Deep Dive — A Closer Look At The Glashütte Original Spezialist Collection

New collections appear and disappear in the watch industry relatively frequently, but these days it’s not that often that a brand jumps headlong into a category or genre that they aren’t as well known for. Just such an occasion materialized midway through last year, as Glashütte Original came to market with the Spezialist Collection. What we have here is a new category of tool watches from the brand that started with a trio of watches; the SeaQ, the SeaQ 1969, and SeaQ Panorama Date. While the SeaQ 1969 was a limited production run of only 69 pieces, featuring a few nominal design cues that further link it to its predecessor, the Spezimatic Type RP TS 200, from (you guessed it) 1969, the SeaQ and SeaQ Panorama Date models are pillars of this new collection.

Though similar in essence, there are some vast differences, both visual and technical, between the SeaQ and SeaQ Panorama Date models. Where one clearly targets the vintage design-loving subset of collectors, the other takes on an already strong field in the modern luxury dive watch category. In both camps there are quite a few competitors to battle, but Glashütte Original being who they are, the approach taken was thoughtful, with ample attention paid to the finest of details. The SeaQ Panorama Date is presently offered in either a black or blue sunray finished dial, whereas the SeaQ is only on offer in black—at least for now. Both variants can be had on a rubber strap, a grey synthetic mesh, or fitted with a stainless steel bracelet. We’re especially fond of the micro-adjustment of the steel bracelet, activated by depressing the Glashütte Original logo. This bracelet has been in use by the brand since 2005, where it was first developed for the Sport Evolution model.

Where It All Started

As previously noted, Glashütte Original isn’t—nor has it ever been—known as a tool watch or dive watch brand. That said, the range of models from its predecessor Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe was quite diverse, especially through the ’60s and ’70s. It was in the interest of diversification that Glashütte Original opted to target the dive watch segment, and though not particularly well known or collectible, the Spezimatic Type RP TS 200 proved to be an ideal base upon which to model a new dive watch offering.

Leveraging Heritage

When looking at the SeaQ model, there’s no questioning that the piece is aimed squarely at the vintage-inspired diver segment. Thankfully, a keen eye for detail has always been the hallmark of Glashütte Original’s watch design, and the SeaQ is no exception.

On its dial, details like the choice of a light beige printing on its indices—a color aptly named ‘old radium’ by Glashütte Original, its minute track configuration, and white box surrounding its date window are all directly carried over from the Type RP TS 200. The limited edition (and currently sold-out) SeaQ 1969, meanwhile, differs in that it has green luminous hands, creating a two-toned look—an homage to the original Spezimatic Type RP TS 200. (Another key difference: the SeaQ 1969 also has “25 rubis shockproof” printed on the dial, plus the watch’s edition number engraved on the base plate.)

One of the benefits of the brand owning their own dial manufacturing facility in Pforzheim, Germany is that the initial design and prototyping phase is much quicker and more fluid than if they were to rely on a contractor. Making changes to refine things during the design process is a much less costly and time consuming affair, and thus allows for an ever greater level of fine-tuning.

Looking at the case itself, its 39.5mm diameter, oversized guard-less crown, and domed crystal continue to echo this vintage sentiment. Really, the use of a ceramic bezel insert is the only obvious giveaway from giving the piece an initial glance, as even the design of the tropic rubber strap is appropriately “period correct.”

Embracing Modernity

The SeaQ Panorama Date, unlike its sibling, is much more current in terms of both aesthetics and overall execution. Yes, the style of its indices, hands, domed crystal, and bezel remain intact, but that’s where the similarities end. The ‘old radium’ color has been replaced with applied indices filled with white Super-LumiNova for the blue dial and green Super-LumiNova on the black dial version of the watch.

Its case size has also been increased to a much more substantial 43.2mm across and 15.65mm thick. A key reason for these increased dimensions is the larger self-winding Calibre 36-13 that powers the new release—a movement that is also quite modern in specification.

Though its finishing remains traditional, the Calibre 36-13 is no regular movement. First introduced with Glashütte Original’s Senator Excellence collection, the 4 Hz caliber runs a silicon balance spring — a first for the brand — bolstering both its resistance to magnetism and general running stability. Though using a single mainspring barrel, the piece is capable of holding a power reserve of 100 hours, all while passing a litany of stringent tests of the entire watch over a 24-day period — a rigorous quality assurance procedure that we will discuss in another upcoming feature.

Looking through its exhibition caseback you’ll note the 21k gold mass affixed to its winding rotor. Though a nice visual touch, this is done as much for function as it is aesthetics; given the added length and rigidity of its mainspring, and increased mass is required to maintain proper self-winding.

The Glashütte Original SeaQ and SeaQ Panorama Date are priced from $8,700 and $11,200 respectively.

Learn More About The Glashütte Original SeaQ and SeaQ Panorama Date Here



The post Deep Dive — A Closer Look At The Glashütte Original Spezialist Collection appeared first on watchuseek.com.

Deep Dive — A Closer Look At The Glashütte Original Spezialist Collection

New collections appear and disappear in the watch industry relatively frequently, but these days it’s not that often that a brand jumps headlong into a category or genre that they aren’t as well known for. Just such an occasion materialized midway through last year, as Glashütte Original came to market with the Spezialist Collection. What we have here is a new category of tool watches from the brand that started with a trio of watches; the SeaQ, the SeaQ 1969, and SeaQ Panorama Date. While the SeaQ 1969 was a limited production run of only 69 pieces, featuring a few nominal design cues that further link it to its predecessor, the Spezimatic Type RP TS 200, from (you guessed it) 1969, the SeaQ and SeaQ Panorama Date models are pillars of this new collection.

Though similar in essence, there are some vast differences, both visual and technical, between the SeaQ and SeaQ Panorama Date models. Where one clearly targets the vintage design-loving subset of collectors, the other takes on an already strong field in the modern luxury dive watch category. In both camps there are quite a few competitors to battle, but Glashütte Original being who they are, the approach taken was thoughtful, with ample attention paid to the finest of details. The SeaQ Panorama Date is presently offered in either a black or blue sunray finished dial, whereas the SeaQ is only on offer in black—at least for now. Both variants can be had on a rubber strap, a grey synthetic mesh, or fitted with a stainless steel bracelet. We’re especially fond of the micro-adjustment of the steel bracelet, activated by depressing the Glashütte Original logo. This bracelet has been in use by the brand since 2005, where it was first developed for the Sport Evolution model.

Where It All Started

As previously noted, Glashütte Original isn’t—nor has it ever been—known as a tool watch or dive watch brand. That said, the range of models from its predecessor Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe was quite diverse, especially through the ’60s and ’70s. It was in the interest of diversification that Glashütte Original opted to target the dive watch segment, and though not particularly well known or collectible, the Spezimatic Type RP TS 200 proved to be an ideal base upon which to model a new dive watch offering.

Leveraging Heritage

When looking at the SeaQ model, there’s no questioning that the piece is aimed squarely at the vintage-inspired diver segment. Thankfully, a keen eye for detail has always been the hallmark of Glashütte Original’s watch design, and the SeaQ is no exception.

On its dial, details like the choice of a light beige printing on its indices—a color aptly named ‘old radium’ by Glashütte Original, its minute track configuration, and white box surrounding its date window are all directly carried over from the Type RP TS 200. The limited edition (and currently sold-out) SeaQ 1969, meanwhile, differs in that it has green luminous hands, creating a two-toned look—an homage to the original Spezimatic Type RP TS 200. (Another key difference: the SeaQ 1969 also has “25 rubis shockproof” printed on the dial, plus the watch’s edition number engraved on the base plate.)

One of the benefits of the brand owning their own dial manufacturing facility in Pforzheim, Germany is that the initial design and prototyping phase is much quicker and more fluid than if they were to rely on a contractor. Making changes to refine things during the design process is a much less costly and time consuming affair, and thus allows for an ever greater level of fine-tuning.

Looking at the case itself, its 39.5mm diameter, oversized guard-less crown, and domed crystal continue to echo this vintage sentiment. Really, the use of a ceramic bezel insert is the only obvious giveaway from giving the piece an initial glance, as even the design of the tropic rubber strap is appropriately “period correct.”

Embracing Modernity

The SeaQ Panorama Date, unlike its sibling, is much more current in terms of both aesthetics and overall execution. Yes, the style of its indices, hands, domed crystal, and bezel remain intact, but that’s where the similarities end. The ‘old radium’ color has been replaced with applied indices filled with white Super-LumiNova for the blue dial and green Super-LumiNova on the black dial version of the watch.

Its case size has also been increased to a much more substantial 43.2mm across and 15.65mm thick. A key reason for these increased dimensions is the larger self-winding Calibre 36-13 that powers the new release—a movement that is also quite modern in specification.

Though its finishing remains traditional, the Calibre 36-13 is no regular movement. First introduced with Glashütte Original’s Senator Excellence collection, the 4 Hz caliber runs a silicon balance spring — a first for the brand — bolstering both its resistance to magnetism and general running stability. Though using a single mainspring barrel, the piece is capable of holding a power reserve of 100 hours, all while passing a litany of stringent tests of the entire watch over a 24-day period — a rigorous quality assurance procedure that we will discuss in another upcoming feature.

Looking through its exhibition caseback you’ll note the 21k gold mass affixed to its winding rotor. Though a nice visual touch, this is done as much for function as it is aesthetics; given the added length and rigidity of its mainspring, and increased mass is required to maintain proper self-winding.

The Glashütte Original SeaQ and SeaQ Panorama Date are priced from $8,700 and $11,200 respectively.

Learn More About The Glashütte Original SeaQ and SeaQ Panorama Date Here



The post Deep Dive — A Closer Look At The Glashütte Original Spezialist Collection appeared first on watchuseek.com.

Hands-on: The Bulova Oceanographer Devil Diver

As always, it seems like there are fewer hours in the day and days in the month than there should be. Amidst the backlog that is Watchuseek content I found myself staring at a screen—working on something that I simply didn’t have the heart for—and decided my last hours of 2019 deserved to be spent on something with passion and motivation behind it. This, my friends, is the last hands-on review of 2019; this is the Bulova Oceanographer Devil Diver.

There are several reviews that need me to take ‘pen to paper’ soon, but as I stared into my personal watch collection this piece immediately sprung to mind. It’s one that I added to my personal collection not long after the initial review period this fall, and though said collection is anything but short on dive watches, the funky green Devil Diver still gets a fair amount of wrist time though we’re well past the “honeymoon phase”. Of the many benefits of still having the piece on hand, it has allowed for a deeper dive, so to speak, into the characteristics and quirks of the well-priced piece.

Because so many of us still set our go/no go parameters around dimensions, let’s start there. Yes, it’s 44mm across and 15mm thick, but it still works perfectly well on a smaller 6 3/4″ wrist. You can see in a series of wrist shots here, the shorter lug-to-lug length (no spec, but I suspect around 49mm?) helps it from overhanging on the wrist, and the smaller diameter of its bezel in relation to the case itself further shrinks its overall presence. Does it wear like a vintage diver? No, of course not. It’s got heft and is anything but svelte or lightweight. I’m the first to admit that when it comes to more standard case proportions I’ll typically lean towards things 42mm and below, but the Devil Diver is one of many exceptions to the rule—much in the same way as most Aquadive watches or the Hamilton Pan-Europ.

This piece is yet another from Bulova’s Archive series, and one of now innumerable ‘vintage inspired’ watches to hit the market in the last 5+ years. I tend to flip flop a but when it comes to this topic. Some brands have legitimate history to draw from, as well as the ability to execute a vintage reissue thoughtfully. Others see a booming trend and go ‘hey, we should get in on this’. In the case of the Devil Diver, I’m especially familiar with its roots. I’ve owned one of the originals back in the day—not the specific reference this is built from, mind you.

Aside from its retro and very Doxa-like vintage cushion style case, the real hero with this watch is its dial. Down to every last detail—the color, the font choices, the hands, the indices—this thing is just a treat to stare at. The hour markers are unlike anything being done in the market today, using clear acrylic cylinders on top of a heavy coating of luminous material, this look is a pure and unfettered throwback to the late ’60s and early ’70s that just doesn’t appear in the modern watch market, let alone in the sub-$1k range. Of course the famed ‘666 FEET’ appears at the bottom of the dial text.

It’s worth noting that this piece isn’t just for show. Bulova ensured ISO compliance, and the Oceanographer Devil Diver is a proper diver’s watch. Its crown screws down as it should, and its bezel action is surprisingly firm given that they went for a 120-click version rather than 60. The clasp on its bracelet is a simple locking fold-over as you’d expect in the category, though I’d say this is one of a few shortcomings of the watch overall. Given the heft of the watch and bracelet, the folding elements of the clasp just feel a bit more flimsy than I would have hoped for.

In terms of other shortcomings, the use of acrylic for its bezel insert came as a bit of a surprise as well. While it’s more true to the vintage, I’m going to remain curious about how resilient it is to scuffs and scratches over time. Thanks to the bezel design and its box sapphire crystal, the bezel itself is thankfully well protected in the grand scheme of things.

The last gripe, and I know many of you have been shouting it since starting to read this review, is the choice of automatic movement. Yes, the Bulova Oceanographer Devil Diver uses the Miyota 812A. This means no hacking seconds, and in some cases a slight stutter in its sweeping seconds hand. To the latter, granted it’s not my only watch and I’m not constantly watching it, I’ve not really noticed. Whether or not this bugs you, well, that’s personal. I’d like a hacking seconds hand, but at the same time, I love so much of the character of this watch that it wasn’t close to a dealbreaker for me.

At full-pop retail, you’re looking at $795, which all-in-all is a decent price, but because Bulova deals with a number of big-box retailers you can often find this and other versions of the watch on sale. Case in point, we’ve spotted it for $432 right now, which is pretty hard to beat.

Buy The Bulova Oceanographer Devil Diver On Sale Here

Learn More Via The Bulova Website Here

The post Hands-on: The Bulova Oceanographer Devil Diver appeared first on watchuseek.com.

Hands-on: The Bulova Oceanographer Devil Diver

As always, it seems like there are fewer hours in the day and days in the month than there should be. Amidst the backlog that is Watchuseek content I found myself staring at a screen—working on something that I simply didn’t have the heart for—and decided my last hours of 2019 deserved to be spent on something with passion and motivation behind it. This, my friends, is the last hands-on review of 2019; this is the Bulova Oceanographer Devil Diver.

There are several reviews that need me to take ‘pen to paper’ soon, but as I stared into my personal watch collection this piece immediately sprung to mind. It’s one that I added to my personal collection not long after the initial review period this fall, and though said collection is anything but short on dive watches, the funky green Devil Diver still gets a fair amount of wrist time though we’re well past the “honeymoon phase”. Of the many benefits of still having the piece on hand, it has allowed for a deeper dive, so to speak, into the characteristics and quirks of the well-priced piece.

Because so many of us still set our go/no go parameters around dimensions, let’s start there. Yes, it’s 44mm across and 15mm thick, but it still works perfectly well on a smaller 6 3/4″ wrist. You can see in a series of wrist shots here, the shorter lug-to-lug length (no spec, but I suspect around 49mm?) helps it from overhanging on the wrist, and the smaller diameter of its bezel in relation to the case itself further shrinks its overall presence. Does it wear like a vintage diver? No, of course not. It’s got heft and is anything but svelte or lightweight. I’m the first to admit that when it comes to more standard case proportions I’ll typically lean towards things 42mm and below, but the Devil Diver is one of many exceptions to the rule—much in the same way as most Aquadive watches or the Hamilton Pan-Europ.

This piece is yet another from Bulova’s Archive series, and one of now innumerable ‘vintage inspired’ watches to hit the market in the last 5+ years. I tend to flip flop a but when it comes to this topic. Some brands have legitimate history to draw from, as well as the ability to execute a vintage reissue thoughtfully. Others see a booming trend and go ‘hey, we should get in on this’. In the case of the Devil Diver, I’m especially familiar with its roots. I’ve owned one of the originals back in the day—not the specific reference this is built from, mind you.

Aside from its retro and very Doxa-like vintage cushion style case, the real hero with this watch is its dial. Down to every last detail—the color, the font choices, the hands, the indices—this thing is just a treat to stare at. The hour markers are unlike anything being done in the market today, using clear acrylic cylinders on top of a heavy coating of luminous material, this look is a pure and unfettered throwback to the late ’60s and early ’70s that just doesn’t appear in the modern watch market, let alone in the sub-$1k range. Of course the famed ‘666 FEET’ appears at the bottom of the dial text.

It’s worth noting that this piece isn’t just for show. Bulova ensured ISO compliance, and the Oceanographer Devil Diver is a proper diver’s watch. Its crown screws down as it should, and its bezel action is surprisingly firm given that they went for a 120-click version rather than 60. The clasp on its bracelet is a simple locking fold-over as you’d expect in the category, though I’d say this is one of a few shortcomings of the watch overall. Given the heft of the watch and bracelet, the folding elements of the clasp just feel a bit more flimsy than I would have hoped for.

In terms of other shortcomings, the use of acrylic for its bezel insert came as a bit of a surprise as well. While it’s more true to the vintage, I’m going to remain curious about how resilient it is to scuffs and scratches over time. Thanks to the bezel design and its box sapphire crystal, the bezel itself is thankfully well protected in the grand scheme of things.

The last gripe, and I know many of you have been shouting it since starting to read this review, is the choice of automatic movement. Yes, the Bulova Oceanographer Devil Diver uses the Miyota 812A. This means no hacking seconds, and in some cases a slight stutter in its sweeping seconds hand. To the latter, granted it’s not my only watch and I’m not constantly watching it, I’ve not really noticed. Whether or not this bugs you, well, that’s personal. I’d like a hacking seconds hand, but at the same time, I love so much of the character of this watch that it wasn’t close to a dealbreaker for me.

At full-pop retail, you’re looking at $795, which all-in-all is a decent price, but because Bulova deals with a number of big-box retailers you can often find this and other versions of the watch on sale. Case in point, we’ve spotted it for $432 right now, which is pretty hard to beat.

Buy The Bulova Oceanographer Devil Diver On Sale Here

Learn More Via The Bulova Website Here

The post Hands-on: The Bulova Oceanographer Devil Diver appeared first on watchuseek.com.