Mühle-Glashütte Release S.A.R Rescue-Timer in Nautical Blue Honours Arctic Seas

The Mühle-Glashütte S.A.R Rescue-Timer is a classic example of an aquatic watch that is not a diver. It first debuted in 2002, developed in partnership with the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS) and designed to withstand the rigours of life at sea. And the fundamental purpose of ocean rescue is you get out of the water, not spend time in it. So, the chosen arena of the S.A.R Rescue-Timer is the tossing deck of a ship, not the ocean. Though Mühle are paying tribute to the waters with the new Mühle-Glashütte S.A.R Rescue-Timer Nautical Blue.

Starting with the case, it measures 42mm in diameter in steel with 1,000m water resistance, enough to survive everything from a drenching in ocean spray to extended SCUBA trips. What makes it specialised for life on a rescue boat though is the bezel, which is made from rubber and in the new Nautical Blue colourway, is ocean blue coloured.

Rubber gives it a resilient, shock-resistant protection that’s smooth, which means when you are inevitably tossed from your feet by a rolling wave and slam your watch into a railing, both the watch, your wrist and the boat are protected. There’s also the human element that when you’re rescuing a person in need; they’re less likely to get hurt if you accidentally smack into them.

You might think most sailing watches are designed for the warmth of the French Riviera or a Caribbean cruise, but this is a heavyweight built for the arctic waters of the Baltic and North Sea, where conditions can change on a dime as whitecaps swell and grow (the white foam at the top of waves). It’s actually these whitecaps that inform the visual design of the Nautical Blue colour scheme.

The dark blue is designed to represent the water and the white triangle and baton hour markers – all coated with lume – are the crests of the waves. It manages to express a surprising amount of character despite the relatively minimalist design that ensures a high amount of legibility. The display consists of central hours, minutes and seconds with a date at 4 o’clock, all of which are powered by the Sellita SW200-1 housed inside. It’s the newer iteration of the movement too with 41-hour power reserve.

As for price, the Mühle-Glashütte S.A.R Rescue-Timer Nautical Blue is priced at £2,100 on rubber strap or £2,250 on steel bracelet. Both styles look cool with the wide, flat lugs of the watch. With its unique approach to the aquatic world thanks to the functionality of being a tool watch with a dedicated purpose, the S.A.R Rescue-Timer is one of the coolest horologically niche watches around.

More details at Mühle-Glashütte.