As you may already know, Glashütte, Germany, is renowned for its watchmaking heritage. Glashütte Original shares its roots with brands like Nomos, Moritz Grossmann, and A. Lange & Söhne. Like these brands, GO’s history dates back to the 19th century, when a group of watchmakers opened their workshops in Glashütte, due to its proximity to the burgeoning watchmaking industry in Dresden. After two world wars and the division of Germany, all watchmaking companies in Glashütte were consolidated into state-owned companies until the reunification of Germany in 1990. Just four years later, Glashütte Original was relaunched (or reborn) and, like A. Lange & Söhne, it focuses on high-end, traditional German watchmaking craftsmanship, which is the essence of Glashütte watchmaking. While this craftsmanship is reflected in many of the brand’s products, the most simple style, the replica Glashütte Original Sixties, is the brand’s most affordable option with its more affordable price.

Cheap fake Glashütte Original has several collections, the most famous of which is probably the Pano collection, which features a unique asymmetrical dial design. The time display is offset to one side, and most models feature a large date display. Unlike other brands, the large date display of the Pano collection uses two date discs on the same plane, making it look more harmonious and beautiful. Although the Pano collection may still be the most well-known, this trend seems to be quietly changing. The brand also offers various watches, from sporty Spezialist dive watches to vintage-style chronographs.

1:1 Glashütte Original Online Store

Glashütte Original replica watches cover a wide range of prices. Top models include the Senator series white gold tourbillon chronograph, which shows the pinnacle of the brand’s watchmaking craftsmanship and costs a whopping $175,500. In contrast, the brand’s entry-level model is the minimalist Glashütte Original Sixties, which comes with an alligator leather strap and is priced at $6,700. Although the 1960s watch lacks some of the complications and dramatic dial designs the brand is famous for, it is still a classic that will not disappoint with its retro charm and solid movement performance.

In addition to being Glashütte Original’s most affordable mechanical watch, the Glashütte Original Sixties is also the smallest men’s watch in the brand’s catalog, with a case width of 39mm and a thickness of just 9.4mm (for comparison, the brand’s mechanical women’s watch, the Serenade Luna, is 32.5mm by 8.9mm). While GO’s men’s watches range in size from 39mm to 44mm, the smaller size of the Sixties complements its vintage style. The 44mm lug length, curved case design, and fully polished surface make it very comfortable on my 7-inch wrist.

While some may consider the 39mm size too small, the Sixties’ slim, sloping bezel and raised, domed sapphire crystal give it the illusion of being slightly larger. While this design may not be enough to completely reassure those who have concerns about the size of the dial, its visual balance and wearing experience are worth mentioning.

What makes Glashütte Original so attractive?

The case itself is the epitome of vintage charm. Having come across many classic dress watches from the 1960s (mostly in gold), I can safely say that the copy Glashütte Original Sixties captures the silhouette of that era. Compact and stylish, the watch features a thin band sandwiched between the case and the bezel, creating a stepped case effect that adds a touch of personality, albeit a low-key design. While the gold case and gold hands complete the vintage look, I prefer the stainless steel case and steel hands combination for a more refined look (of course, this is entirely a matter of personal preference). As you would expect from a watch inspired by watchmaking styles from 60 years ago, it is not surprising that it is water-resistant to less than 30 meters.

The watch is paired with an extremely comfortable 19mm blue alligator strap that compliments the design. At this price point, many might expect a folding clasp, but I feel a pin buckle is more appropriate as it better maintains the slim profile around the wrist. Unfortunately, however, the strap does not come with a quick-change mechanism. Given this, I was not going to attempt to remove the lug spring bars on this fully polished high-end watch, especially since I did not have any 19mm replacement straps on hand.

The First Choice for Vintage Watches: Sixties

The Sixties is a fairly simple watch, especially by Glashütte Original replica standards. Usually, the brand’s watches have some complicated design elements on the dial, such as chronograph functions, reverse movement, or hollow balance bridge. However, this watch keeps it minimal and classic, with a blue sunray dial, polished baton hour markers, and matching hands. A small amount of luminous coating is applied to the small dots on the hour markers, and there is also a subtle luminous treatment on the hands. The whole dial design evokes people’s memories of watches from the 1960s, especially since it does not have the cumbersome text that is common on modern watches, keeping the style simple and elegant.

However, the defining element of the AAA+ Glashütte Original Vintage watches collection is the stylized Arabic numerals, which taper to a narrow curve. These numerals stand out against the minimalist design of the dial, giving the whole dial a vintage feel. The beauty of a minimalist watch like the Sixties is that even with just one prominent design element, it’s easy to keep the whole thing together. The fact that the designers didn’t have to compromise between complications, subdials, or fonts (there are four fonts on the dial, but I didn’t realize it until I wrote this article) makes for great readability and elegance.

While I like the entire Vintage collection, it does differ slightly from Glashütte Original’s regular offerings. Fortunately, the Calibre 39-52 inside keeps this watch full of the GO experience. This movement beats at 28,800 vph and offers a power reserve of around 40 hours. The movement features a three-quarter plate design, embellished with the brand’s signature striped finishing, and room for a swan-neck fine-tuning and balance wheel. The brand’s signature double-G symbol is also embellished on the rotor’s gold counterweight.

Luxury Glashütte Original Watches for Sale Online

It’s worth mentioning that GO made an interesting design choice by using a domed sapphire crystal caseback instead of a wider case bezel, leaving the movement ring completely exposed. The movement ring is engraved with the model name and the word “Automatic”, and is located close to the automatic winding rotor, which seems a bit redundant and even a bit humorous.

It makes sense to classify this counterfeit Glashütte Original Sixties as part of the brand’s Vintage collection, but it is somewhat unique in the entire collection and even in the brand’s catalog. Its dial abandons many of the brand’s iconic design elements, retaining only the brand name as its only clear identity. As a watch, it reinterprets the classic vintage style, combining the elegance of a dress watch with the brand’s exquisite craftsmanship, presenting a simple and sophisticated wearing experience. This Glashütte Original Sixties (model: 1-39-52-06-02-04) is priced at $6,700. For more information, visit the official website of Glashütte Original.