Over 175 years after the watchmaking industry was established in Glashütte in the Ore Mountains, the town remains the home of top quality German watchmaking. Despite its tumultuous and difficult path — including wars, economic crisis and political changes — history has been a constant source of growth and development for the craft, forcing the local watchmakers to be as flexible, innovative and creative as possible.

Following the separation of Germany, a watchmaking giant was created in Glashütte in 1951, which housed the majority of the local watchmaking operations and their workforce under one roof: the Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe (GUB), which translates as “Watchmaking Companies of Glashütte”.

In 1969, the GUB was producing watches that were functional and affordable — tool watches for everyday use by the people of East and West Germany. One of the dive watches released during this time was the Glashütte Spezimatic Type RP TS 200 with a distinctive black dial, large numerals and lume-filled hands.

After the reunification of Germany in 1990, the watch company was registered once again as a private business, which underwent a remarkable change: away from serially produced, affordable watches and a return to handmade mechanical timepieces of the highest quality. The start was made with the remaining 72 employees and a new name: Glashütte Original.

Fast forward to 2019, Swatch Group held an event for its premier brands in Switzerland known as “Time To Move.” During this event, Glashütte Original surprised everyone with three new sports watches, SeaQ 1969, SeaQ and SeaQ Panorama Date. The SeaQ collection drew many design influences from the Spezimatic, including the black dial, oversized numerals with vintage fonts, bright lume, and water resistance up to 200 meters. However, the SeaQ Panorama Date stands out with more modern flair and a substantial 43.2mm steel case, applied numerals and indexes and a 300m water resistance rating. It also features the quintessential large Glashütte Original date window.

Since then, the collection has grown to include many new models in stainless steel and red gold with dial colors of black, green and blue. This year, Glashütte Original has raised the bar with their popular sports watch to feature an in-house chronograph movement with the Glashütte Original SeaQ Chronograph.

SeaQ Chronograph

The SeaQ Chronograph embraces the history of its heritage with many familiar elements including oversized numerals with the stylized “6” and large markers for easy low-light legibility. The galvanized dial is a handsome dark blue, evoking the hues of the deepest ocean depths or the sky at night, that provides a nice contrast with the large hands filled with Super-LumiNova. The bi- compax design features two large subdials, the 30-minute chronograph counter and the small seconds subdials, both in coordinated blue for minimal interruption of the clean design. Glashütte Original really simplified the dial compared to the Senator or Seventies line that uses the same caliber 37 movement, by removing the 12-hour subdial and power reserve functions. The recognizable large Panorama Date window now sits just above six o’clock, balanced with the Glashütte Original logo beneath 12 o’clock.

The 43.2mm polished and brushed stainless steel case is the same diameter as the previous SeaQ Panorama Date model. However, the case height is slightly thicker due to the added flyback chronograph module. The screw-down crown is grooved for surer grip and sets the displays in three positions to avoid the need for a date corrector. The three positions include winding of the automatic movement, the date setting, and the hands and stop seconds. The crown also features a wave decoration engraving.

The SeaQ Chronograph has piston-shaped chronograph pushers with a profile which works very well with the overall nautical feel of the watch. The bezel is unidirectional and includes a robust ceramic insert in dark blue with lume-filled markers and diver’s triangle for orientation. Unique grooves around the outside of the bezel ensure a firm grip even when using thick gloves.

Designed for an active lifestyle, all the models within the SeaQ family meet the ISO 6425 and DIN 8306 standards to ensure timing precision. These watches work perfectly even under extreme temperature changes, with the effects of saltwater corrosion, and in near complete darkness during deep dives. The SeaQ Chronograph case features water resistance up to 300 meters, which exceeds ISO requirement of 100 meters by three-fold.

To protect the movement from shocks, the designers included a hollow stainless steel hexagonal socket screw at the center of the dial. Placed above the hand shafts, it fixes the dial to the plate and protects the hands from interference in the case of an impact that may warp or buckle the dial.

The updated movement

Developed by Glashütte Original and released in 2014, the caliber 37 is a column-wheel controlled flyback chronograph. This means that the seconds hand will “fly back” to the zero mark with the press of a button to reset a timing event. A tilting pinion architecture gives the chronograph train a smooth connection to the main going train using a small pivot.

The Glashütte Original SeaQ Chronograph is powered by a variation caliber 37-23. The movement has received a few upgrades. The first is the use of a silicon balance spring that both reduces the influence of magnetic fields and provides a steady oscillation for enhanced rate precision. The designers wanted to ensure that the balance would be free to oscillate without interference in any position, so they gave more space to ensure plenty of amplitude.

The second update is the inclusion of central screw connection and bayonet fixing, which improves shock resistance. Glashütte Original has introduced a new, smaller anchor bridge that improves the Q or quality factor, a parameter that describes the resonance behavior. This change in the anchor bridge has achieved an improved amplitude for more accurate timing.

Two additional updates worth mentioning: First, the caliber 37-23 no longer requires a corrector for adjusting the date; it is now more user friendly to change the date with the crown. Second, there is a technical improvement in the instant jumping Panorama Date; it switches briskly clockwise, unlike the previous iteration of counterclockwise semi-jumping date.

With a 70-hour power reserve, there is no concern about the watch winding down even during a long sports weekend. The movement is more than a reliable mechanical powerhouse. Visible through the sapphire caseback, the components of the caliber are also elaborately decorated by hand for a beautiful display that adds an element of surprising elegance and charm.

Ready to take on new experiences

The SeaQ Chronograph is available with a choice of four interchangeable straps to suit different personal styles. A dark blue rubber strap coordinates well with the dial and is perfect for a day of diving or adventure. The stainless steel link bracelet with micro-adjustment dresses up the timepiece for a day at the office or after-hours events. For those with an eye on the environment, there are also two synthetic fabric straps available, crafted from recycled ocean plastics in either gray or blue.

Glashütte Original has luxury sports watches well covered with the Seventies and SeaQ lineup, and the SeaQ Chronograph is no exception. The watch is versatile for everyday wear, or for a fancy party, but it really shines as an active lifestyle watch with a sense of style and functionality. With its great legibility, large numerals, Panorama Date, flyback chronograph, and judicious use of Super-LumiNova, this timepiece is a perfect companion for new experiences both on land and at sea.

Tech Specs

Glashütte Original SeaQ Chronograph

Movement: Self-winding caliber 37-23; 70-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, flyback chronograph and Panorama Date
Case: 43.2mm; stainless steel; water resistant to 300m
Dial: Dark blue; Super-LumiNova filled Arabic numerals and hour markers
Strap: Four options available — black rubber, stainless steel link bracelet, and gray or blue synthetic fabrics made from recycled ocean plastics; steel folding clasp or pin buckle
Price: From USD 13,600