Review – Glashütte Original SeaQ Panorama Date
During Time To Move, Swatch Group own event to present the new collections, Glashütte Original has presented several watches totally in line with its usual conception of watchmaking, such as the facelifted Senator Chronometer or an engraved PanoInverse. Yet, the star of the show, the watch that the Saxon brand presented first, the main novelty for 2019… is a watch none of us actually expected from the brand; a dive watch collection named SeaQ. Following our first look right after its presentation, it is time to now have a closer look at the modern SeaQ Panorama Date, to see if this Saxon dive watch is convincing (or not).
We have recommended taking a look at the master watchmaker Peter Speake-Marin deconstructing various watches in the past, and that’s because how interesting it is to get a proper look into some of the most popular watches out there. What makes this deconstruction by Peter interesting is that it is with the Grand Seiko Hi-Beat GMT, a watch from a brand that has carved a name for itself thanks to the unparalleled levels of finishing to its cases and dials. But it does beg the question: is the interior of their watch movements — usually hidden from even the most prying eyes — as well finished as the exterior? As you’ll see, the more closely you look at the 9S86 movement, the more impressive it gets. From skeletonised escape wheels and pallet forks, to the stunningly even application of the Tokyo stripes, it is certainly a sight to behold. To watch the video and see the full deconstruction explained, visit The Naked Watchmaker right here.
Editor’s note: As summer is swiftly approaching (in the Southern Hemisphere), a couple of friends who are into watches and I have been increasingly keen on picking up a summer watch. The thing about a summer watch is that you don’t want to break the bank when buying one, just in case you do only wear it during the summer. Which led me to thinking about the best watches that live for the summer months, but are also relatively affordable. Have a read, and let us know your favourite affordable watch for summer in the socials comments. Not everybody can afford the big guns: Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet, Lange & Söhne, Breguet … These brands are, for many of us, a little out of reach (unfortunately). But that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate them from afar. Nor does it mean that we can’t find watches within our grasp that offer enough bang for their buck to earn the approval of even the snobbiest of watch snobs (well, okay, maybe not the snobbiest). Not all of the brands on this list of the best budget watch brands look a lot like any of the watches produced by the haute…
Exotic stone dials have always been popular with watch collectors, not only for their stunning beauty but also their typical rarity and the unique patterning from stone to stone. This same dial technique has been used in the two examples of stone dial Omega Seamaster 300s, a classic dive watch that is typically considered to be an under-the-radar daily wear watch – until you make the case in precious metal and the dial out of a semi-precious stone. Both the Omega Seamaster 300 with a lapis lazuli dial and a malachite dial express a kind of opulent excess that is deeply attractive in a way that evokes guilt and wonder in equal measure. Part of your brain questions the motivation behind its existence, and the other part can’t help but stare in the same slack-jawed awe you experience while looking up at the ceiling of St Mark’s Basilica. It is certainly unnecessary, but it is also beautiful, which is a justification in and of itself. Firstly focusing on the lapis lazuli example: the richly flecked blue dial is cased in 41mm of a platinum-gold, while the hands are 18k white gold and the bezel is polished blue ceramic. Probably to…
