While the dial is flat, it does have a nice “purposeful” look to it. I tend to prefer the totally monochromatic look of the non-GMT Marinus, but the Mühle-Glashütte Marinus GMT has functionality that I enjoy. It adds a red ring about the face as well as red for the GMT hand and text. Like the Rolex GMT-Master II, there is no 24-hour scale on the dial, just the bezel. So that means you can really only track two time zones, which is fine.
As a tool, the case feels very finely made, and the detailing is impressive whether it is the quality of polishing or the angles on the case. While you pay a premium, you do get a nice German-made case. Going back to the dial, there are things to love and things that I think the brand could have improved on. Legibility is very good as is the amount of luminant materials. The GMT hand is small, but then again, I usually want it out of the way anyway.
Mühle designed quite large hour and minute hands for the Mühle-Glashütte Marinus GMT, and I do like their shape. What I am not thrilled about is the polished surface of the hands. They reflect too much light and while legibility is good, the light reflections from the hands are distracting. I think Mühle chose this finishing to bring a bit more visual attention to the dial for people seeing the watch on the wearer’s wrist. It’s a tiny “bling” factor that I understand, but am not sure it was a totally successful attempt at adding a slight lifestyle element to the Mühle-Glashütte Marinus GMT watch.
Attached to the case is either a custom black rubber strap or a nice five-link bracelet. I prefer watches on bracelets most of the time but think that the rubber-strap-look for the Mühle-Glashütte Marinus GMT is actually very compelling. The bracelet looks cool and modern, but it is both heavy and clunky which is something people should consider when wanting to listen to Mühle’s suggestion and “throw anything at” the watch during their “robust outdoor” adventures.
Where Mühle-Glashütte will have the biggest problems is the price. While it isn’t terribly expensive at this circa $3,000 price point, there is a huge amount of competition. The Mühle-Glashütte Marinus GMT is certainly a well-made watch, but the question is whether it is special enough to merit special attention by consumers who are given a huge range of options. I don’t think anyone who buys a Mühle-Glashütte will be disappointed if that is their type of timepiece, but there are lots of other good options out there as well. With that said, Mühle-Glashütte does excel at having a unique look with designs which are generally distinctive and aren’t easily confused with those from other brands. That alone is a major asset.
Being one of the great German tool watch brands, I like Mühle-Glashütte a lot and encourage similarly-minded tool watch lovers to take a closer look at their wares for something original, purposeful, and without a huge ego. Price for the Mühle-Glashütte Marinus GMT is $3,199 on the rubber strap and $3,399 on the steel bracelet. muehle-glashuette.de
Necessary Data
>Brand: Mühle-Glashütte
>Model: Marinus GMT
>Price: $3,299
>Size: 44mm
>Would reviewer personally wear it: Yes.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Guy who loves dive watches and well made, albeit unique-looking modern tools.
>Best characteristic of watch: Difficult to point out one “best element” to the watch, as it feels like a great looking piece of equipment versus something fashionable.Very competent timepiece with a lot of durable sport watch appeal and legible dial. Comfortable to wear.
>Worst characteristic of watch: Finishing on hands is not ideal. Will not feel competitively priced to some people.
