The New Union Glashütte Belisar Date Sport Pro Collection

While most of us are familiar with the big brand names on the Saxon watchmaking scene, Union Glashütte flies somewhat under the radar. Owned by the Swatch Group since 2000, Union Glashütte started producing pocket watches in 1893 and now has a portfolio of attractive mechanical watches distinguished by their pragmatic Saxon appeal. The Belisar is one of the brand’s six collections and is home to sportier models like the Belisar Chronograph and the new Belisar Date Sport Pro, a robust dive watch available with blue or black dials that packs functionality and quality.

Although the name Belaris Date Sport Pro might not hint at the watch’s true vocation, it is a bona fide diver with a 300m water-resistant case, not to be confused with the 45mm and ‘only’ 200m water-resistant Belaris Date Sport that’s also in the collection. The Date Sport Pro has a 42mm stainless steel case with a thickness of 11.85mm (lug-to-lug 49.12mm), beefed up with crown guards around the screw-down crown and more prominent notches on the unidirectional rotating bezel. Matching the colour of the dial, the blue or black bezel is made of durable scratch-resistant sapphire glass with an inverted triangle at noon coated with Super-LumiNova and the all-important markers from 0-15 to time immersions.

One of the distinguishing features of Union Glashütte’s Belisar collection models is the protective screw-down case flanks in either black DLC-coated steel or polished stainless steel. The blue dial model on a stainless steel bracelet has screwed-on steel flanks while the black model, available on a steel bracelet or a black rubber strap has contrasting black DLC-coated flanks and crown guards. The case and bracelet feature brushed surfaces and polished accents on the crown, bezel and steel flanks. It’s worth pointing out that the black rubber strap can be easily exchanged thanks to a quick-change spring bar system and is secured to the wrist, like the stainless steel bracelet, with a diver’s folding clasp.

The dial ensures exceptional legibility with its thick faceted and applied indices. There is a double index at noon, and they are all treated with Super-LumiNova, like the hour and minute hands and the arrow-shaped area of the central seconds hand. The hour marker at 3 o’clock is truncated to accommodate the date window with a white background and black numerals, and the dial is protected by a sapphire crystal with a non-reflective coating on both sides.

The screw-down caseback also has a sapphire crystal revealing Glashütte Union’s UNG-07.S1 automatic movement that’s also found in the Noramis Date. It has a silicon balance spring to protect it from magnetic fields, temperature fluctuations and shocks. Decorated with Glashütte stripes and cut-out letters spelling UNION, the rotor delivers energy to the barrel providing up to 60 hours of power reserve.

The Union Glashütte Belisar Date Sport Pro is now a regular member of the Belisar collection. The black dial model on a black rubber strap retails for EUR 2,750, and the blue and black dials with a stainless steel bracelet retail for EUR 2,850.

For more information, please visit union-glashuette.com.