The New Glashütte Original SeaQ 39.5mm Bicolor (Live Pics & Price)

A German manufacture mostly known for its serious and beautifully finished watches, Glashütte Original decided a couple of years ago to return to the sports watch – something that has been slightly neglected by the brand in the late 2010s. To do so, the brand looked at its past and the vast collection of watches produced during the 1960s, specifically a watch named Spezimatic. Based on this strong and retro design, Glashütte Original introduced the SeaQ, the first watch in a collection of sports watches named “Spezialist.” Multiple editions later, modern or vintage-inspired, in steel, in bicolor or in gold, in blue or in green, the SeaQ is now well established. And the collection is enlarged again today, with this new Glashütte Original SeaQ 39.5mm Bicolor. 

This SeaQ collection indeed marked the return of Glashütte Original to the sports watch, specifically to the dive watch market, with a very well executed pair of pieces. First is a large, modern and luxurious version with Panorama Date. Second is a surprisingly compact and vintage-inspired edition, paying tribute to the model behind this collection, the 1969 Spezimatic Type RP TS 200. With its black dial and bezel, combined to large painted applied indexes in “old radium” colour, the original 2019 version played on vintage vibes. Later followed a blue model, and a few weeks ago a trendy green edition. Now, it’s a new combination of colours and materials that is launched.

The SeaQ collection is no stranger to precious materials, as we’ve seen with these two models, both based on the larger Panorama Date edition, with steel-and-gold “Bicolor” or even solid 18k red gold case. Yet, until now, the smaller edition of this watch was available in stainless steel only. But since steel-and-gold (or two-tone or Bicolor) is back and much appreciated these days, the brand has decided to add touches of luxury to this appealing watch.

The base for this new Glashütte Original SeaQ 39.5mm Bicolor is well-known, sharing the same dimensions and specifications as the classic steel blue model here. Thus, we have a compact edition with a 39.5mm diameter and a reasonable height of 12.15mm. The case is nicely proportioned and designed too, with a thin and curved profile that sits well on the wrist. The shape is greatly inspired by the 1969 Spezimatic Type RP TS 200, with a typical lug module and sharp edges.

Smaller watch doesn’t mean lower specifications here. Indeed, the SeaQ Bicolor, despite being a slightly more luxurious edition, doesn’t overlook diving requirements. Thanks to its screw-down crown, its screwed caseback and multiple other features that are necessary on dive watches, it still passes the rigorous DIN 8306 and ISO 6425 tests required for certification as a professional diver’s watch, and thus meets both German and international standards of quality. Water-resistance is rated at 200 metres.

The centre case of this SeaQ 39.5mm Bicolor is identical to classic steel models, and retains its brushed surfaces and polished bevels. The sides are, for instance, vertically brushed while the top surfaces are circular brushed, thus offering a nice combination of textures. New this year is the unidirectional bezel and the crown made of 18k yellow gold, while the insert is still made of blue glossy ceramic with white markings for the 60-minute diving scale – which is fully graduated.

Matching the colours of the case and bezel, the dial of this new Bicolor edition is executed in galvanized blue with a sunray-brushed pattern. To stay relevant with the two-tone look, the hands and applied markers are gold-coloured and largely filled with white Super-LumiNova. Even though more modern looking and more refined, this dial retains the signature design of the old Spezimatic watch, with a highly distinctive combination of hands and markers. The 3-hand display is completed by a tone-on-tone date window at 3 o’clock.

Behind the solid steel caseback, engraved with a wave pattern, a trident and the brand’s double-G logo, is the in-house calibre 39-11. An automatic movement with a 40-hour power reserve and 4Hz frequency, it displays central hours, minutes, seconds (with hacking seconds for precise setting) and a date. Despite the fact that it is hidden, calibre 39-11 is beautifully finished with bevelled edges, Glashütte stripe finishes, a swan-neck fine adjustment and a skeletonised rotor.

To finalize the casual look of this new Bicolor edition, Glashütte Original offers two strap options. First, as presented here, is a synthetic textile strap in blue. Second is a classic black rubber strap. Both can be ordered either with a pin buckle or a fold fastener.

Availability & Price

The Glashütte Original SeaQ 39.5mm Bicolor is launched in the permanent collection and will be available at the end of April 2021. The price will start at EUR 12,000. For more details, please visit glashuette-original.com.