Glashutte Original has done a tremendous job in carving out a name for itself in the higher echelons of German luxury watchmaking in recent years, even acquitting themselves in admirable fashion against fellow Glashutte titan A. Lange & Sohne. There’s a lot of diversity in the GO lineup, and one of my favorite fairly new additions is the SeaQ, which provides a refreshing upmarket and small production alternative to such iconic divers as the Omega Seamaster 300m Diver and the now nearly impossible to get (at list) Rolex Submariner. Of course, one could argue that the Glashutte Original SeaQ’s most direct competition is the uber high luxury divers such as those in Blancpain’s legendary Fifty Fathoms collection and the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver, pieces which–in similar fashion to the GO–are produced in small to exceedingly small quantities, and showcase movements of high refinement and pedigree. On the other hand, dive watches are a hot category in the luxury watch world, and their fans have many good choices all across the brand and pricing spectrum.
With that point in mind, the question becomes: despite the beauty and exclusivity, why might you choose something like the SeaQ over established dive watch legends from power brands of mass recognition like Omega or Rolex? Well, let’s explore that a little bit! This SeaQ, as with others in the collection is based upon the Spezimatic from 1969, and has an appealing vintage diver vibe which still remains blessedly free from excessive patina stylization. (No complaints here, per se, but there is definitely a lot of “fauxtina” on dive watches of late). At 39.5mm, this German high luxury diver will wear very well in casual or more buttoned down settings, it’s modest height of 12.1mm keeping it a contender for the ever popular “sports watch in a dress watch” role. And this two-tone configuration is simply beautiful, thanks in large part to the resplendent, fresh blue sunburst dial with just enough yellow gold accents on the hands and winding crown to offer maximum contrast and high luxury feel. A choice of a black rubber or blue fabric strap gives two really appealing options for the SeaQ Bi-Color owner, and I’d be hard pressed to choose, honestly. (My heart loves the matching blue strap, but the rubber dive strap is really an instance of “form following function” to its truest, so I’d probably opt for that if pressed. Plus, one can always accessorize with NATO straps later, and those lugs all but beg to be outfitted with some nylon.)
An interesting thing is that Glashutte Original doesn’t equip the standard SeaQ variants with a sapphire back–for that you’d have to venture into the pricier SeaQ Panorama Date models, which are admittedly superb, as well as more complex. One part of me rather regrets that, as the GO Caliber 39-11 is some lovely kit, with a bevy of typical Glashutte decorations, an elegant swan neck fine regulator, and a signed rotor with a peripheral mass in gold. On the other hand, the solid back speaks to the sports watch purist in me, and exudes ultimate strength and durability for what this watch is capable of…even if few owners will take them into the murky depths. Beyond the luxury looks and admittedly fine details of this Glashutte Original diver in steel and 18K gold, we have a very useful, highly legible tool watch–a delicious dichotomy for me, personally. The bezel is deeply knurled, and should be very easy to rotate with or without the aid of gloves, and the overall presentation looks lovely yet somehow unpretentious at the same time, thanks to the clean case lines, and abundance of discreet, yet impeccably executed brushed surfaces. Just enough sparkle here and there lets the luxury out of the proverbial bag, but it’s clearly there if you seek it, and deliciously alluring to the eye.
Basically, this is a top notch choice in a small production, exclusive diver. A fantastic piece for the person who’s bought the expected sports references from Rolex, Omega, or Breitling, and wants something considerably closer to unique, and even more than that, under the radar. In the case of Rolex particularly, daunting multi-year waitlists, rumored AD shenanigans, and grey market pricing at nosebleed levels make a fine watch such as the SeaQ Bi-Color truly tempting indeed. While resale might not compete with the vaunted Rolex sports watches–and really, what exactly can?–the price of this Glashutte Original seems fully justified, and there won’t be any games to get it on your wrist. Once there, this will be a truly exclusive, beautiful, and rugged companion that checks a lot of boxes in a timepiece that deserves to be called a “keeper”.