The Handsome Union Glashütte Belisar Chronograph Speedster Limited Edition

Perhaps not the first name to pop into your head when the word Glashütte is mentioned, Union Glashütte’s history is closely intertwined with the small Saxon town where it set up shop in 1893. Owned by Swatch Group since 2000, Glashütte Union has an eclectic lineup of watches ranging from classical Saxon-inspired models under the name of founder Johannes Dürrstein to surprisingly quirky car-inspired watches like the Noramis Otto Fuchs. While the Belisar collection is home to sporty, contemporary dive watches, it is also where you will find the overtly vintage and bright yellow Belisar Chronograph Speedster we reviewed last year. Returning with the same specifications, the latest Belisar Chronograph Speedster is toned down and tempered and takes inspiration for its electric blue colour palette from a legendary 1970s car. 

Housed in a round 100m water-resistant stainless steel case with brushed and polished surfaces, the Belisar Chronograph Speedster is a large watch with a 44mm diameter and a thickness of 15.1mm. Hitting on the vintage card, the chronograph pushers are piston-style, the crown is diamond-shaped with a fluted edge, and the sapphire crystal protecting the dial is slightly domed.

Although the brand does not identify the “very special vintage car” that has inspired the colour used on the dial, it is classified as electric blue, used in conjunction with black accents. According to the press release, the black sub-dials are reminiscent of the black grille of the legendary 1970s car. Starting from the periphery is a black tachymeter scale with white markings, followed by a retro railway minutes track set against the blue dial with white markings. Using two different colours, the functions of the three snailed sub-dials are distinguished: the 30-minute and 12-hour totalisers for the chronograph at 3 and 6 o’clock are black with white hands, while the running seconds at 9 o’clock is blue with a rhodium-plated hand.

In a departure from the large outlined numerals of the yellow Speedster, here the Arabic hour numerals are printed in a more subtle, almost Art Deco-inspired font. There is a date window housed inside the 12-hour counter with a white background, and a pusher in the case at 10 o’clock allows you to adjust this function. The black nickel-plated hour and minute hands are the only elements on the dial with Super-LumiNova, and the small central seconds hand has a white painted tip to match the chronograph hands in the sub-dials. Printed beneath the brand name are the words “Limitierte Edition”, referring to the fact that this Belisar Chronograph Speedster is a limited edition of 388 pieces.

A sapphire crystal on the caseback allows a glimpse of the UNG.27.SI automatic movement with a 65-hour power reserve. The ‘SI’ in the calibre name refers to the silicon balance spring, making the movement less sensitive to magnetic fields and temperature fluctuations. Although the movement is based on a Valjoux 7750, it is not delivered as a finished movement but comes as individual parts that are decorated and assembled, with some components manufactured by Union – like the branded skeletonised rotor.

Availability & Price

As mentioned, the Union Glashütte Belisar Chronograph Speedster is a limited edition of 388 pieces. It comes with a 3-link stainless steel bracelet and a black rubber strap with quick-change spring bars. The retail price is EUR 3,550 (incl. VAT). For more information, please consult union-glashuette-com.