Mühle-Glashütte Seebataillon GMT Watch

A timepiece for every mission: The Seebataillon GMT

The timepiece chosen for an elite unit of the German Navy must fulfill extraordinary requirements. This is why in cooperation with the soldiers of the upcoming “Seebataillon” (Marine Battalion), an extremely robust watch with a second time zone has been developed that both in design and functionality is well-equipped for every mission to be undertaken by this new unit of the German Navy – whether on land, see or in the air. And it’s also why this new watch bears their name: The Seebataillon GMT.

The Seebataillon of the German Navy protects the various naval units, their institutions and their assets on land, around ports and on the high seas. Because time and timekeeping are decisive factors in planning and carrying out many missions, these soldiers were looking for a watch tailored specifically to their operational requirements. The members of the soon to be formed Seebataillon were already familiar with the S.A.R. Flieger-Chronograph, which is used by naval rescue pilots and so approached Mühle-Glashütte with a proposal: to jointly develop a timepiece that was solid and shockproof enough for any mission, guaranteeing exact time and readability day and night, and combining the best properties of wearing comfort and optimum functionality.

It’s not surprising that Mühle-Glashütte was their first choice for fulfilling their fundamental requirements for reliability and durability of use: The Seebataillon GMT has a six-position regulated Mühle movement and our own in-house developed rotor, patented woodpecker neck regulation (including fitting balance cock), and a 42-hour power reserve. Of particular importance for this operational service watch is the Mühle fine adjustment, which ensures the watch movement is just as precisely adjustable as it is shockproof. In addition, the self-winding automatic mechanism is an ideal choice for the various deployment zones and operational conditions in which the Seebataillon will be serving: because it operates without a battery, it will never let the wearer down due to diminishing battery life.

Also, the second time zone display is important for operations abroad. The second zone hand is split so the minute indicators are not obscured and the readability of the wearer’s local time zone is not impaired. The gold numbers on the dark, recessed, 24-hour scale of the local time zone are positioned for easy readability, with the numbers changing direction at the 6:00 and 18:00 o’clock positions so that the time can always be accurately read – even at a glance. When you’re on a mission, being able to quickly read the exact time is of particular strategic importance. This is why when we designed the dial for the Seebataillon GMT particular emphasis was placed on making readability intuitive. The dial is equipped with double indices at the 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions and has a divided triangle indicator at the 12 o’clock position. This design ensures the best possible distribution of luminous coating while at the same time ensuring the hands are clearly visible down to the exact minute.

The rotating countdown bezel is also designed for operational conditions: large, 5-minute intervals are provided for maximum clarity with the last 15 minutes divided into a minute scale, so that the time remaining before arrival at the wearer’s destination or other important operational events can be read exactly.

This timepiece has to be able to take a lot of punishment while still providing complete freedom of movement for the wrist and the greatest degree of wearing comfort. A titanium construction combined with proven Mühle features such as a screw-in crown at the 4 o’clock position ensures these objectives are achieved. The titanium housing of the Seebataillon GMT is particularly hardwearing and despite its size is surprisingly lightweight. These features ensure a high degree of wearing comfort and extreme robustness – regardless of the elements. Thanks to its pressure resistance of up to 30 bar, this timepiece is also suitable for missions under water. With all these features, this watch is a perfect addition to the impressive equipment of this elite naval unit.

The Seebataillon GMT, however, is designed not just to functionally and materially satisfy all the operational requirements of this group. Its dark blue dial and gold GMT display evoke the colors of the soldiers’ berets and thus firmly establishes a connection with the Marine Battalion itself. The new Seebataillon GMT by Mühle-Glashütte bridges the gap between a military special operations watch and a sporty timepiece, suitable for both field use and for the parade uniform of the members of the Marine Battalion – truly making it a watch for every mission.