Photos by Ariel Adams
It’s been about five years since German watchmaker Glashütte Original introduced the SeaQ dive watch collection, inspired by the 1969 Spezimatic Type RP TS 200 watch made during the company’s Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe (GUB) era. As is customary with any newer range, the brand spent the next few years expanding the SeaQ lineup, including adding a chronograph version in 2022. Now, in 2024, a new version joins the catalog: the Glashütte Original SeaQ Chronograph “Silver Screen,” named after the specific type of screen onto which films were once projected.
Like those film screens, which had thin coats of silver paint to reduce light dispersion and increase contrast, the dial of this SeaQ Chronograph may appear white but it’s made of galvanic silver. Punctuating the silver background are two black subdial rings, a black Panorama date window, and black-outlined, Super-LumiNova-filled hands and indices. In short, GO is actually going for a black-and-white look here but is using silver rather than traditional white — and the desired high-contrast effect works well in the metal. Dials are, after all, one of Glashütte Original’s specialties.
There’s a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock and a small seconds counter at 9, both lathe-cut and given a “vinyl” decorative finish. No, your eyes are not deceiving you (I thought mine were, at first); the box-shaped sapphire crystal distortions can dramatically warp those subdials, and at certain angles, it looks like runny eyeliner after a heavy night of partying. More raccoon than a straight-up panda dial, if you will. I’ll leave it up to you to decide if the brand’s flawlessly executed renders with perfectly circular registers are deceiving, but can I just state the obvious and say that this is why hands-on watch reviews are important!
The “Silver Screen” dial is housed inside a chunky steel case that measures 43.2mm in diameter, 16.95mm thick, and 51.6mm lug-to-lug. I couldn’t pull off those proportions even if I tried, but it’s a good fit on Ariel’s wrist, as seen in these photographs. Though the blunt-end lugs from a front-facing view would suggest otherwise, they actually curve nicely around the wrist. The case feels solid, as a competent tool watch rated to go 300 meters deep should. It’s worth mentioning that the SeaQ Chronograph is officially certified as a diver’s watch according to ISO 6425 and DIN 8306 standards.
The majority of the steel surface is brushed, highlighted by polished edges. In keeping with the black and white theme of the SeaQ Chronograph “Silver Screen,” the unidirectional rotating bezel is fitted with a black ceramic inlay with white markings. The textured and perforated black rubber strap is also fitted with a logo-engraved steel folding clasp. While we had our hands on the black rubber strap variant, Glashütte Original also offers the “Silver Screen” with a steel three-link bracelet or an orange textile strap,
Through the sapphire crystal caseback, we can see the in-house Caliber 37-23 flyback chronograph automatic movement that powers the SeaQ Chronograph, complete with all the brand’s signature decorative touches. There are the familiar Glashütte stripes on the three-quarter plate, both beveled and polished edges, polished and blued screws, and of course, the skeletonized rotor with the double-G in gold. In case the “Made in Germany” on the dial disappears due to the carnival mirror effect of the crystal, it’s also proudly engraved into the movement for good measure. Lovely decorations aside, there’s also the silicon balance spring, a shock-resistant oscillation system, a frequency rate of 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz), and a 70-hour power reserve. Pretty and proficient.
The SeaQ Chronograph “Silver Screen” is a handsome, if a little stern, luxury dive watch with the added feature of a flyback chronograph. It’s sizable, sharp, and pretty swanky for a dive watch with military roots. The minimalist black and white (or silver, really) palette suits it well and while popular Panda-style dials are more common on racing watches, it’s not out of place on a diving chronograph. The SeaQ Chronograph “Silver Screen” on a black rubber strap with a folding clasp (ref. 1-37-23-03-80-33) as seen here is priced at $14,700 USD while the pin buckle version (ref. 1-37-23-03-80-06) costs slightly less at $14,400 USD. For more information about the SeaQ Chronograph “Silver Screen,” please visit Glashütte Original’s website.
