of coral that’s a bit less intense than the bright red that probably normally associate with the fruit. If you look back at previous summertime editions of the Seventies Chronograph, these colors might look somewhat familiar (Glashütte Original previously released dials in similar tones that they classified as blue and orange). But it appears that these dials have a more uniform finish than the sunburst treatment seen in earlier editions, and they also add a black ring around each subdial adding what I think is some welcome contrast. 

That brings us to the movement, and the unique dial layout we get as a result, which is without a doubt the star of the show here, even if you happen to be a pretty big fan of coral. Seconds and minutes are handled in the way you’d probably expect, via the chronograph second hand mounted at the dial’s center and an elapsed minute totalizer at 3:00. The hours, though, are where things get interesting. Elapsed hours are displayed via the small aperture at 12:00, right under the brand’s wordmark. We also get a small power reserve display in the running seconds subdial at 9:00. And, of course, it’s all accented with Glashütte Original’s famous big date complication, which here can be found near 6:00. The Automatic Calibre 37-02 has a silicon balance spring and will run for 70 hours when fully wound. It’s a fantastic modern chronograph movement, with a display that feels uniquely balanced and functional. 

The Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date sports a rounded square case that measures 40mm in diameter. Among the integrated sports watch hysteria seen in recent years, this watch has seemingly been almost forgotten, but it certainly has that look and is a true integrated design, with the ability to wear it on either a bracelet or an integrated rubber strap. 

Each color is limited to 100 pieces. The retail price is set at $16,000. Glashütte Original