SeaQ is water-resistant to 200 meters.
Welcome to the "Esquire" weekly column "Dialed In", bringing you watch events and the most important news in the watch industry since March 2020.
As a brand, Glashütte Original was founded in 1994, but its roots are deeper. In the German town of the same name south of the main cultural center of Dresden, the fine watchmaking industry began to develop in the mid-nineteenth century, and its private client base was centered on the courts of the Kings and Electors of Saxony. Despite its small size, Glashütte’s outstanding reputation for decades has been shining through its mechanical prowess—especially its unique preference for high-precision machining—comparable to the best products offered by Swiss industry at the time. .
After the reunification of Germany in 1990, Glashütte’s long-established expertise was exposed to new possibilities. Glashütte Original Glashütte Original, after 150 years of continuous production, and upgraded for the next century. The new brand immediately set out to recapture the sophistication that once characterized the town’s output. Once again, this means combining the expertise of creating original movements with the highest level of hand decoration and finishing of these movements. So far, 95% of the brand's movement parts are now produced in-house.
But nothing is charm and brilliance. One of the brand's watches—the SeaQ above, produced for the first time with a dark green dial and an inlaid ceramic bezel—tells the pursuit of a more rugged. SeaQ is based on the first dive watch produced by Glashütte in 1969: the Spezimatic Type RP TS 200. The boldly updated dial shows the use of alternating numerals and batons under the retro-feeling domed crystal. Like the original, its diameter is 39.5 mm, which is widely regarded as the best choice for the current watch size, suitable for all wrists and occasions. The choice of strap makes the watch more flexible, offering steel strap, nylon strap and rubber strap. SeaQ is driven by Glashütte’s original 39-11 automatic movement, and is housed in a stainless steel case, combining brushed and faceted edges with restrained polishing to bring a little Glashütte old-school flavor.
As if to consolidate the brand's adventurous spirit and modern atmosphere, the brand recently signed a contract with 43-year-old Canadian photographer and explorer Ryan Pyle to represent it and wear other watches such as SeaQ Green. Pyle rode 18,000 kilometers of motorcycles in China in 2010 and is known for setting himself huge challenges to discover and document unique cultures and environments.
Fortunately for Pyle, SeaQ is fully capable of handling this situation. It is waterproof to 20 bar or 200 meters. Rigorous testing—including a 24-day battery test—is Glashütte’s original standard practice. However, SeaQ has undergone further testing to ensure that it complies with ISO6425 and DIN8306 diving watch standards. In other words: when you wash your hands and don't want to take it off, it can withstand a splash or two-this urge, as anyone who has seen SeaQ can attest, is completely understandable.