Last year Glashutte Original, stalwart of Saxon watchmaking, came out of nowhere with the SeaQ collection, a series of dive watches a world away from their usually elegant dress pieces.Well, out of nowhere’s a bit of a stretch; the new Spezialist collection is still based on 1969’s Spezimatic Type RP TS 200. Now though, the German horologists are showcasing a pair of distinctly modern divers: The SeaQ Panorama Date Red Gold and Bicolor.
Yes, yes a diver made of gold. It’s a travesty amongst tool watch purists and for relatively good reasons. Gold’s soft and easy to damage on underwater rocks. But let’s be fair, it also looks incredibly good, especially on a practical timepiece as innately elegant as the SeaQ.
Both pieces offer classic colourways, with the 43.3mm red gold case being paired with a stark black dial and diving bezel for a clear-cut contrast. Despite the precious metal, it’s still water resistant to 300m and has all the characteristics a diver needs. Just try not to knock it too hard.
More interesting as far as we’re concerned is the Bi-Colour edition. I loved the Tudor Black Bay S&G from last year and I’m happy to see yet another cool diver taking on the two-tone steel-and-gold look. Here the gold bezel and crown, and steel case are paired with a grey dial, highlighted with gold, lume-filled indexes and hands. It’s a style that balances practicality with luxury, sure, but I just like the quirky, retro look of gold and steel timepieces.
Both pieces are equipped with the award-winning Calibre 36, which goes above and beyond many a tool watch movement which are usually built to survive rather than excel. Between its silicon balance spring and impressive 100-hour power reserve, it’s a seriously reliable piece of haute horology. It also look pretty too, thanks to Glashutte’s hallmark three-quarter plate and striped finishing.
Available on either a standard black rubber strap or a far more interesting grey nylon mesh number, the new SeaQ Panorama Dates are a welcome addition to a still relatively new player in the high-end dive watch arena. More importantly, I can’t wait to get that Bicolor on my wrist.
Price & Specs:
Brand: Glashütte Original
Model Names: SeaQ Panorama Date Red Gold and SeaQ Panorama Date Bicolor
Ref: 1-36-13-04-90 (Red Gold); 1-36-13-04-91 (Bicolor)
Case/Dial: 43.2mm diameter x 15.65mm thickness, 18k red gold (Red Gold) or stainless steel with sapphire caseback, 18k red gold bezel and crown, ceramic bezel (Bicolor)
Water resistance: 300m (30 bar)
Movement: Glashütte Original calibre 36.13, automatic
Functions: Hours and minutes, seconds, second stop, panorama date
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 100h
Strap: Synthetic fabric or rubber
Price: £12,400 (Bicolor) and £20,900 (Red Gold)
More details at Glashütte Original.
