Muhle-Glashutte Teutonia II Chronometer Grossdatum
Angus Davies gets ‘hands-on’ with the Muhle-Glashutte Teutonia II Chronometer Grossdatum, a watch equipped with a large date display, featuring a guilloché dial, all delivered at a highly competitive price.
This detailed review of the Muhle-Glashutte Teutonia II Chronometer Grossdatum includes live images, specification details and pricing.
Looking at my wife’s face, I always notice her deep brown eyes. It was this facial feature which initially caught my attention when we first met. At the time, she was merely 16 years of age. Today, a middle-aged mother of two, her eyes exhibit a great profundity with endearing lines of wisdom adorning her face.
Those brown eyes have witnessed much and acquired knowledge over the years we have shared together. Indeed, behind my wife’s alluring brown irides there is a profound sagacity.
Looking at the dial of the Muhle-Glashutte Teutonia II Chronometer Grossdatum, or ‘Large Date’, I am attracted to its prominent eyes, or should I say, date display. The large date supplants a conventional single disc date display. Instead, two discs are employed to impart the date, collaborating together in productive union. The resultant display proffers appeal for two reasons. Firstly, the scale of the display proves more legible to read and secondly, the date harnesses much watchmaking know-how to bring to fruition. Indeed, behind the beautiful eyes of this watch, resides a high quotient of horological wisdom.
The dial
The large date display is a regional speciality of Glashütte with the likes of A. Lange & Söhne and Glashütte Original also offering models equipped with the complication. Where Mühle-Glashütte differs in some respects is by framing each digit within its own aperture. A. Lange & Söhne and Glashütte Original virtually merge the date discs with minimal evidence that the date is composed of two elements. I have to be honest, I prefer the approach taken by the latter two companies but concede, their watches are priced at a far higher level. Nevertheless, I continue to appreciate the date display on the Muhle-Glashutte Teutonia II Chronometer Grossdatum. Indeed, it is clean, crisp and simple to interpret.
However, to focus merely upon the large date complication would be a disservice to Mühle-Glashütte for the dial features several additional attributes which confer delight.
The blackened leaf-shaped hands exhibit a graceful poise and their slender profiles articulate hours and minutes wonderfully.
Spanning the central area of the dial is a smooth section, running from 3 to 9 o’clock, used to proclaim the brand’s nomenclature and the model name of the watch. Both above and below this area, a guilloché motif of concentric circles charmingly toys with ambient light. Within the lower guilloché section, a small seconds display resides, featuring snailed detail.
The hour circle is, once again, snailed and features faceted, applied hour markers. The minute track is marked with neat black strokes which collaborate with the minute hand to accord superb readability. Encircling the minute track, a snailed circlet repeats the now familiar theme on the dial, enhancing the cohesion of the various dial components.
The case
The stainless steel case measures 41mm in diameter, with a case height of 12.7mm. In reality, the watch appears larger on the wrist than the aforementioned figures would suggest. I attribute this partly to the styling of the bezel which is stepped and highly polished. The watch suited my own wrist well and nestled comfortably without unduly protruding.
The horns are slightly elongated, again leading the wearer to assume the watch is larger than specified. The upper and lower surface of the lugs are highly polished. The sides of the lugs and caseband are satin-brushed and the contrast proffers much eye-appeal. Furthermore, I particularly like the contradistinction between the caseband and the highly polished crown with the brand’s logo on its vertical plane.
The back of the watch reveals a sapphire crystal providing sight of the self-winding movement within. The caseback is again presented in highly polished steel.
I have worn Mühle-Glashütte watches in the past and note the quality of the strap on this limited edition model is far superior. Indeed, the crocodile leather strap felt superb and the deployant supplied with the watch should ensure it retains its factory-fresh appearance for some time.
The movement
The automatic ETA 2892 is equipped with a Jacquet 3532 ‘Grand Data’ module. Mühle-Glashütte has equipped the movement with its own oscillating mass and swan-neck regulator. The movement has received subsequent enhancement by the German watch brand, including the fitment of thermally blued screws.
The finishing of the watch includes perlage on the mainplate and bridges and the watch is certified as a ‘chronometer’, having been tested at the Glashütte Observatory.
Closing remarks
Mühle-Glashütte has produced a beautiful watch. The dial is suffused with numerous circular lines which provide a fascinating foil for the neat, precise hour and minute hands. The styling is harmonious and clearly the product of judicious thought.
There is a palpable honesty to this watch, it does not purport to be the last word in haute horlogerie, but delivers an impressive specification coupled with stereotypical teutonic quality, all delivered for a highly competitive price of £3,350 (RRP as at 4.11.2015).
The large date shows much wisdom on the part of Mühle-Glashütte. This watch features a complication coveted by many admirers of fine watchmaking and includes some pleasing features such as thermally blued screws. Clearly, Mühle-Glashütte understands that not all buyers can afford the excellence proffered by A. Lange & Söhne and by offering this limited edition model it has democratised the large date complication to excellent effect.
Technical specification
- Model: Muhle-Glashutte Teutonia II Chronometer Grossdatum
- Reference: M1-33-75-LB
- Case: Stainless-steel; diameter 41mm; height 12.7mm; water resistant to 10 bar (100 metres); sapphire crystal to front and caseback
- Functions: Hours; minutes; small seconds
- Movement: ETA 2892 with a Jacquet 3532 ‘Grand Data’ module; self-winding movement; frequency 28,800 vph (4Hz); 26 jewels; power reserve 46 hours
- Strap: Black crocodile leather strap presented on a steel deployant
- Price: £3,350 (RRP as at 4.11.2015)
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