Glashütte Spezimatic Cal. 75 "UFO"

With the exit of Germany from the World Cup, I thought about posting on something German. One watch brand that had eluded me was Glashütte. It is of German make and is now classified as a luxury watch under the brand Glashütte Original and part of the Swatch Group. This came about from the privatization of what was VEB Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe (GUB) of East Germany after the unification of the country after the fall of the Iron Curtain. My first Glashütte is a bit unusual - the UFO.

Interesting color for the watch face, which shows a date feature

Side view showing the watch thickness and the relatively big crown

Another side view

A front and center photo of the watch - what appear to be lumes on the hands and dial are not but are helpful for reading the time even in poor lighting.

The case back indicates this was made in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) or East Germany. The inscription of GUB is there and there is also an inscription showing what looks like symbols of the mining industry - probably a recognition for 25 years of service. "Goldplaque" means this is a gold-plated watch.

The watch on my wrist

I have not opened the watch but this photo came from the seller. This is a Cal. 75, which runs at 18,000 beats per hour

I got this watch from a seller in Poland. It is quite a challenge to find legitimate watches online as vintage watches of this brand are quite popular and desirable for its quality and designs. Earlier, I had tried to get one while I was a trip in Europe but couldn't get the opportunity to explore (I wasn't on vacation but on official travel). Glashütte watches are quite expensive from sellers in the Philippines and it is less expensive to source them from abroad. One seller posted on watches that were priced between 20,000 to 30,000 pesos when similar legitimate models can be purchased for less than half those prices. These were still much less expensive even when you add the cost for expedited shipping through Fedex or DHL.

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