German and Japanese brands do not have a high market share in the entire watch industry, and are often labeled as "niche". When it comes to German watches, the first thing that comes to mind for most gamers is the off-center dial, the outsize date, the three-quarter deck, the gooseneck trim and other features, but these designs are often only found in dress watches, and German sports watches lack the impressive recognizable elements. On the other hand, Japanese watches are famous for their quartz technology, which has caused a "quartz storm" that swept through the Swiss watchmaking industry in history, and has developed into products such as photokinetic meters and radio-controlled meters. Traditional mechanical watches, both historically and currently, have not been the main area of Japanese brands. It can be seen that if the scope is framed in the "mechanical diver's watch" of the "German and Japanese brands", the options will be very limited.
German vs. Japanese, the duel of "non-mainstream" diver's watches
The representative brands of German brands include A. Lange & Söhne, Glashütte Original, Yulian, NOMOS, etc., covering 10,000 yuan to 1 million levels. The "three musketeers" of Japanese brands are Seiko, Citizen, and Casio, focusing on the market of less than 10,000 yuan. Obviously, judging by the selling price alone, they are not a player of a magnitude. However, in recent years, Japanese brands have also continued to explore the high-end market, such as Seiko's "Grand Seiko" series in 2017, which officially separated from Seiko and became an independent operating brand, focusing on the price range of RMB 5 to 100,000. In this way, the German brand Glashütte Original and the Grand Seiko seem to have found an intersection in this price segment.
Let's take a look at Glashütte Original's diver's watches: a few years ago, Glashütte Original launched a sports collection called "SPORT EVOLUTION", which includes modern diver's watches, racing chronographs, etc., all of which have a common feature of the outer ring. In 2019, swept by the retro wave, the brand launched the "Spezialist" inspired by historical pieces, which was subdivided from the previous comprehensive sports category to professional diver's watches. IT REPLACES SPORT EVOLUTION AS THE ONLY SPORTY LINE IN GLASHÜTTE ORIGINAL.
Spezimatic Type RP TS 200（1969年）
Based on the Spezimatic Type RP TS 200 released in 1969, the Pioneer Collection pays homage to the historic piece with details such as the shape of the hands, the domed diameter, and the colour of the luminescent material, giving it a strong retro feel. We know that the predecessor of Glashütte Original was GUB (VEB Glashütter Uhrenbetrieb), and although the refinement of the watches of the GUB period was somewhat lacking in today's eyes, in the historical context of the time, the durability of the product was clearly a higher priority.
SeaQ (Model: 1-39-11)
At present, the SeaQ, SeaQ Panorama Date and 1969 Limited Edition models in the series are different, but there are differences in design and movement. SeaQ is water-resistant to 200 meters and features a refined and compact 39.5 mm diameter and a thickness of 12.15 mm. The date window of the SeaQ is located at 3 o'clock on the dial and is powered by the Glashütte Original calibre 39-11 under the caseback. This movement features a three-quarter plate design with a swanneck fine adjustment, which is also the charm of German watches. It's a bit of a shame that the brand didn't add a back-to-the-back to the SeaQ, meaning players won't be able to appreciate these elements.
SeaQ Panorama Date (Model: 1-36-13)
As the latest version of the collection, the SeaQ Panorama Date makes up for these shortcomings with a higher water-resistance rating and a transparent caseback: the SeaQ Panorama Date is water-resistant to 300 meters, with a stiff 43.2 mm diameter and 15.65 mm thickness, and the outsize date display is set at half past four.
Glashütte Original Caliber 39-13
The Cal.36-13 calibre, which is adorned with the brand's gold-toned Double G logo on its skeleton rotor and has a longer power reserve of 100 hours compared to the Cal.39-11.
Seiko's first diver's watches (6217-8000 and 6217-8001)
If the pre-independent Blue Lion is also considered part of Seiko's history, Seiko's foray into diver's watches predates Glashütte Original (GUB period). In 1965, Seiko released the brand's first diver's watch, the reference 62MAS. It is powered by the Seiko Cal.6217A automatic movement, with a frequency of 18,000 VPH and 17 jewel bearings. Earlier versions (Ref. 6217-8000) used a small crown, while later versions (Ref. 6217-8001) increased the size of the crown and made it easier to operate with gloves. Regardless of the version, it is water-resistant to 150 meters (100 to 200 meters were generally waterproof at the same time).
首款 Grand Seiko腕表(1960年)
The term Grand Seiko was first coined in 1960 when the first model was powered by a mechanical movement, a high-end model of Seiko watches. However, for a long time after that, the brand did not launch its successor. In fact, it wasn't until 1997 that the Hyundai Grand Seiko series made its return. From 1997 to 2017, Grand Seiko was attached to Seiko. However, Seiko has long adopted a people-friendly pricing strategy, which is not conducive to the establishment of a "high-end" image. For this reason, in 2017, Grand Seiko completely separated from Seiko and became an independent brand with stores and sales. Its Chinese name "Guanlan Lion" is both a transliteration and a good representation of the brand's lion image.
Sport Collection系列潜水表
The Sport Collection is the sporty collection of the Crown Blue Lion, which includes diver's watches and GMT categories. The model SBGH289 is available in a 43.8 mm titanium case, 14.7 mm thick and water-resistant to 200 meters. The indexes and hands are covered with Lumibrite (a distinction from the Super Luminova material widely used by Swiss brands).
Blue Lion Caliber 9S85
After operating independently, the 9S calibre became the exclusive domain of the Crown Blue Lion. Today, the 9S series can be further subdivided into the 9S5 series, 9S6 series, 9S8 series, and the latest generation 9SA5 launched in 2020. This diver's watch is powered by the flagship calibre 9S85. The calibre is technically characterized by a frequency of 36,000 VPH and a theoretical power reserve of 55 hours, which limits the daily error to +5/-3, which is better than the +6/-4 standard certified by the COSC Swiss Official Chronometer Observatory.
Mechanical Caliber 9S 25th Anniversary Special Edition (Model: SBGJ275G)
Another piece in the collection, the 9S Mechanical Calibre 25th Anniversary Edition, is also powered by the flagship automatic calibre: the 9S86, which is based on the 9S85 with a GMT module. The details of the movement can be seen through the caseback: the entire titanium rotor is anodized to give it an irregular blue texture that echoes the dial effect.
The date window and crown are located at 4 o'clock, and the blue and white GMT bezel is covered with sapphires. Water resistance of 200 meters, up to the level of a diver's watch. The light blue sea of clouds dial features this anniversary model, which according to the brand is inspired by the sea of clouds above Shizukuishi, the birthplace of the 9S movement. In terms of materials and craftsmanship, the stainless steel case has a diameter of 44.2 mm and is finished using a process called "Zaratsu", which uses the front of the dial to achieve a mirror-free and mirror-like flat effect. As the "non-main" products of their respective brands, both the Glashütte Original SeaQ and the Blue Lion diver's watch are very niche choices. So in this price range, will you consider these two brands of diver's watches?