BY ERIK SLAVEN
Glashütte Original introduced two very capable and stylish dive watches in 2019, the SeaQ Panorama Date and SeaQ 39.5mm. The vintage-inspired design was based on a Glashütte diver from the late 1960s, the Spezimatic Type RP TS 200. Retro divers like Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms were clearly in the crosshairs. Purists may prefer the 39.5mm variant with a more traditional aesthetic, but the Panorama’s big date complication and larger case bring a modern touch that I appreciate. The SeaQ 39.5mm received the reed green treatment last year and now it’s the larger model’s turn, and the new color keeps the collection trendy.
The stainless steel case is 43.2mm in diameter with a thickness of 15.65mm, which certainly makes this a big brother to the 39.5mm variant. It has a satin-brushed finish with polished bevels and the three-link steel bracelet complements this with brushed outer links and large, polished center links. The signed, screw-down crown is partially guarded by curved extensions of the case and contributes to a water resistance of 300 meters. The unidirectional rotating bezel has a reed green ceramic insert with a white 60-minute diver’s scale. A domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coatings on both sides provides a bit of distortion at sharp angles, reinforcing that retro vibe. A sapphire exhibition case back displays the in-house automatic.
The lightly textured reed green dial remains as legible as ever with oversized applied Arabic numerals and indices, all filled with C1 Super-LumiNova. The hour and minute hands closely resemble those from the original with a large triangular tip on the minute hand, while the lollipop seconds hand has a Glashütte counterweight. All hands have Super-LumiNova inserts. Along with overall size, the color-matching big date window at 4 o’clock (Panorama Date) really separates this from its smaller brother and gives the watch a contemporary feel.
Powering the SeaQ Panorama is Glashütte Original’s in-house Calibre 36-13. It’s all hand-finished with blued screws, beveling, Côtes de Genève, perlage and an open-worked rotor with 21k gold features. There’s also a rare silicon hairspring. It has 41 jewels, beats at 4Hz with a power reserve of approximately 100 hours via a single barrel.
The steel bracelet (ref. 1-36-13-07-83-70) has a hidden fine adjustment mechanism that works without tools. Simply push down on the logo button and you’ll get over 5mm of adjustment. A very nice addition. There are two additional strap options, including green tropical rubber (ref. 1-36-13-07-83-06) and grey nylon (ref. 1-36-13-07-83-08) with the option of a pin buckle or folding clasp for both. The steel bracelet variant retails for EUR 12,500, while the price drops to EUR 11,300 with either strap.
Visit Glashütte Original here.
