Let me just say at the start that I am not a gold guy.

I’ve never owned a gold watch and I didn’t think I’d like the new Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase in red gold.

How wrong first impressions can be.

The instant I slipped the watch on my wrist and closed the luxurious black Louisiana alligator leather bracelet, it was over. The Senator Excellence had me.

The 40mm red gold case looked great on my wrist, and the elegant silver-grained dial with its black hour indexes and railroad track with numbers in red, was perfectly balanced with the moon phase indication and the big date.

I wore the watch in various situations, and it worked well in all of them. Jeans and a button down shirt on the weekend? Check. Suit and tie for that dinner party? Great impression made. Business casual at a brand event after work? Rocked it.

Powered by the Calibre 36, which was introduced at last year’s Baselworld (I tested it during the first few days of the show), this timepiece offers 100 hours of power reserve, which is an important consideration with such an elegant watch. Speaking honestly, there are times when you are not going to wear the watch (when you go to the gym, when you’re out hiking or riding your bike, etc.), so you need enough power reserve to get through a long weekend without the watch winding down. The 100 hours of autonomy provides that, while offering exceptional precision from the single spring barrel.

Each of the Senator Excellence models are tested for 24 days, with a special engraving on the back testifying to this seal of quality, and the owner gets an individual Examination Certificate that offers the important test results. Owners are even given a special online portal that allows them to review the test results and learn more about the rigors the watch undergoes before it leaves the manufacture.

I am a huge fan of the German watchmaking aesthetic. It’s simple, to the point and no nonsense, which speaks to me. This approach also extends to the precision and to the moon phase, which will remain accurate for 122 years before it needs to be corrected (another reason for the long power reserve, even though resetting the moon phase is straightforward and simple with the three position crown, no push correctors required).

I got some great comments on the watch while wearing it. I shared the watch with friends and strangers who asked about it, many of them noting down the details of the watch to investigate further.

Glashütte Original is not yet a household name, though if I had my way, it certainly would be.