Upon visiting Glashütte Original in November 2001, I found the brown piece of architecture to be a bit weird: Built to house a lot of machines, it was astonishingly ineffective, as far as the production of larger numbers of fine mechanical watches was concerned. Additionally, it was impossible to guide persons interested in the watchmaking process through the departments without constantly disturbing the concentration of the people working there. This was the perfect set up for a classic "Marcus Hanke crisis": There I was, carrying a big camera bag, handling tripod and camera (again: big), myself resembling the infamous elephant in the china store, in both, figure and grace; it was only a question of time, until the first box full of microscopic screws was knocked off a sideboard.

When I revisit the facility in two weeks, things seemingly are still the same: My camera is still big, as are the bag and the tripod, myself I am still an elephant (well, I managed to loose a few pounds), but something very important will be different: The house itself has changed, no, more even: It is virtually new.

As a side-effect of Glashütte Original joining with the Swatch Group, there were money and - even more important - the logistics and infrastructure necessary to undertake a massive rebuild of the factory. With an investment of several millions Euros and under the supervision of Hayek Engineering, only the basic steel structure and some walls were left as they were, while the rest underwent a magic change. The entrance doors lead into a gigantic atrium of 23 meters height. 300 square meters of glass roof, and 220 square meters of glass walls are flooding the area with daylight. This huge hall is serving for the reception of guests, the display of production highlights, as well as for cultural and social events.

Every hall and room now is modern, spacious, and 1,400 square meters of glass facade ensure brightness in every corner. All this was achieved within thirteen months. The most remarkable fact, however, is that all the work was done without interruption of the watch production! Of course, there were delays, but now those enthusiasts that had to wait weeks, or even months for their fine watches, finally can see the result of their patience.

The poor little boxes with the microscopic screws have the most apparent reason to breath a big sigh of relief: An educational path has been built, that enables visitors to see every step of watchmaking at Glashütte Original, while keeping elephants like me from wreaking havoc to the production. Through large windows, all the machine halls and assembly ateliers can be seen, while showcases outside present in detail what is going on inside. GO plans to offer two tours daily, guided by specifically trained persons.

What is so fascinating here is that the making of high-end mechanical watches is not displayed in a fictional chalet-type atelier full of nostalgy. This is what the advertising of many brands still shows. But as soon as serial production is involved, the major share of the watch production is the work of technicians, CAD/CAM-engineers, mechanics and toolmakers, involving oil, vibration, noise and dust.

Only when all the parts are made from scratch, they move to the specialists, who apply decoration and final finish; still with noise from machines, vibrations, and again some "dirt" and grime. Then, only then, comes silence and the hour of the watchmakers in their assembly ateliers. All these steps are shown to the visitors: Making of high-end mechanical watches as a modern and technical production.

Of course, the benevolent visitor will inevitably come to the point, where he wants to handle the fine and delicate results of this production process personally. As we enthusiasts all know, the real and personal impression is what counts finally, not the depiction in an advertisment. And who doesn't know the often resultless quest for a dealer, having really all different models in stock? "We can order it for you!" - grrrr! I know that, but I would like to see the watch in person NOW!

Thankfully, Glashütte Original has addressed this aspect, too. A spacious store is part of the factory rebuild, where all the wonderful watches of Glashütte Original are not only on display, but can be handled by the visitor, who also gets the competent advice of the staff members present (psssst: All Union Glashütte watches are there as well, but not on display; you'll have to ask to see them - if you are over eighteen; just kidding). However, there is an important limitation: According to my information, the watches are not sold there, but the potential customer is directed to the authorized dealers.

There is, of course, a pro and a con in this: The big advantage of not selling the watches there, is that the staff have absolutely no pressure to sell a certain watch to you. What you get, is the best possible advice on ALL different models, and you have time to pick the one that you think is best fitting your style and preferences. Then you go to the dealer you choose, and buy the watch there. The disadvantage is that you cannot buy a watch out of a mere impulse. In my opinion, this is not the worst of things: The purchase of such a watch should not be taken lightly, but be the result of thought and making a good decision. This is the best guarantee for longtime joy with it.

Anyway, I am sure that every visitor of the new Glashütte Original production building will enjoy this stay, and in some weeks, we will be able to show you much more detailed insights, when we return from our PuristS trip to Glashütte.