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Tutima Grand Classic Power Reserve Watch Review

admin — Mon, 30 May 2011 07:13:19 +0000

It is a good time to be Tutima. The recent announcement of their new movement manufacture launched with the Hommage Minute Repeater watch signals a bright future for the German brand. A brand that already has a reputation for making quality timepieces and finely regulating the movements contained within them, Tutima watches tend to fall in three categories at this time. First are their more formal watches, their military and dive watches, and then their classic pilot watch range. Of course these categories blend a bit with the Grand Classic Power Reserve being a fine example.

Pieces like this are a styling hybrid between traditional looking pilot watches and dressy watches. The Grand Classic is a larger range of models with this dial style coming in to forms - the ref. 781-21 on a leather strap and the ref. 781-22 on Tutima's excellent five link metal bracelet.

The case is 43mm wide and sits very nicely on the wrist. The substantial thickness of 15.9mm helps it feel like a larger watch than it is. Inspecting the side case allows you appreciate the very impressive craftsmanship of the brushed steel case and rotating coined-edge bezel. It is all done very well and is impressive for the price of this piece.

Unless you absolutely must get the leather strap, I highly recommend getting the metal bracelet as seen here. It is a very special style and few people do it like Tutima. Sometimes hairs can get caught between the links but that is a small price to pay for the pebble smooth links that glide over your wrist. While the clasp closes with a tension butterfly clasp, it is one that closes very securely. The design of the case and lugs means that even if the strap is worn a little loose the case should still stay on the top of your wrist. Very high marks for comfort in this timepiece.

Over the dial is a AR coated sapphire crystal and, domed though it may be, it does not suffer from distortion issues at angles because the sapphire is the same thickness throughout. The back of the watch features a Tutima branded sapphire display back. Aside from the serial number, there isn't much info on the back of the watch. I would have preferred a few more details about the watch back there.

Tutima likes vintage aviator style parts and we see them with the chronograph pushers and large crown. The screw-down crown features a nice Tutima "T" logo in relief. Inside the watch is a Swiss ETA Valjoux 7750 automatic chronograph movement with a special power reserve indicator module. While this added feature removes the day function, the date remains. The addition of the power reserve indicator makes this 7750 based watch much more desirable than other pieces with this movement.

Unlike other Tutima watch dials the Grand Classic Power Reserve has a more decorative look being two toned. There is no function to the back and white sections per se but they offer a bolder look for those wanting a bit more attention drawn to their wrist. For those who prefer a more utilitarian look there are cleaner Tutima dials available. The dial, however, is impressive with its crisp details and multi-level surface. Tutima also applies a healthy amount of SuperLumiNova lume on the hands and Arabic numeral hour indicators.

Hands are classic aviator style and a matter of taste. The applied hour markers are thick and sit atop a black ring with a concentric circle texturing on it. Tutima features recessed chronograph subdials which have designs based on classic pilot watches and gauges. Of course, I highly appreciate that all hands on the dial are the proper size. For the most part, the dial is very well-done save for the smaller hands that can blend into the dial in certain types of light. The hour and minute hands are always easy to see.

As a modern formal watch based on Tutima's history as an aviator watch brand, the Grand Classic Power Reserve is a compelling watch. It is hard to find this much heritage and quality in a watch at this price: $4,900 on the bracelet and $4,400 on the strap.

domed

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Tutima Glashutte Hommage Minute Repeater Watch

admin — Fri, 13 May 2011 01:40:14 +0000

The big news is that Tutima just opened up their own movement manufacture they call the Glashutte Factory. To celebrate this they have released the first factory watch. It is the Tutima Glashutte Homage that is not only their first in-house movement, but also a minute repeater. According to Tutima (which is located in Glashutte), it is the only minute repeater watch that has been made and also developed in Glashutte.

At first I wasn't of Tutima's claim.Â Glashutte Original and A. Lange & Sohne are also located in Glashutte Germany, and should have minute repeaters of their own right? Turns out that they don't. I would have guess that by now the two high-end brands would have a minute repeater or two under their belt, but that isn't the case. A. Lange & Sohne has long since been rumored to be working on one, but it hasn't come out yet. So Tutima now has the credit of the first Glashutte minute repeater watch.

The Tutima Glashutte Hommage watch is a classic looking timepieces with a very Germanic movement. It will be offered with three dial styles at least. This includes an open dial with a view into the movement as well as a more traditional style "closed" dial. The brand's aviator watch spirit is retained in the pilot watch style crown to wind and adjust the manually wound movement.

~~Not a lot of details yet~~ (see more details below) but the watch is larger in size and will likely be offered in an 18k rose or white gold case. This is also likely to be the highest end Tutima watch ever. Tutima is known for meticulous adjustment of the ETA movements they use, so when it comes to their own movements, I am sure that the attention to detail will be just as high. As is common for Glashutte watches, the balance cock on the movement over the escapement has been engraved.

Really great to see Tutima take things to the next level with their own movement manufacture as well as a minute repeater. This stuff have been in the works for years now, and Tutima is likely very relieved to finally be able and talk about it. Price for this limited edition watch is 169,000 euros in 18k gold and 179,000 in platinum. See more details below.

Technical details from Tutima:

Movement
- Movement: Mechanical with hand winding
- Diameter: 32 mm
- Height: 7.2 mm
- Jewels: 42, three of which are set in screw-mounted gold chatons
- Escapement: Screw balance with 14 gold weighted screws and 4 regulating screws in slotted, threaded holes; free-sprung Breguet hairspring, pallet lever with domed pallets
- Balance frequency: 21,600 vph (3 Hertz)
- Power reserve: 72 hours

Special features: Gold-plated, matte flat parts; Glashütte three-quarter plate; hand-engraved balance cock with relief engraving; winding wheels with click and sunburst polishing, all 550 movement parts hand-finished, all additional parts for the minute repeater bear a Glashütte tin-polished mirror surface.

Functions: Hours, minutes, subsidiary seconds, hour, quarter hour and minute repeater on two gongs spaced by a third and secured to the watch case for optimal sound quality.

Case: Rose gold or platinum, Ã¸ 43 mm, height 13.4 mm; anti-reflective coating on both sides of the sapphire crystal; case back with Tutima logo and sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating.

Dial: Solid gold, finely silver-plated (for the platinum and five of the rose gold versions reduced to a narrow ring around the perimeter); handcrafted hands in gold or blued steel.

Band: Alligator skin, buckle in rose gold or platinum.

Price: In rose gold, limited edition of 20 pieces, 5 versions with a narrow ring around the perimeter instead of a full dial (â‚¬ 168,000). In platinum, limited to 5 pieces (â‚¬ 179,000).

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Tutima Watches’ Secret Flight School

admin — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 07:07:00 +0000

Seems as though a few times a week I am informed about a new pilot watch. Brands like to talk about how this feature helps pilots with this, and how aviators love that. Apparently someone uses a slide-rule bezel, and being able to see 12 timezones at once is useful. Without knowing what people who fly actually use and need, it is hard for me to discuss these pieces on a level above being a watch nerd. It is for that reason that I am happy to have finally got a taste for flight, and what aviator watches are trying to do, and trying to emulate.

I am far from a pilot, but I did get a chance to finally do something in the sky. Tutima graciously invited me to check out their airfield near Salinas California. I call it the "secret Tutima air base" because until now I'd never heard of it - and neither would anyone else who didn't happen to be in King City or was in the business of flying.

The place isn't just a small airport, but home of a very special school called the Tutima Academy of Aviation Safety with Sean D. Tucker. The school is a sort of race car safety driving course for seasoned pilots. Sean Tucker and his team are stunt pilots, flying in major airshows around the country. What they offer pilots is how to take skills learned when doing stunt flying and apply them to how to deal with problematic situations in the air. The academy serves a range of pilot types, including those who fly some very important types of aircraft.

Looking through the course catalog, you can take things called, Pilot Confidence Training, Aerobatic Proficiency Training, and Formation Flight Training. These guys make it look easy, but it isn't. Tutima's link to all this (as opposed to being headquartered a world away in Glashutte Germany) is that they have been continuously making pilot instruments since (I believe) the 1920s. Tutima wanted to bring myself and a few other watch writers into their world, so they strapped a parachute on me, put me in a Pitts bi-plane, flew me to 4000 feet and then just gave me control of the stick. Wait, what happened to the training course?

For those of you who fly or have flown I don't need to tell you what you already know. For me this was a really exhilarating first experience, and I have to say that I was too overcome with glee and g-forces to ever glance at the Tutima on my wrist. Though for less adrenaline filled flying I can see where a watch come in useful in a few ways. First, flying is risky and on-board instruments can fail. Any backs up you have are helpful. Sometimes pilots uses chronographs just to time how much fuel they have. If you are flying to different timezones, having a GMT or multi-timezone watch is a must. Legibility is also crucial as you don't want to be looking away for too long.

What I thought was cool, is that Tutima has some neat limited edition watches with the Academy's logo on them that are only available there. They are available to students of the academy to buy. The whole team wears Tutima, and I mean they really wear them. These aren't just watches they put on for show.

One thing that really interested me was being in a cockpit and finally really realizing where legions of brand designers are getting their inspiration. You can see watches in just about ever dial and gauge. I am going to start crediting instrument makers a lot more now when seeing nice "tool watches."

The Tutima Academy men and women are really fantastic people. If you ever are interested in these types of course you'll be treated very well. Generous and genuine, these true professionals go back and forth from teaching people who to fly better, to going about and participating in airshows. When it comes down to it they are entertainers, wowing audiences with tight rolls and and close formations. The start of the show is Sean D. Tucker. A veteran pilot who is one of the most impressive (and energetic) people I've ever met. There is a true feeling of validation when the people who do extraordinary things are themselves extraordinary. And I am not just saying that because he let me fly a place without having to go through that whole... pilot's license thing.

A few years ago I saw Sean for the first time - though I didn't know it. He was over San Francisco during an airshow in Fleet Week. He flies for Team Oracle in his bright red custom bi-plane doing pretty amazing stuff. What I didn't realize is how much training it takes just to keep your body used to the amazingly rough forces of wild aerobatic flight. Not just anyone can do this, but this guy makes it look easy. You know what else really impressed me? How well the academy keeps their planes. They all look like they came out of the factory two days ago.

Born to please the public, Sean D. Tucker is a legend and gentleman. You are in good hands with this guy. Tutima and Tucker have been working together since 1996, and the relationship seems to have really blossomed. It is also good to know that Tutima participates in these types of activities in the US - thanks to the Tutima USA team. While fashion watches are a-plenty, it is good to know that purist brands like Tutima are out there offering solid instruments for professional pilots, divers, drivers, or just those who like to dream.

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Tutima DI 300 German Dive Watch Review

admin — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 08:50:00 +0000

If you are a fan of watches made to be instruments, then please don't pass up the German greats. One of the best is Tutima. Located in Glashutte, nearby A. Lange & Sohne, Glashutte Original, and Nomos, Tutima is an historic watch brand with a serious outlook on the matter of making timepiece. While many Tutima watches have a good handsome look to them, these timepieces are functional machines - with a keen eye on making the time easy to read all in a very reliable watch case.

I have next to no complaints about this watch. If anything, it is too serious. This is a quality that often differentiates Swiss and German watches. German watches are "angular" and sober. Proudly ready for action like a well-trained dog. Swiss watches have a more social quality to them, much of the time focusing on aesthetics and "art" as much or more than "mere." Unlike a German guard dog, Swiss watches are more like a lady. They take longer to get ready, and strive to gather attention like a beautiful woman walking down the lane. For 2010, Tutima spiced up the hardy DI 300 model with this nifty black and yellow dialed version. Functionally the same as the outgoing collection, the watch features the new 2010 style rotating diver's bezel, and that cool dial that fans have come to enjoy.

Of course I am reminded of the "bumble bee" forged carbon Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore watch. Maybe it is just because of that bold yellow flange ring. Tutima is an excellent dial maker, not only in design, but quality. For the price, there are few brands that make dials so crisp and rich. Only brands like Sinn are competition for this style. The dial is matte black with white lume hour indicators and hands, with proper minute markers. I first thought that the hands were too short, and they sort of appear that way, but they aren't when trying to use the watch. Tutima might benefit from lengthening them just a tad bit, but there is no lack of easy reading here. The placement of the Arabic hour numerals on the flange ring is great. There are few other watches so keen on telling you the time. I have to praise the SuperLumiNova lume application for being so bright. Tutima properly has the day and date on black colored discs to match the dial. The handsome deep-set dial is further benefited from a properly AR coated sapphire crystal over the face.

The design of the case makes is such that you can only comfortably turn the bezel but twisting it from the sides. I believe that this is a security mechanism to prevent erroneous turning of the bezel. The bezel has a nice hint of gloss that contrasts with the matte dial, while the very slightly glossy yellow flange ring is an intermediate texture between the dial and the bezel.

In all titanium, the case is very well rendered in both manufacture and design. A bit retro - it wears a bit small even though it is almost 44mm wide. The case features of a lugless design where the bracelet (and available rubber strap) fit directly into the case. The case is water resistant to 300 meters, and is very comfy. Part of that has to do with how light it is due to the all titanium construction. The titanium is done well in an all satin finished style that fits the tool-like personality of the DI 300 watch.

You'll probably recognize the style of the bracelet from other German watches. Sinn again, has something similar. It is light, flexible, comfortable, and handsome. Not exactly sexy, but it is handsome. The locking fold-over deployment clasp has a micro-adjust feature for the bracelet, as well as a fold-out diver's extension. One little thing is that the fold over lock clasp on the deployment can get a little loose. It has never actually detached from its closed position for me, and the bracelet always feels secure overall, but that little swinging clasp might due from a tiny little refinement. But like I said, it never actually did come off, and it is a very minor issue. Not like the bracelet ever felt like it was gonna come undone.

The DI 300 uses a Swiss ETA 2836-2 automatic movement with a day/date complication. I experienced it keeping good time, and I really liked the smooth integrations of the day and date indicator indicators. The sweep seconds hands is fashionable with a needle style and in yellow.

The caseback has a respectful looking Tutima logo that adds to the heritage feel of the case. Tutima is mostly a classic aviator watch brand, but they do dive watches properly. As straight forward as the DI 300 looks, it is "sexy" for most German dive watch standards. I personally like this watch a great deal. It is comfortable to wear, easy on the eyes, and highly reliable as a legible timepiece. The black and yellow dial is one of the best that Tutima has released for this collection in my opinion, but there are a number of other color versions (and another dial choice that you might be interested in. This specific model is know as the DI 300 SE Ref. 629-08.

Price for this all titanium, German watch with a Swiss movement is very aggressive. The Tutima DI 300 SE on the bracelet is a solid $1,800 - proving that Tutima makes a serious watch that isn't looking to bargain for higher prices with unnecessary frills. It helps the brand feel honest, and reliable (a lot like the watch itself).

Thanks to Tutima for the review unit. Opinions are 100% independent.

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Tutima Grand Classic Chronograph Watch

admin — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:17:20 +0000

Nice timepiece and something pretty different from Tutima right? I got to check out this watch direct from Tutima who was nice enough to show it to me while I was at JCK in Las Vegas. This is one of Tutima's new timepieces that was released at Basel and represents a bold look maintaining a very high level of functionality. Tutima is located in Glashutte Germany right around a few other famous German watch brands. What I really like about the watches is that you can see a Tutima watch from the 1920s and you can recognize it as being from the same brand as Tutima watches of today. They have done an excellent job of keeping the character and heritage of the brand intact. Two major parts of that are the signature coined bezel (not on all their watches though), and the classic looking hands.

Part of the new trend of Tutima watches is making larger cases which are now around 44mm wide. This Grand Classic Chronograph is 43.5mm wide and 15.8mm tall. The case is beautifully retro and constructed well. The high quality steel case is brushed with the bezel being polished and some other polish on the the crown and pusher tips. The case feels very solid and put together well - not to mention highly functional in character. You can see how the caseback features a nice exhibition window with the Tutima "T" applied on the sapphire glass underneath. The rear of the watch also has the Tutima 80th anniversary engraving on the back of the watch. This occurred in 2007 (Tutima started in 1927), but is still on this 2009 model. Powering the watch is an automatic ETA Valjoux 7750 movement. The seconds subdial has been taken out to give it a bicompax look, but retains the 12 hour chronograph functionality. It looks quite nice with the large chronograph subsidiary dials in the contrasting colors - don't you think?

Looking at the watch from the side you can tell that the crystal is convex a bit which gives it a nice look. Still, it is AR coated for a clear view into the face. The dial is laid out well - though it has a unique look. This was likely a tough task. Arabic numerals for the hour markers are covered in lume so thick they pop off the dial. The chronograph dials are easy to read and I appreciate the wealth of marks on those subdials. You also get the red framed date window that looks nice with a date disc that is black to match the dial of the watch. No doubt that this watch is totally an aviator in fashion. The thick leather strap has the iconic rivet screw on each band with white contrast stitching. There is also an available metal bracelet which I suspect is Tutima signature style with many little links.

Overall the watch works well and is nice to wear. It really satisfies that need for wanting a classic aviation style timepiece with a modern look and feel with a unique style. Price for the Tutima Grand Classic Chronograph watch is a pretty reasonable $3,200 - which is probably for the leather strap version and a bit more for the metal bracelet. You can get less expensive aviator watches out there, but not too many with the history of Tutima or the admittedly high quality that I observed with these watches.

See Tutima watches on eBay here.

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Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.