Compared to some of the other tool-watch brands based in Germany, Mühle-Glashütte is often forgotten, at least stateside. However, it creates many robust and purpose-driven tool watches with striking designs. 2019 sees the addition of the new Sea-Timer BlackMotion, an all-around sport watch fully dressed in a sleek black PVD coating.
The Sea-Timer BlackMotion features a 44mm diameter case that is 12.5mm-tall. The case is made of stainless steel and coated in black titanium carbide, giving the case a smooth, black aesthetic all over. Unusually, a bi-directional bezel surrounds the sapphire crystal. The movement powering the BlackMotion is the Sellita SW-200-1 automatic movement with a 38-hour power reserve, 26 jewels, and a beat rate of 28,800vph. This movement has been modified by Mühle to include its “woodpecker neck regulation,” with a blue anodized rotor to celebrate the brand’s 25th anniversary. All of this is visible through the BlackMotion’s display caseback. Of course, being a sports watch, the case is water resistant to roughly 300 meters.
The dial design here is clean, with a flat black dial and bright white contrasting indices at the hour markers. The watch does feature a date complication at 4pm, and while I do enjoy the functionality of the date, this is an unfortunate place for that window to be; I’d have much preferred it at the 3 or 6 position. The Mühle branding here is quite subdued, with light gray lettering in the upper hemisphere of the dial — but the bottom hemisphere has blindingly bright white text dictating the model name, a decision I don’t quite understand, given the otherwise smokey character of the dial and text.
Overall, I dig this watch. Mühle has always caught my attention with its highly functional, no-nonsense tool watch designs. I would be particularly interested to see this Sea-Timer BlackMotion come out in a stainless-finish case. But I must admit, the stealthy black PVD case, combined with the black textile strap, looks quite good overall. The Mühle-Glashütte Sea-Timer BlackMotion is priced at $2,599, and full details are available on Mühle-Glashütte’s website: muehle-glashuette.de.
